1
Yoshiyahu was eight years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for thirty-one years in Yerushalayim. His mother's name was Y'didah the daughter of 'Adayah from Botzkat.
2
He did what was right from ADONAI's perspective, living entirely in the manner of David his ancestor and turning away neither to the right nor to the left.
3
In the eighteenth year of King Yoshiyahu, the king sent Shafan the son of Atzalyahu, the son of Meshulam, the secretary, to the house of ADONAI after instructing him,
4
"Go up to Hilkiyahu the cohen hagadol, and have him total the money that has been brought into the house of ADONAI, which the doorkeepers have collected from the people.
5
Then have them give it to the supervisors of the work being done in the house of ADONAI; they in turn are to use it to pay the laborers in the house of ADONAI to repair damaged places in the building -
6
the carpenters, construction-workers and stonemasons - and to purchase timber and worked stone for doing the repairs on the building."
7
However, they did not require an accounting from the supervisors given the money to spend, because they dealt honestly.
8
Hilkiyahu the cohen hagadol said to Shafan the secretary, "I have found the scroll of the Torah in the house of ADONAI." Hilkiyah gave the scroll to Shafan, who read it.