9. They came to Hilkiah the high priest, and delivered the money that was brought into God’s house, which the Levites, the keepers of the threshold, had gathered from the hands of Manasseh, Ephraim, of all the remnant of Israel, of all Judah and Benjamin, and of the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
10. They delivered it into the hands of the workmen who had the oversight of the Lord’s house; and the workmen who laboured in the Lord’s house gave it to mend and repair the house.
11. They gave it to the carpenters and to the builders, to buy cut stone and timber for couplings, and to make beams for the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed.
12. The men did the work faithfully. Their overseers were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to give direction; and others of the Levites, who were all skilful with musical instruments.
13. Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and directed all who did the work in every kind of service. Of the Levites, there were scribes, officials, and gatekeepers.
14. When they brought out the money that was brought into the Lord’s house, Hilkiah the priest found the book of the Lord’s law given by Moses.
15. Hilkiah answered Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the scroll of the Torah in the Lord’s house.” So Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan.
16. Shaphan carried the book to the king, and moreover brought back word to the king, saying, “All that was committed to your servants, they are doing.
17. They have emptied out the money that was found in the Lord’s house, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers, and into the hand of the workmen.”
18. Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, “Hilkiah the priest has delivered me a book.” Shaphan read from it to the king.
19. When the king had heard the words of the law, he tore his clothes.
20. The king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying,
21. “Go enquire of the Lord for me, and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found; for great is the Lord’s wrath that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the Lord’s word, to do according to all that is written in this book.”
22. So Hilkiah, and they whom the king had commanded, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the second quarter), and they spoke to her to that effect.
23. She said to them, “the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘Tell the man who sent you to me,
24. “the Lord says, ‘Behold, I will bring evil on this place, and on its inhabitants, even 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 burnt incense to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath is poured out on this place, and it will not be quenched.’”’
26. But to the king of Judah, who sent you to enquire of the Lord, you shall tell him this, ‘the Lord, the God of Israel says: “About the words which you have heard,
27. because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God, when you heard his words against this place, and against its inhabitants, and have humbled yourself before me, and have torn your clothes, and wept before me, I also have heard you,” says the Lord.