12. The men worked faithfully at their task; their overseers were Jahath and Obadiah, Levites of the line of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the Kohathites, who directed them. All those Levites who were skillful with musical instruments
13. were in charge of the men who carried the burdens, and they directed all the workers in every kind of labor. Some of the other Levites were scribes, officials, and gatekeepers.
14. When they brought out the money that had been deposited in the house of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found the book of the law of the Lord given through Moses.
15. He reported this to Shaphan the scribe, saying, “I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord.” Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan,
16. who brought it to the king at the same time that he made his report to him. He said, “Your servants are doing everything that has been entrusted to them;
17. they have smelted down the silver deposited in the Lord’s house and have turned it over to the overseers and the workers.”
18. Then Shaphan the scribe also informed the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book,” and then Shaphan read it in the presence of the king.
19. When the king heard the words of the law, he tore his garments.
20. The king then issued this command to Hilkiah, to Ahikam, son of Shaphan, to Abdon, son of Michah, to Shaphan the scribe, and to Asaiah, the king’s servant:
21. “Go, consult the Lord for me and for those who are left in Israel and Judah, about the words of the book that has been found, for the anger of the Lord burns furiously against us, because our ancestors did not keep the word of the Lord and have not done all that is written in this book.”