¹Josiya akatanga kubata ushe ava namakore masere; akabata ushe paJerusaremu makore makumi matatu nerimwe.

¹Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign; and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem.

²Akaita zvakarurama pamberi paJehovha, akafamba nenzira yababa vake Dhavhidhi, haana kutsaukira kurudyi kana kuruboshwe.

²And he did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, and walked in the ways of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.

³nekuti pagore rorusere rokubata kwake ushe, achiri muduku, akatanga kutsvaka Mwari waDhavhidhi baba vake; zvino pagore regumi namaviri akatanga kunatsa Judha neJerusaremu, achibvisa matunhu akakwirira, namatanda okunamata nawo nemifananidzo yakavezwa, nemifananidzo yakaumbwa.

³For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the Asherim, and the graven images, and the molten images.

⁴Vakakoromora aritari dzavaBhaari, iye aripo; akatema aritari dzezvipfungaidzo zvinonhuwira dzakanga dzakaitwa pamusoro padzo; akaputsanya matanda okunamata nawo, nemifananidzo yakavezwa, nemifananidzo yakaumbwa, akazvikuya zvikaita guruva, akarisasa pamarinda avaizvibayira.

⁴And they brake down the altars of the Baalim in his presence; and the sun-images that were on high above them he hewed down; and the Asherim, and the graven images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strewed it upon the graves [of them] that had sacrificed unto them.

⁵Akapisa mafupa avapristi paaritari dzavo, akanatsa Judha neJerusaremu.

⁵And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and purged Judah and Jerusalem.

⁶Akaitawo saizvozvo pamaguta aManase naEfuremu naSimioni, kusvikira paNafutari, pamatongo awo.

⁶And [so did he] in the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, in their ruins round about.

⁷Akaputsa aritari, akakuya matanda okunamata nawo nemifananidzo yakavezwa zvikaita guruva, akatema mifananidzo yose yezuva panyika yose yaIsiraeri, ndokudzokera Jerusaremu.

⁷And he brake down the altars, and beat the Asherim and the graven images into powder, and hewed down all the sun-images throughout all the land of Israel, and returned to Jerusalem.

⁸Zvino pagore regumi namasere rokubata kwake ushe, akati anatsa nyika neimba, ndokutuma Shafani mwanakomana waAzaria, naMaaseya, mubati weguta, naJoa mwanakomana waJohazi, gurukota, kundogadzira imba yaJehovha Mwari wake.

⁸Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of Jehovah his God.

⁹Vakasvika kuna Hirikia mupristi mukuru, vakamupa mari yakanga yaiswa mumba yaMwari, yakanga yaunganidzwa navaRevhi, vatariri vemikova, pakati paManase paEfuremu, navose vakasara vavaIsiraeri navaJudha vose, navaBhenjamini, navakanga vagere Jerusaremu.

⁹And they came to Hilkiah the high priest, and delivered the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites, the keepers of the threshold, had gathered of the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and of all the remnant of Israel, and of all Judah and Benjamin, and of the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

¹⁰Vakaipa pamaoko avabati vakanga vachitarira imba yaJehovha, vakairipa kuzovandudza nokugadzirisa imba;

¹⁰And they delivered it into the hand of the workmen that had the oversight of the house of Jehovah; and the workmen that wrought in the house of Jehovah gave it to mend and repair the house;

¹¹vakaipa vavezi navavaki, kuti vatenge mabwe akavezwa namatanda okubatanidza, nokuita mapango edzimba dzakanga dzaparadzwa namadzimambo aJudha.

¹¹even to the carpenters and to the builders gave they it, to buy hewn stone, and timber for couplings, and to make beams for the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed.

¹²Vanhu avo vakabata basa nokutendeka; vatariri vavo vaiva Jahati naObhadhiya, vaRevhi vavanakomana vaMerari, naZekariya, naMeshurami, vavanakomana vaKohati, kuzoraira basa; navamwe vaRevhi, vose vaiziva kuridza zvinoridzwa.

¹²And the men did the work faithfully: and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to set it forward; and [others of] the Levites, all that were skilful with instruments of music.

¹³Ivo vaitarirawo vatakuri vemitoro, vakarairawo vose vaibata mabasa amarudzi ose; pakati pavaRevhi pakanga panavanyori, navatariri, navarindi vemikova.

¹³Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and set forward all that did the work in every manner of service: and of the Levites there were scribes, and officers, and porters.

¹⁴Zvino vakati vachibudisa mari yakanga yaiswa mumba maJehovha, mupristi Hirikia ndokuwana bhuku yomurayiro waJehovha, wakange wapiwa naMozisi.

¹⁴And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of Jehovah, Hilkiah the priest found the book of the law of Jehovah [given] by Moses.

¹⁵Hirikia akapindura, akati kuna Shafani munyori, Ndawana bhuku yomurayiro mumba maJehovha. Hirikia ndokupa bhuku iyo kuna Shafani.

¹⁵And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of Jehovah. And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan.

¹⁶Zvino Shafani akaenda nebhuku kuna mambo, uye akendawo neshoko kuna mambo, akati, Zvose zvakarairwa varanda venyu, vanozviita.

¹⁶And Shaphan carried the book to the king, and moreover brought back word to the king, saying, All that was committed to thy servants, they are doing.

¹⁷Vakadurura mari yakawanikwa mumba maJehovha, vakaiisa mumaoko avatariri, nomumaoko avabati vebasa.

¹⁷And they have emptied out the money that was found in the house of Jehovah, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers, and into the hand of the workmen.

¹⁸Zvino Shafani munyori akaudza mambo, akati, mupristi Hirikia andipa bhuku. Ipapo Shafani akaravamo pamberi pamambo.

¹⁸And Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read therein before the king.

¹⁹Zvino mambo akati achinzwa mashoko omurayiro, akabvarura nguvo dzake.

¹⁹And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes.

²⁰Mambo .akaraira Hirikia naAhikami mwanakomana waShafani, naAbhidhoni mwanakomana waMika, naShafani munyori, naAsaya muranda wamambo, akati,

²⁰And the king commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying,

²¹Endai mundondibvunzira Jehovha, ini navakasara vaIsiraeri navaJudha pamusoro pamashoko ebhuku yakawanikwa; nekuti kutsamwa kwaJehovha, kwadururwa pamusoro pedu, kukuru, nekuti madzibaba edu haana kuchengeta shoko raJehovha, kuti vaite zvose zvakanyorwa mubhuku iyi.

²¹Go ye, inquire of Jehovah for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found; for great is the wrath of Jehovah that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of Jehovah, to do according unto all that is written in this book.

²²Ipapo Hirikia navakanga varairwa namambo vakaenda kuna Huridha muporofitakadzi, mukadzi waSharumi mwanakomana waTokihati, mwanakomana waHazira, muchengeti wenguvo (zvino iye akanga agere Jerusaremu kuRupandi Rwepiri rweguta;) vakataura naye saizvozvo.

²²So 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 dwelt in Jerusalem in the second quarter;) and they spake to her to that effect.

²³Iye akati kwavari, Zvanzi naJehovha Mwari waIsiraeri, Udzai munhu akakutumai kwandiri, muti,

²³And she said unto them, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel: Tell ye the man that sent you unto me,

²⁴Zvanzi naJehovha, tarirai, ndichauyisa zvakaipa pamusoro penzvimbo iyi, napamusoro pavagerepo, iko kutuka kose kwakanyorwa mubhuku iyo yavakarava pamberi pamambo waJudha.

²⁴Thus saith Jehovah, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah.

²⁵nekuti vakandirasha, vakapisira vamwe vamwari zvinonhuhwira, vakanditsamwisa namabasa ose amaoko avo; naizvozvo kutsamwa kwangu kwadururwa pamusoro penzvimbo iyi, hakungadzimwi.

²⁵Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore is my wrath poured out upon this place, and it shall not be quenched.

²⁶Asi muti kuna mambo waJudha, akakutumai kuzobvunza Jehovha, Zvanzi naJehovha Mwari waIsiraeri, kana ari mashoko awakanzwa,

²⁶But unto the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of Jehovah, thus shall ye say to him, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel: As touching the words which thou hast heard,

²⁷moyo wako zvawakanga uri munyoro, ukazvininipisa pamberi paMwari, nguva yawakanzwa mashoko ake pamusoro penzvimbo iyi, napamusoro pavageremo, ukazvininipisa pamberi pangu, ukabvarura nguvo dzako, ukachema pamberi pangu, zvino zvanzi naJehovha, Ini ndakunzwawo.

²⁷because thy heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and hast humbled thyself before me, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith Jehovah.

²⁸Tarira, ndichakuisa kumadzibaba ako, uchavigwa muhwiro nomufaro; meso ako haangaoni zvakaipa zvose zvandichauyisa pamusoro penzvimbo iyi, navanhu vageremo. Vakadzoka neshoko kuna mambo.

²⁸Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof. And they brought back word to the king.

²⁹Ipapo mambo akatuma vanhu vakaunganidza vakuru vose vaJudha naveJerusaremu.

²⁹Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.

³⁰Mambo akakwira kumba kwaJehovha, ana varume vose vaJudha, navose vakanga vagere Jerusaremu, navapristi, navaRevhi, navanhu vose, vakuru navaduku; akavaravira mashoko ose ebhuku yesungano yakanga yawanikwa mumba maJehovha.

³⁰And the king went up to the house of Jehovah, and all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, both great and small: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of Jehovah.

³¹Mambo akamira panzvimbo yake, akaita sungano pamberi paJehovha, akazvisunga kutevera Jehovha, nokuchengeta mirairo yake, nezvipupuriro zvake, nezvaakatema, nomoyo wake wose nomweya wake wose, kuti aite mashoko esungano akanyorwa mubhuku iyi.

³¹And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before Jehovah, to walk after Jehovah, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book.

³²Akaraira vose vakanga vari Jerusaremu naBhenjamini kuabvumira. Vagere Jerusaremu vakaita sezvakarehwa pasungano yaMwari, iye Mwari wamadzibaba avo.

³²And he caused all that were found in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand [to it]. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.

³³Josiya akabvisa zvakanga zvichinyangadza zvose panyika dzose dzaiva dzavaIsiraeri, akaraira vose vakanga vari pakati paIsiraeri kushumira Mwari, kushumira iye Jehovha Mwari wavo. Mazuva ake ose havana kutsauka pakutevera Jehovha Mwari wamadzibaba avo.

³³And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were found in Israel to serve, even to serve Jehovah their God. All his days they departed not from following Jehovah, the God of their fathers.