1. Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years.
2. He did what was pleasing in the lord’s sight and followed the example of his ancestor David. He did not turn away from doing what was right.
3. During the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, Josiah began to seek the God of his ancestor David. Then in the twelfth year he began to purify Judah and Jerusalem, destroying all the pagan shrines, the Asherah poles, and the carved idols and cast images.