5
He burned the bones of the pagan priests on their own altars, and so he purified Judah and Jerusalem.
6
He did the same thing in the towns of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, even as far as Naphtali, and in the regions all around them.
7
He destroyed the pagan altars and the Asherah poles, and he crushed the idols into dust. He cut down all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Finally, he returned to Jerusalem.
8
In the eighteenth year of his reign, after he had purified the land and the Temple, Josiah appointed Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the governor of Jerusalem, and Joah son of Joahaz, the royal historian, to repair the Temple of the LORD his God.
9
They gave Hilkiah the high priest the money that had been collected by the Levites who served as gatekeepers at the Temple of God. The gifts were brought by people from Manasseh, Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel, as well as from all Judah, Benjamin, and the people of Jerusalem.
10
He entrusted the money to the men assigned to supervise the restoration of the LORD ’s Temple. Then they paid the workers who did the repairs and renovation of the Temple.
11
They hired carpenters and builders, who purchased finished stone for the walls and timber for the rafters and beams. They restored what earlier kings of Judah had allowed to fall into ruin.
12
The workers served faithfully under the leadership of Jahath and Obadiah, Levites of the Merarite clan, and Zechariah and Meshullam, Levites of the Kohathite clan. Other Levites, all of whom were skilled musicians,
13
were put in charge of the laborers of the various trades. Still others assisted as secretaries, officials, and gatekeepers.
14
While they were bringing out the money collected at the LORD ’s Temple, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the LORD that was written by Moses.
15
Hilkiah said to Shaphan the court secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the LORD ’s Temple!” Then Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan.