2 Chronicles 34

34 ¹Josiah be eight years old wen e become king, and e rule thirty-one years for Jerusalem. ²E do wetin correct for our Papa im eye, and e waka for di ways of David im papa, no turn go right or left.

³For di eighth year of im rule, wen e still be small boy, e start to seek our Papa, di God of David im papa. For di twelfth year e start to clear Judah and Jerusalem comot di high places, di Asherah poles, di image wey dem carve, and di image wey dem cast with metal. ⁴For im front dem break down di altars of di Baals; e cut down di incense altars wey dey ontop dem, e scatter di Asherah poles, di image wey dem carve, and di image wey dem cast, e grind dem make dem turn dust, and e pour am ontop di grave of di people wey bin dey sacrifice give dem. ⁵E burn di bones of di priests ontop dia altars, and so e clear Judah and Jerusalem. ⁶For di cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, reach Naphtali, inside dia broken-down places all around. ^a a v6 Di northern towns wey Josiah visit bin don turn to broken-down place, becos Assyria bin conquer dem and carry di people go exile many decades before. ⁷E break down di altars, e crush di Asherah poles and di image wey dem carve make dem turn powder, and e cut down all di incense altars for all Israel. Den e go back Jerusalem.

⁸For di eighteenth year of im rule, afta e don clean di land and di house, e send Shaphan pikin of Azaliah, Maaseiah wey be di city governor, and Joah pikin of Joahaz di recorder, make dem go repair di house of our Papa. ⁹Dem come meet Hilkiah di high priest and hand over di money wey dem bring inside di house of our Papa, wey di Levites wey dey guard di gates bin don gather from Manasseh, Ephraim, and all di remnant of Israel, from all Judah and Benjamin, and di people wey dey live for Jerusalem. ¹⁰Dem give am to di workers wey dey oversee di house of our Papa, and di workers for di house of our Papa use am take repair and restore di house. ¹¹Dem pay di carpenters and builders make dem buy stone wey dem don cut, and wood for di joists and beams of di buildings wey di kings of Judah bin let am fall to ruin. ¹²Di men work with faithful heart. Ontop dem, wey dey direct di work, na Jahath and Obadiah, Levites wey come from Merari im sons, and Zechariah and Meshullam of di Kohathites; and di Levites, wey all sabi play music well, ¹³dey ontop di laborers, dey direct all di workers task by task. Some Levites be scribes, officials, and gatekeepers.

Hilkiah Find di Book of di Law

¹⁴As dem bring out di money wey dem bin bring inside di house of our Papa, Hilkiah di priest find di Book of di Law of our Papa, wey e give through Moses. ¹⁵Hilkiah tell Shaphan di scribe, “I don find di Book of di Law for our Papa im house,” and e give am to Shaphan.

¹⁶Shaphan carry di book bring give di king and e report, “Your servants dey do everything wey dem put for dia hand. ¹⁷Dem don empty out di money wey dem find for di house of our Papa and hand am to di overseers and di workmen.” ¹⁸Shaphan di scribe tell di king, “Hilkiah di priest give me one book,” and e read am to di king.

¹⁹Wen di king hear di words of di Law, e tear im cloth. ²⁰Di king command Hilkiah, Ahikam pikin of Shaphan, Abdon pikin of Micah, Shaphan di scribe, and Asaiah di king im servant: ²¹“Make una go, ask our Papa for me and for di people wey remain for Israel and Judah, about di words of di book wey dem find. Big na im vex wey e pour ontop us, becos our ancestors no keep our Papa im word, dem no do everything wey dem write inside dis book.”

²²So Hilkiah and di king im men go meet Huldah, di woman prophet, wey be di wife of Shallum pikin of Tokhath, pikin of Hasrah, wey dey keep di wardrobe. She dey live for Jerusalem im Second Quarter. Dem talk with am about dis matter.

²³She tell dem, “Na dis wetin our Papa, di God of Israel, talk: Tell di man wey send una come meet me: ²⁴Na dis wetin our Papa talk: See, I dey about to bring disaster come dis place and di people wey dey live for am—all di curses wey dem write inside di book wey dem read give di king of Judah. ²⁵Becos dem comot leave me and make offerings give oda gods, dey provoke me to vex with all di things wey dem don make, my anger go pour ontop dis place and nobody go fit quench am. ²⁶But tell di king of Judah, wey send una come ask me: Na dis wetin our Papa, di God of Israel, talk about di words wey you hear: ²⁷Becos your heart soft and you humble yourself for front of our Papa wen you hear im words against dis place and di people wey dey live for am, and you humble yourself for my front, tear your cloth, and cry for my front, na me myself don hear you, na so our Papa talk. ²⁸I go gather you go meet your ancestors, dem go lay you inside your grave with peace. Your eye no go see any of di disaster wey I dey bring ontop dis place and di people wey dey for am.” So dem carry dis answer bring give di king.

²⁹Den di king call all di elders of Judah and Jerusalem come together. ³⁰Di king go up to di house of our Papa with all di men of Judah, di people wey dey live for Jerusalem, di priests, di Levites, and all di people, big and small. E read give dem all di words of di Book of di Covenant wey dem find for di house of our Papa. ³¹Di king stand for im place and e make Covenant for front of our Papa—to follow our Papa, keep im commandments, im testimonies, and im statutes with all im heart and all im soul, and to carry out di words of di Covenant wey dem write inside dis book. ³²E make everybody wey dey for Jerusalem and Benjamin promise to keep am, and di people of Jerusalem do according to di Covenant of our Papa, di God of dia fathers. ³³Josiah comot all di dirty-abomination things from di whole territory wey belong to di people of Israel, and e make everybody for Israel serve our Papa, dia God. For as long as e dey alive, dem no turn comot from following our Papa.