בֶּן־שְׁמוֹנֶה שָׁנִים יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ בְמָלְכוֹ וּשְׁלֹשִׁים וְאַחַת שָׁנָה מָלַךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם

Yoshiyahu was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem.

וַיַּעַשׂ הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינֵי ה'וַיֵּלֶךְ בְּדַרְכֵי דָּוִיד אָבִיו וְלֹא־סָר יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאול

He did what is right in the eyes of the Lord, and he followed in the ways of David his father, his ancestor, and he did not deviate from them right or left. His behavior was impeccable.

וּבִשְׁמוֹנֶה שָׁנִים לְמָלְכוֹ וְהוּא עוֹדֶנּוּ נַעַר הֵחֵל לִדְרוֹשׁ לֵאלֹהֵי דָּוִיד אָבִיו וּבִשְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה הֵחֵל לְטַהֵר אֶת־יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלִַם מִן־הַבָּמוֹת וְהָאֲשֵׁרִים וְהַפְּסִלִים וְהַמַּסֵּכוֹת

In the eighth year of his reign, when he was still a lad, about sixteen, he began to seek the God of David his father. Even as a young man he developed in a particular direction, becoming more and more attached to the service of God and all that that entailed. And in the twelfth year of his reign, when he was roughly twenty years old, and his rule was firmly established, he began to purify Judah and Jerusalem from the shrines, the sacred trees, the idols, and the cast images.

וַיְנַתְּצוּ לְפָנָיו אֵת מִזְבְּחוֹת הַבְּעָלִים וְהַחַמָּנִים אֲשֶׁר־לְמַעְלָה מֵעֲלֵיהֶם גִּדֵּעַ וְהָאֲשֵׁרִים וְהַפְּסִלִים וְהַמַּסֵּכוֹת שִׁבַּר וְהֵדַק וַיִּזְרֹק עַל־פְּנֵי הַקְּבָרִים הַזֹּבְחִים לָהֶם

They smashed at his behest the altars of the Be’alim; he cut down the sun pillars or other types of symbolic images used in the ritual worship of the sun, that were set high above them, the altars; and the sacred trees [ha’asherim], the idols, and the cast images he shattered, ground into dust, and threw the remnants on the graves of those who slaughtered offerings to them in their lifetimes.

וְעַצְמוֹת כֹּהֲנִים שָׂרַף עַל־מִזְבְּחוֹתָם וַיְטַהֵר אֶת־יְהוּדָה וְאֶת יְרוּשָׁלִָם

He burned the bones of the former priests of those cults on their altars, in order to demean them and as a sign of their impurity, and he purified Judah and Jerusalem,

ובְעָרֵי מְנַשֶּׁה וְאֶפְרַיִם וְשִׁמְעוֹן וְעַד־נַפְתָּלִי בְּחַרְבֹתֵיהֶם סָבִיב

and so he did also in the cities of Menashe, Ephraim, and Simeon, up to Naphtali in the north of the country, among their surrounding ruins, after they had been destroyed. The territory of the former Kingdom of Israel was formally under Assyrian control, but Assyria had almost come to the end of its time on the stage of history, and its grip over the land had weakened. After the inhabitants of the Kingdom of Israel had been exiled to distant lands, only remnants of the people were left in its territory, with much of the land remaining vacant. For both political and religious reasons, Yoshiyahu decided to annex those regions de facto, and therefore he continued his campaign of purification there as well.

וַיְנַתֵּץ אֶת־הַמִּזְבְּחוֹת וְאֶת־הָאֲשֵׁרִים וְהַפְּסִלִים כִּתַּת לְהֵדַק וְכָל־הַחַמָּנִים גִּדַּע בְּכָל־אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיָּשָׁב לִירוּשָׁלִָם

He smashed the altars, crushed the sacred trees and the idols into dust, he ground them finely, and cut down all the sun pillars throughout the Land of Israel, and he returned to Jerusalem.

וּבִשְׁנַת שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה לְמָלְכוֹ לְטַהֵר הָאָרֶץ וְהַבָּיִת שָׁלַח אֶת־שָׁפָן בֶּן־אֲצַלְיָהוּ וְאֶת־מַעֲשֵׂיָהוּ שַׂר־הָעִיר וְאֵת יוֹאָח בֶּן־יוֹאָחָז הַמַּזְכִּיר לְחַזֵּק אֶת־בֵּית ה' אֱלֹהָיו

In the eighteenth year of his reign, in order to purify the land; alternatively, when he had finished his campaign and purified the land, and the House, he, Yoshiyahu, sent Shafan son of Atzalyahu. Shafan and other members of his family held the position of scribes, senior politicians who were involved in foreign relations, among other functions. And he sent with him Maaseyahu governor of the city of Jerusalem; this was an important job, which required a distinguished and trusted man, and Yoah son of Yoahaz the chancellor, a kind of prime minister in King Yoshiyahu’s court, to repair the House of the Lord his God, to perform the necessary repairs to the Temple.

וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל־חִלְקִיָּהוּ הַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל וַיִּתְּנוּ אֶת־הַכֶּסֶף הַמּוּבָא בֵית־אֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר אָסְפוּ־הַלְוִיִּם שֹׁמְרֵי הַסַּף מִיַּד מְנַשֶּׁה וְאֶפְרַיִם וּמִכֹּל שְׁאֵרִית יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמִכָּל־יְהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִן וַיָּשֻׁבוּ יְרוּשָׁלִָם

They came to Hilkiyahu the High Priest and gave over the silver that was brought to the House of God, which the Levites, the gatekeepers who were in charge of guarding the money or the vessels in the Temple, had gathered from the hand of Manasseh, Ephraim, from all the remnant of Israel and from all Judah and Benjamin when they passed through the cities of Israel in order to purify the land, as described above, and they returned to Jerusalem.

וַיִּתְּנוּ עַל־יַד עֹשֵׂה הַמְּלָאכָה הַמֻּפְקָדִים בְּבֵית ה' וַיִּתְּנוּ אֹתוֹ עוֹשֵׂי הַמְּלָאכָה אֲשֶׁר עֹשִׂים בְּבֵית ה' לִבְדוֹק וּלְחַזֵּק הַבָּיִת

They did not give the money they collected to the priests or Levites. Rather, they gave it into the hand of the craftsman assigned to the House of the Lord, and the craftsmen who work in the House of the Lord allotted it to inspecting and repairing the House.

וַיִּתְּנוּ לֶחָרָשִׁים וְלַבֹּנִים לִקְנוֹת אַבְנֵי מַחְצֵב וְעֵצִים לַמְחַבְּרוֹת וּלְקָרוֹת אֶת־הַבָּתִּים אֲשֶׁר הִשְׁחִיתוּ מַלְכֵי יְהוּדָה

They gave it to the artisans, craftsmen who work with hard materials, and to the builders, for them to buy quarried stones and wood for couplings, to join together the various parts of the building, and to make with them beams for the structures that the kings of Judah had destroyed. It was necessary to cover parts of the Temple building with wood and to insert new stones to stabilize the structure. All these matters had been neglected, and perhaps the building had suffered willful damage, for almost sixty years, during the reigns of the two previous kings, Menashe and Amon.

וְהָאֲנָשִׁים עֹשִׂים בֶּאֱמוּנָה בַּמְּלָאכָה וַעֲלֵיהֶם מֻפְקָדִים יַחַת וְעֹבַדְיָהוּ הַלְוִיִּם מִן־בְּנֵי מְרָרִי וּזְכַרְיָה וּמְשֻׁלָּם מִן־בְּנֵי הַקְּהָתִים לְנַצֵּחַ וְהַלְוִיִּם כָּל־מֵבִין בִּכְלֵי־שִׁיר

The men worked faithfully, and Yahat and Ovadyahu the Levites from the sons of Merari were in charge of them, and Zekharya and Meshulam, from the sons of the Kehatites, were supervising, to instruct and oversee that the work was being performed properly; of the Levites, anyone expert was with musical instruments, playing while the repairs were ongoing.

וְעַל הַסַּבָּלִים וּמְנַצְּחִים לְכֹל עֹשֵׂה מְלָאכָה לַעֲבוֹדָה וַעֲבוֹדָה וּמֵהַלְוִיִּם סוֹפְרִים וְשֹׁטְרִים וְשׁוֹעֲרִים

Over the porters were appointed those supervising all the craftsmen in every type of work. From the Levites there were also scribes, officers, and gatekeepers. The Levites filled all the routine administrative posts in the Temple.

וּבְהוֹצִיאָם אֶת־הַכֶּסֶף הַמּוּבָא בֵּית ה' מָצָא חִלְקִיָּהוּ הַכֹּהֵן אֶת־סֵפֶר תּוֹרַת־ה' בְּיַד־מֹשֶׁה

When they brought out the silver that had been brought to the House of the Lord, Hilkiyahu the priest found the scroll of the Lord’s Torah by means of Moses. For many years no one had inspected the Temple, certainly not its treasuries. Now they apparently found there the original Torah scroll of Moses.

וַיַּעַן חִלְקִיָּהוּ וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־שָׁפָן הַסּוֹפֵר סֵפֶר הַתּוֹרָה מָצָאתִי בְּבֵית ה' וַיִּתֵּן חִלְקִיָּהוּ אֶת־הַסֵּפֶר אֶל־שָׁפָן

Hilkiyahu proclaimed and said to Shafan the scribe: I found the Torah scroll in the House of the Lord. Hilkiyahu gave the scroll to Shafan.

וַיָּבֵא שָׁפָן אֶת־הַסֵּפֶר אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיָּשֶׁב עוֹד אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּבָר לֵאמֹר כֹּל אֲשֶׁר־נִתַּן בְּיַד עֲבָדֶיךָ הֵם עֹשִׂים

Shafan brought the scroll to the king, and furthermore, he brought back a report to the king, saying: Everything that was assigned to your servants, they are doing. The work is proceeding as it should.

וַיַּתִּיכוּ אֶת־הַכֶּסֶף הַנִּמְצָא בְּבֵית־ה' וַיִּתְּנוּהוּ עַל־יַד הַמֻּפְקָדִים וְעַל־יַד עוֹשֵׂי הַמְּלָאכָה

They melted the silver that was found in the House of the Lord. At that time they did not yet use actual silver coins, but rather pieces of silver which were weighed and stamped. And they gave it into the hand of those in charge, and into the hand of the craftsmen. Shafan first reported on the progress of the work for which he was responsible.

וַיַּגֵּד שָׁפָן הַסּוֹפֵר לַמֶּלֶךְ לֵאמֹר סֵפֶר נָתַן לִי חִלְקִיָּהוּ הַכֹּהֵן וַיִּקְרָא־בוֹ שָׁפָן לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ

Shafan the scribe told the king, saying: Hilkiyahu the priest gave me a scroll. Shafan read in it before the king.

וַיְהִי כִּשְׁמֹעַ הַמֶּלֶךְ אֵת דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה וַיִּקְרַע אֶת־בְּגָדָיו

It was when the king heard the words of the Torah that he rent his garments. The king’s reaction suggests that Shafan read from the sections of rebuke found primarily in the book of Deuteronomy. Perhaps the book happened to be opened before him at those passages which depict the punishments and destruction that will be visited upon Israel if they sin.

וַיְצַו הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת־חִלְקִיָּהוּ וְאֶת־אֲחִיקָם בֶּן־שָׁפָן וְאֶת־עַבְדּוֹן בֶּן־מִיכָה וְאֵת שָׁפָן הַסּוֹפֵר וְאֵת עֲשָׂיָה עֶבֶד־הַמֶּלֶךְ לֵאמֹר׃

The king commanded Hilkiyahu, Ahikam son of Shafan, Avdon son of Mikha, Shafan the scribe, and Asaya the king’s servant, perhaps the chief official appointed over the work, saying:

לְכוּ דִרְשׁוּ אֶת־ה' בַּעֲדִי וּבְעַד הַנִּשְׁאָר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וּבִיהוּדָה עַל־דִּבְרֵי הַסֵּפֶר אֲשֶׁר נִמְצָא כִּי־גְדוֹלָה חֲמַת ה' אֲשֶׁר נִתְּכָה בָנוּ עַל אֲשֶׁר לֹא־שָׁמְרוּ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ אֶת־דְּבַר ה' לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּכָל־הַכָּתוּב עַל־הַסֵּפֶר הַזֶּה

Go inquire of the Lord on my behalf, and on behalf of those remaining in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the scroll that has been found, for the wrath of the Lord that is poured upon us is great, in that our fathers did not observe the word of the Lord, to act in accordance with everything that is written in this scroll.

וַיֵּלֶךְ חִלְקִיָּהוּ ואֲשֶׁר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל־חֻלְדָּה הַנְּבִיאָה אֵשֶׁת שַׁלֻּם בֶּן־תָּקְהַת בֶּן־חַסְרָה שׁוֹמֵר הַבְּגָדִים וְהִיא יוֹשֶׁבֶת בִּירוּשָׁלִַם בַּמִּשְׁנֶה וַיְדַבְּרוּ אֵלֶיהָ כָּזֹאת

Hilkiyahu, the High Priest, and those, the other men, with whom the king had spoken, went to Hulda the prophetess, wife of Shalum son of Tok’hat son of Hasra, keeper of the wardrobe. Shalum was in charge of the king’s clothes, while his wife was a prophetess who sat among her people. She lived in Jerusalem in the Mishneh, or the second quarter, an area that was added to the City of David, and they spoke to her of this, about the king’s concerns over the passages that had been read to him from the Torah scroll.

וַתֹּאמֶר לָהֶם כֹּה־אָמַר ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אִמְרוּ לָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר־שָׁלַח אֶתְכֶם אֵלָי

She said to them the following prophecy: So said the Lord, God of Israel: Say to the man who sent you to me, a somewhat arrogant reference to the king:

כֹּה אָמַר ה' הִנְנִי מֵבִיא רָעָה עַל־הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה וְעַל־יוֹשְׁבָיו אֵת כָּל־הָאָלוֹת הַכְּתוּבוֹת עַל־הַסֵּפֶר אֲשֶׁר קָרְאוּ לִפְנֵי מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה

So said the Lord: Behold, I am bringing harm upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the curses that are written in the scroll that they read before the king of Judah,

תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר עֲזָבוּנִי וַיְקַטְּרוּ לֵאלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים לְמַעַן הַכְעִיסֵנִי בְּכֹל מַעֲשֵׂי יְדֵיהֶם וְתִתַּךְ חֲמָתִי בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה וְלֹא תִכְבֶּה

because they have forsaken Me, and burned offerings to other gods, in order to anger Me with all their handiwork. My wrath will be poured abundantly upon this place, and it will not be extinguished.

וְאֶל־מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה הַשֹּׁלֵחַ אֶתְכֶם לִדְרוֹשׁ בַּה' כֹּה תֹאמְרוּ אֵלָיו כֹּה־אָמַר ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר שָׁמָעְתָּ

To the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, so you shall say to him, in a rather different tone: So said the Lord, God of Israel: With regard to all the words that you have heard,

יַעַן רַךְ־לְבָבְךָ וַתִּכָּנַע מִלִּפְנֵי אֱלֹהִים בְּשָׁמְעֲךָ אֶת־דְּבָרָיו עַל־הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה וְעַל־יֹשְׁבָיו וַתִּכָּנַע לְפָנַי וַתִּקְרַע אֶת־בְּגָדֶיךָ וַתֵּבְךְּ לְפָנָי וְגַם־אֲנִי שָׁמַעְתִּי נְאֻם־ה'

because your heart is tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words which He spoke concerning this place and concerning its inhabitants, and humbled yourself before Me, rent your garments, and wept before Me, I too, for My part, have heard you – the utterance of the Lord.

הִנְנִי אֹסִפְךָ אֶל־אֲבֹתֶיךָ וְנֶאֱסַפְתָּ אֶל־קִבְרוֹתֶיךָ בְּשָׁלוֹם וְלֹא־תִרְאֶינָה עֵינֶיךָ בְּכֹל הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי מֵבִיא עַל־הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה וְעַל־יֹשְׁבָיו וַיָּשִׁיבוּ אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּבָר

Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace, you will receive an honorable burial, and your eyes will not see all the harm that I am bringing upon this place and upon its inhabitants. They, Yoshiyahu’s men, brought back a report to the king.

וַיִּשְׁלַח הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֶּאֱסֹף אֶת־כָּל־זִקְנֵי יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלִָם

Every prophecy of evil is in effect a warning, as the assumption is that if people repent, the dark prophecy will not come to pass. Consequently, Yoshiyahu sought with all his might to reverse the decree: The king sent and gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.

וַיַּעַל הַמֶּלֶךְ בֵּית־ה' וְכָל־אִישׁ יְהוּדָה וְיֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִַם וְהַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם וְכָל־הָעָם מִגָּדוֹל וְעַד־קָטָן וַיִּקְרָא בְאָזְנֵיהֶם אֶת־כָּל־דִּבְרֵי סֵפֶר הַבְּרִית הַנִּמְצָא בֵּית ה'

The king went up to the House of the Lord with all the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the Levites, and all the people, great and small, and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the House of the Lord, from the Torah scroll itself.

וַיַּעֲמֹד הַמֶּלֶךְ עַל־עָמְדוֹ וַיִּכְרֹת אֶת־הַבְּרִית לִפְנֵי ה' לָלֶכֶת אַחֲרֵי ה' וְלִשְׁמוֹר אֶת־מִצְוֹתָיו וְעֵדְוֹתָיו וְחֻקָּיו בְּכָל־לְבָבוֹ וּבְכָל־נַפְשׁוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת־דִּבְרֵי הַבְּרִית הַכְּתוּבִים עַל־הַסֵּפֶר הַזֶּה

The king stood in his place, in his specially designated spot in the Temple, and established a covenant before the Lord, to follow the Lord, and to observe His commandments, His testimonies, and His statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that are written in this scroll.

וַיַּעֲמֵד אֵת כָּל־הַנִּמְצָא בִירוּשָׁלִַם וּבִנְיָמִן וַיַּעֲשׂוּ יוֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִַם כּבְרִית אֱלֹהִים אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם

He had everyone who was found in Jerusalem and Benjamin stand, so that they should participate in the rite of the covenant in an official manner. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem acted in accordance with all that is written in the covenant of God, God of their fathers. Yoshiyahu brought the people together and had them perform an action that would signify the enactment of the covenant, so that their agreement to the covenant should not be merely a verbal one.

וַיָּסַר יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ אֶת־כָּל־הַתֹּעֵבוֹת מִכָּל־הָאֲרָצוֹת אֲשֶׁר לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּעֲבֵד אֶת־כָּל־הַנִּמְצָא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לַעֲבוֹד אֶת־ה' אֱלֹהֵיהֶם כָּל־יָמָיו לֹא סָרוּ מֵאַחֲרֵי ה' אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם

Yoshiyahu removed all the abominations from the lands, the settled areas, of the children of Israel, and he obligated, forced, everyone who was found in Israel to serve the Lord their God. And indeed, they did not deviate from following the Lord, God of their fathers. Hulda’s prophecy came true. Yoshiyahu remained king all his days, and no retribution was visited upon the land of Judah during his reign. However, although the king was buried with his ancestors, he did not die a peaceful death, but was killed in battle. His death signified a turning point; the end of the brief period of tranquility. From that moment onward, the situation in the Kingdom of Judah continuously deteriorated.