Kong Josias’ reformkampagne
2.Kong. 22,1-7; 23,4-20
1Josias var otte år gammel, da han blev konge, og han regerede i Jerusalem i 31 år. 2Han gjorde, hvad der var ret i Herrens øjne og fulgte i sin forfar Davids spor.
3I sit ottende regeringsår begyndte den unge konge at søge sin forfar Davids Gud. Fire år senere begyndte han på en omfattende udrensning i Juda og Jerusalem, hvor han fjernede afgudsaltrene, Asherapælene og de mange afgudsbilleder. 4Han sørgede for, at både brændofferaltrene og røgelsesaltrene for Ba’al blev revet ned, at Asherapælene blev hugget om, og at de udskårne og støbte afgudsbilleder blev knust til støv og resterne spredt ud på de folks grave, som havde dyrket afguderne. 5Han tog afgudspræsternes knogler og brændte dem på deres egne altre. På den måde foretog han en udrensning i Jerusalem og hele Judas land.
6Han foretog en lignende udrensning i byerne i Manasse, Efraim og Simeon, ja, endog helt oppe i Naftali mod nord. 7Han rev afgudsaltrene og Asherapælene ned, knuste afgudsbillederne til støv og ødelagde røgelsesaltrene. Efter at have gennemført denne udrensning over hele Israel vendte han tilbage til Jerusalem.
8I Josias’ 18. regeringsår, mens han var i fuld gang med at rense landet og templet for afgudsdyrkelse, udnævnte han tre mænd til at have overopsyn med restaureringen af templet. Mændene var: Shafan, søn af Atzalja; Ma’aseja, guvernøren over Jerusalem; og Joa, søn af Joahaz, byens kasserer. 9Disse mænd gik op til ypperstepræsten Hilkija og fik fat i de penge, der var blevet indsamlet som gaver til templet under opsyn af levitterne, der stod vagt ved templets indgang. Gaverne var blevet bragt af Efraims, Manasses og resten af Nordrigets befolkning samt af Judas, Benjamins og Jerusalems indbyggere. 10-11Pengene gav de videre til dem, der var ansvarlige for vedligeholdelsen af templet, så de kunne betale udgifterne til restaureringen, indkøb af tømmer og stenblokke og løn til tømrerne og stenhuggerne. De foregående konger i Juda havde nemlig ladet templet fuldstændig forfalde.
12Mændene udførte deres arbejde samvittighedsfuldt under opsyn af Jahat og Obadja af Meraris slægt og Zekarja og Meshullam af Kehats slægt. De levitter, som normalt skulle synge og spille i templet, 13havde opsyn med arbejderne, der udførte deres forskellige opgaver. Andre levitter fik til opgave at tage sig af regnskaber, skrivebordsarbejde og at holde vagt.
Ypperstepræsten finder lovbogen under restaureringen
2.Kong. 22,8-20
14En dag mens ypperstepræsten Hilkija var i færd med at hente de indsamlede penge i templet, fandt han en kopi af den lovbog, som Gud i sin tid havde givet til Moses.
15Straks gav han besked til Shafan, statssekretæren: „Jeg har fundet lovbogen i Herrens hus.” Derefter overlod han bogrullen til Shafan. 16Shafan gik nu til kongen med bogrullen og aflagde følgende rapport: „Dine embedsmænd har gjort alt, hvad du har bedt dem om. 17De penge, der er blevet indsamlet i templet, har vi udbetalt til opsynsmændene, som aflønner arbejderne.” 18Derefter tilføjede han: „Præsten Hilkija gav mig denne bog.” Så gav han sig til at læse op for kongen. 19Da kongen hørte, hvad der stod i bogen, blev han så fortvivlet, at han rev en flænge i sit tøj. 20Øjeblikkeligt tilkaldte han Hilkija og nogle flere af sine embedsmænd. Det var Shafans søn Ahikam, Mikas søn Abdon og hans personlige tjener Asaja.
21„Gå hen og rådspørg Herren på mine og hele Israels folks vegne om indholdet af denne lovbog,” sagde han. „Herren er uden tvivl vred på os, for vores forfædre har ikke adlydt Herrens ord, som de står skrevet i denne bog.”
22Derpå gik ypperstepræsten og de fire embedsmænd hen til Jerusalems nye bydel, hvor profeten Hulda boede sammen med sin mand, Shallum (en søn af Tokhat, som var søn af Hasra). Shallum havde ansvar for præstedragterne. 23-24Hulda sagde til dem: „Herren, Israels Gud, siger: ‚Sig til den mand, som sendte jer, at jeg, Herren, vil straffe dette sted og dets indbyggere i overensstemmelse med de forbandelser, der står i den bog, som nu er blevet læst op for Judas konge, 25for de har forkastet mig til fordel for andre guder. De har ofret røgelse til afguderne og provokeret mig med alle deres afgudsbilleder. Jeg må straffe dem, og straffen står ikke til at ændre. 26Men til kongen, som sendte jer for at rådspørge Herren, skal I overbringe følgende personlige budskab: Den straf, som du lige har hørt om, står fast, 27men fordi du var fortvivlet over, hvad der er sket, og ydmygede dig for mig, da du hørte om mine advarsler om den forbandelse og ødelæggelse, der skal ramme landet, og fordi du flængede dit tøj og græd for mit ansigt, så vil jeg bønhøre dig. 28Jeg vil udskyde dommens time over Jerusalem, så byen ikke bliver ødelagt i din levetid. Du skal få lov at dø i fred og blive skånet for at være vidne til den katastrofe, jeg sender over dette sted og dets indbyggere.’ ” Med det budskab vendte de tilbage til kongen.
Josias og folket lover atter at overholde pagtens betingelser
2.Kong. 23,1-3
29Kong Josias indkaldte nu alle Judas og Jerusalems ledere, 30alle præsterne, levitterne og resten af folket, høj såvel som lav, til et stort møde på tempelpladsen. Han bekendtgjorde, at pagtens bog var blevet fundet i templet, og befalede, at der skulle læses op fra den. 31Derefter stillede han sig ved søjlen foran indgangen til templet og aflagde et højtideligt løfte til Herren om altid at adlyde ham og omhyggeligt overholde bogens befalinger og forskrifter af hele sit hjerte og med hele sin sjæl. Han indviede sig til at opfylde alle pagtens betingelser. 32Bagefter fik han alle i Jerusalem og Benjamin til at aflægge samme løfte til deres forfædres Gud.
33Josias fjernede alle de afskyelige afgudsaltre og -billeder i hele Israels område og befalede, at alle skulle tilbede Herren. Og så længe han levede, vendte de sig ikke bort fra Herren, som var deres og deres forfædres Gud.
Josiah’s reforms
1Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for thirty-one years. 2He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.
3In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David. In his twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles and idols. 4Under his direction the altars of the Baals were torn down; he cut to pieces the incense altars that were above them, and smashed the Asherah poles and the idols. These he broke to pieces and scattered over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 5He burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and so he purged Judah and Jerusalem. 6In the towns of Manasseh, Ephraim and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, and in the ruins around them, 7he tore down the altars and the Asherah poles and crushed the idols to powder and cut to pieces all the incense altars throughout Israel. Then he went back to Jerusalem.
8In the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign, to purify the land and the temple, he sent Shaphan son of Azaliah and Maaseiah the ruler of the city, with Joah son of Joahaz, the recorder, to repair the temple of the Lord his God.
9They went to Hilkiah the high priest and gave him the money that had been brought into the temple of God, which the Levites who were the gatekeepers had collected from the people of Manasseh, Ephraim and the entire remnant of Israel and from all the people of Judah and Benjamin and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10Then they entrusted it to the men appointed to supervise the work on the Lord’s temple. These men paid the workers who repaired and restored the temple. 11They also gave money to the carpenters and builders to purchase dressed stone, and timber for joists and beams for the buildings that the kings of Judah had allowed to fall into ruin.
12The workers laboured faithfully. Over them to direct them were Jahath and Obadiah, Levites descended from Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, descended from Kohath. The Levites – all who were skilled in playing musical instruments – 13had charge of the labourers and supervised all the workers from job to job. Some of the Levites were secretaries, scribes and gatekeepers.
The Book of the Law found
14While they were bringing out the money that had been taken into the temple of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the Lord that had been given through Moses. 15Hilkiah said to Shaphan the secretary, ‘I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord.’ He gave it to Shaphan.
16Then Shaphan took the book to the king and reported to him: ‘Your officials are doing everything that has been committed to them. 17They have paid out the money that was in the temple of the Lord and have entrusted it to the supervisors and workers.’ 18Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, ‘Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.’ And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.
19When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes. 20He gave these orders to Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah,34:20 Also called Akbor son of Micaiah Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant: 21‘Go and enquire of the Lord for me and for the remnant in Israel and Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord’s anger that is poured out on us because those who have gone before us have not kept the word of the Lord; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written in this book.’
22Hilkiah and those the king had sent with him34:22 One Hebrew manuscript, Vulgate and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts do not have had sent with him. went to speak to the prophet Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath,34:22 Also called Tikvah the son of Hasrah,34:22 Also called Harhas keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the New Quarter.
23She said to them, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: tell the man who sent you to me, 24“This is what the Lord says: I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people – all the curses written in the book that has been read in the presence of the king of Judah. 25Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and aroused my anger by all that their hands have made,34:25 Or by everything they have done my anger will be poured out on this place and will not be quenched.” 26Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to enquire of the Lord, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: 27because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the Lord. 28Now I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place and on those who live here.” ’
So they took her answer back to the king.
29Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30He went up to the temple of the Lord with the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the Levites – all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the Lord. 31The king stood by his pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord – to follow the Lord and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, and to obey the words of the covenant written in this book.
32Then he made everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin pledge themselves to it; the people of Jerusalem did this in accordance with the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors.
33Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the territory belonging to the Israelites, and he made all who were present in Israel serve the Lord their God. As long as he lived, they did not fail to follow the Lord, the God of their ancestors.
