priest, to Ahikam,
the son of Shaphan, to Achbor, the son of Micaiah, to Shaphan, the
scribe, and to Asaiah, his servant, "Go, ask of Jehovah for me and for
the people and for all Judah about the words of this book that has been
found; for Jehovah must be very angry with us, because our fathers have
not listened to the words of this book nor done all that we are there
commanded to do."

So Hilkiah, the priest, and Ahikam and Achbor went to Huldah, the
prophetess, who lived in Jerusalem and talked with her. She said to
them, "This is the message of Jehovah, the God of Israel: 'Tell the man
who sent you to me, Jehovah says, I am now about to bring evil upon this
place and upon its people even all that is written in the book which the
ruler of Judah has read. But you shall say to him who sent you to ask of
Jehovah, Jehovah the God of Israel declares, Because you listened and
humbled yourself before Jehovah and have wept before me, I also have
heard you,'" So they brought back word to Josiah.

Then at his command they got together all the leaders of Judah and of
Jerusalem. And Josiah went up to the temple of Jehovah, and with him all
the men of Judah and all the people of Jerusalem, as well as the priests
and the prophets and all the people, including the children. And he read
to them all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the
temple of Jehovah. And Josiah stood by the pillar and made a solemn
promise before Jehovah to obey all the commands and carry out the rules
written in this book. And all the people also agreed to do so.

Then Josiah commanded Hilkiah, the chief priest, and the second priest
and the doorkeepers to bring out from the temple of Jehovah all the
things that were made for Baal and for the Canaanite goddess of fortune,
and for the Babylonian star gods. And he burned them outside Jerusalem
in the lime-kilns by the Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel. He
also put away the idolatrous priests, whom the rulers of Judah had
appointed to offer sacrifice at the temples on the heights in the towns
of Judah and in the places about Jerusalem; those also who offered
sacrifices to Baal, to the sun, the moon, and the planets and all the
starry host.

He also destroyed Topheth, which is in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, so that
no man could ever make his son or his daughter pass through the fire to
Molech. He removed the horses at the entrance of the temple of Jehovah,
which the rulers of Judah