20
And the king commanded Hilkiah and Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, and Abdon, the son of Micah, and Shaphan, the scribe, and Asaiah, a slave of the king’s, saying,
21
Go, enquire of the LORD for me and for the remnant of Israel and of Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found, for great
is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do according to all the things that are written in this book.
22
Then Hilkiah and those of the king went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum, the son of Tikvath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the house of doctrine); and they spoke to her to that
effect.
23
And she answered them, The LORD God of Israel hath said thus, Tell the man that sent you to me,
24
that thus hath the LORD said, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place and upon its inhabitants all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah
25
because they have forsaken me and have sacrificed unto other gods, provoking me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore, my wrath shall be poured out upon this place and shall not be quenched.
26
But as for the king of Judah, who sent you to enquire of the LORD, so shall ye say unto him, Thus hath the LORD God of Israel said,
Because thou hast heard the words
of the book,
27
and thy heart became tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, hearing his words against this place and against its inhabitants
and didst humble thyself before me and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me, I also have heard thee, saith the LORD.
28
Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace; neither shall thy eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place and upon the inhabitants of the same. So they brought the king word again.
29
Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.
30
And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and with him all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and 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.