14 After this, Manasseh rebuilt the outer wall of the City of David from west of Gihon in the valley to the entrance of the Fish Gate, and he brought it around the hill of Ophel and heightened it considerably. He also stationed military commanders in all the fortified cities of Judah.

15 He removed the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the Lord, along with all the altars he had built on the temple mount and in Jerusalem, and he dumped them outside the city. 16Then he restored the altar of the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings and thank offerings on it, and he told Judah to serve the Lord, the God of Israel. 17Nevertheless, the people still sacrificed at the high places, but only to the Lord their God.

18 As for the rest of the acts of Manasseh, along with his prayer to his God and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, they are indeed written in the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 19His prayer and how God received his plea, as well as all his sin and unfaithfulness, and the sites where he built high places and set up Asherah poles and idols before he humbled himself, they are indeed written in the Records of the Seers. 20And Manasseh rested with his fathers and was buried at his palace. And his son Amon reigned in his place.

21 Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years. 22And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done.

Amon served and sacrificed to all the idols that his father Manasseh had made, 23but he did not humble himself before the Lord as his father Manasseh had done; instead, Amon increased his guilt.

24 Then the servants of Amon conspired against him and killed him in his palace. 25But the people of the land killed all those who had conspired against King Amon, and they made his son Josiah king in his place.

1 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. 2And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.

3 In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, Josiah began to seek the God of his father David, and in the twelfth year he began to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherah poles, the carved idols, and the cast images. 4Then in his presence the altars of the Baals were torn down, and he cut to pieces the incense altars that were above them. He shattered the Asherah poles, the carved idols, and the cast images, crushed them to dust, and scattered them over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 5Then he burned the bones of the priests on their altars. So he cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.

6 Josiah did the same in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, and in the ruins around them. 7He tore down the altars and Asherah poles, crushed the idols to powder, and cut to pieces all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

8 Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, in order to cleanse the land and the temple, Josiah sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah son of Joahaz, the recorder, to repair the house of the Lord his God.

9 So they went to Hilkiah the high priest and gave him the money that had been brought into the house of God, which the Levites who guarded the doors had collected from the people of Manasseh and Ephraim, from all the remnant of Israel, from all Judah and Benjamin, and from the people of Jerusalem. 10They put it into the hands of those supervising the work in the house of the Lord, who in turn gave it to the workmen restoring and repairing the house of the Lord. 11They also gave money to the carpenters and builders to buy dressed stone, as well as timbers for couplings and beams for the buildings that the kings of Judah had allowed to deteriorate.

12 And the men did the work faithfully. The Levites overseeing them were Jahath and Obadiah, descendants of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, descendants of Kohath. Other Levites, all skilled with musical instruments, 13were over the laborers and supervised all who did the work, task by task. Some of the Levites were secretaries, officers, and gatekeepers.

14 While they were bringing out the money that had been taken into the house of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the Lord given by Moses. 15And Hilkiah said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord!” And he gave it to Shaphan.

16 Then Shaphan brought the book to the king and reported, “Your servants are doing all that has been placed in their hands. 17They have paid out the money that was found in the house of the Lord and have put it into the hands of the supervisors and workers.”

18 Moreover, Shaphan the scribe told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it in the presence of the king.

19 When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his clothes 20and commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the servant of the king: 21“Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for those remaining in Israel and Judah concerning the words in the book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the Lord that has been poured out on us because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord by doing all that is written in this book.”

22 So Hilkiah and those the king had designated went and spoke to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, the keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the Second District.

23 And Huldah said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Tell the man who sent you 24that this is what the Lord says: I am about to bring calamity on this place and on its people, according to 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, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands. My wrath will be poured out upon this place and will not be quenched.’

26 But as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, tell him that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘As for the words that you heard, 27because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its people, and because you have humbled yourself before Me and have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I have heard you,’ declares the Lord.

28‘Now I will indeed gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes will not see all the calamity that I will bring on this place and on its people.’”

So they brought her answer back to the king.

29 Then the king summoned all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30And he went up to the house of the Lord with all the people of Judah and Jerusalem, as well as the priests and the Levites— all the people great and small— and in their hearing he read all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the Lord.

31 So the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the Lord to follow the Lord and to keep His commandments, decrees, and statutes with all his heart and all his soul, and to carry out the words of the covenant that were written in this book.

32 Then he had everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin take a stand in agreement to it. So all the people of Jerusalem carried out the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.

33 And Josiah removed all the abominations from all the lands belonging to the Israelites, and he required everyone in Israel to serve the Lord their God. Throughout his reign they did not turn aside from following the Lord, the God of their fathers.

10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ.

Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus.

11 Greet Herodion, my fellow countryman.

Greet those from the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.

12 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, women who have worked hard in the Lord.

Greet my beloved Persis, who has worked very hard in the Lord.

13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me as well.

14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers with them.

15 Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the saints with them.

16 Greet one another with a holy kiss.

All the churches of Christ send you greetings.

17 Now I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Turn away from them. 18For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.

19 Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice over you. But I want you to be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil.

20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

21 Timothy, my fellow worker, sends you greetings, as do Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my fellow countrymen.

22 I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord.

23 Gaius, who has hosted me and all the church, sends you greetings.

Erastus, the city treasurer, sends you greetings, as does our brother Quartus.

25 Now to Him who is able to strengthen you by my gospel and by the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery concealed for ages past 26but now revealed and made known through the writings of the prophets by the command of the eternal God, in order to lead all nations to the obedience that comes from faith — 27to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.