1   Eight yeares old was Iosias when he began to reigne, he reigned one and thirtie yeares in Ierusalem: the name of his mother was Idida, the daughter of Hadaia of Besecath.

2   And he did that which was liked before our Lord, and walked in al the waies of Dauid his father: he declined not to the right hand, or to the lefte.

3   And in the eightenth yeare of king Iosias, the king sent Saphan the sonne of Aslia, the sonne of Messulam, the scribe of the temple of our Lord, saying to him:

4   Goe to Helcias the high priest, that the money may be gathered into a summe, which hath beene brought into the temple of our Lord, which the porters of the temple haue gathered of the people,

5   and let it be geuen to the workemen by the ouerseers of the house of our Lord: who also shal destribute it to them that worke in the temple of our Lord, to make the reparations of the temple:

6   that is, to the carpenters and masons, and to them that mend broken places: and that timber may be bought, and stones out of the quarries to repayre the temple of our Lord.

7   Yet let not

Iosias. the money which they receiue be accounted to them, but let them haue it in their powre, and vpon their fidelitie.

8   And Helcias the highe priest sayd to Saphan the scribe: I haue found the Booke of the law in the house of our Lord: and Helcias gaue the volume to Saphan, who also did reade it.

9   Saphan also the scribe came to the king, and reported vnto him that which he had commanded, and sayd: Thy seruantes haue gathered into a summe the money, which is found in the house of our Lord: and they haue geuen it to be destributed to the workemen, by the ouerseers of the workes of the temple of our Lord.

10   Saphan also the scribe told the king, saying: Helcias the priest hath geuen me a Booke. Which when Saphan had read before the king,

11   and the king had heard the wordes of the law of our Lord, he rent his garmentes.

12   And he willed Helcias the priest, and Ahicam the sonne of Saphan, and Achobor the sonne of Micha, and Saphan the Scribe, and Asaia the kinges seruant, saying:

13   Goe and consult our Lord for me, and for the people, and for al Iuda, concerning the wordes of this volume, which is found: for the great wrath of our Lord is kindled agaynst vs: because our fathers haue not heard the wordes of this Booke, to doe al that is writen for vs.

14   Helcias therfore the priest, and Ahicam, and Achabor, and Saphan, and Asaia went to Holda a prophetesse the wife of Sellum the sonne of Thecua, the sonne of Araas keeper of the garmentes, who dwelt in Ierusalem in the ^note second: and they spake to her.

15   And she answered them: Thus sayth our Lord the God of Israel: Tel the man, that sent you to me:

16   Thus sayth our Lord: Behold, I wil bring euils vpon this place, and vpon the inhabitantes therof, al the wordes of the law which the king of Iuda hath read:

17   because they haue forsaken me, and haue sacrificed to strange goddes, prouoking me in al the workes of their handes: and my indignation shal be kindled in this place, and shal not be quenched.

18   But to the king of Iuda, that sent you to consult our lord, thus you shal say: Thus sayth our Lord the God of Israel: For that thou hast heard the wordes of the volume,

19   and thy hart is striken with feare, and thou art humbled before the Lord, hearing the wordes agaynst this place, and the inhabitantes therof, to witte that they should become a wonder and a curse: and hast rent thy garmentes, and wept before me, and I haue

Iosias heard it, sayth our Lord:

20   therfore I wil gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy sepulchre in peace, that thy eies may not see al the euils, which I wil bring in vpon this place.

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