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2 Kings 22:11-20
New English Translation

11 When the king heard the words of the law scroll, he tore his clothes. 12 The king ordered Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Achbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, 13 “Go, seek an oracle from[a] the Lord for me and the people—for all Judah. Find out about the words of this scroll that has been discovered. For the Lord’s great fury has been ignited against us, because our ancestors have not obeyed the words of this scroll by doing all that it instructs us to do.”[b]

14 So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shullam son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, the supervisor of the wardrobe.[c] (She lived in Jerusalem in the Mishneh[d] district.) They stated their business,[e] 15 and she said to them: “This is what the Lord God of Israel has said: ‘Say this to the man who sent you to me: 16 “This is what the Lord has said: ‘I am about to bring disaster on this place and its residents, all the things in the scroll that the king of Judah has read. 17 This will happen because they have abandoned me and offered sacrifices[f] to other gods, angering me with all the idols they have made.[g] My anger will ignite against this place and will not be extinguished!’” 18 Say this to the king of Judah, who sent you to seek an oracle from the Lord: “This is what the Lord God of Israel has said concerning the words you have heard: 19 ‘You displayed a sensitive spirit[h] and humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard how I intended to make this place and its residents into an appalling example of an accursed people.[i] You tore your clothes and wept before me, and I have heard you,’ says the Lord. 20 ‘Therefore I will allow you to die and be buried in peace.[j] You will not have to witness[k] all the disaster I will bring on this place.’”’” Then they reported back to the king.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 22:13 tn Or “inquire of.”
  2. 2 Kings 22:13 tn Heb “by doing all that is written concerning us.” Perhaps עָלֵינוּ (ʿalenu), “concerning us,” should be altered to עָלָיו (ʿalayv), “upon it,” in which case one could translate, “by doing all that is written in it.”
  3. 2 Kings 22:14 tn Heb “the keeper of the clothes.”
  4. 2 Kings 22:14 tn Or “second.” For a discussion of the possible location of this district, see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 283.
  5. 2 Kings 22:14 tn Heb “and they spoke to her.”
  6. 2 Kings 22:17 tn Or “burned incense.”
  7. 2 Kings 22:17 tn Heb “so as to anger me with all the work of their hands.” The translation assumes that this refers to idols they have manufactured (note the preceding reference to “other gods,” as well as 19:18). However, it is possible that this is a general reference to their sinful practices, in which case one might translate, “angering me by all the things they do.”
  8. 2 Kings 22:19 tn Heb “Because your heart was tender.”
  9. 2 Kings 22:19 tn Heb “how I said concerning this place and its residents to become [an object of] horror and [an example of] a curse.” The final phrase (“horror and a curse”) refers to Judah becoming a prime example of an accursed people. In curse formulations they would be held up as a prime example of divine judgment. For an example of such a curse, see Jer 29:22.
  10. 2 Kings 22:20 tn Heb “Therefore, look, I am gathering you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your tomb in peace.”
  11. 2 Kings 22:20 tn Heb “your eyes will not see.”
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2 Kings 21
2 Kings 23
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