¹Josiya wakatanga kubata ushe ava namakore masere; akabata ushe paJerusaremu makore makumi matatu nerimwe; zita ramai vake rakanga riri Jedhidha mukunda waAdhaya weBhozikati.

¹Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign; and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath.

²Akaita zvakarurama pamberi paJehovha, akafamba nenzira yose yaDhavhidhi baba vake, haana kutsaukira kurudyi kana kuruboshwe.

²He did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh, and walked in all the way of David his father, and didn’t turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

³Zvino negore regumi namasere ramambo Josiya, mambo akatuma munyori Shafani mwanakomana waAzaria, mwanakomana waMeshurami, kumba kwaJehovha, akati,

³It happened in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan, the son of Azaliah the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of Yahweh, saying,

⁴Enda kuna Hirikia mupristi mukuru, umuudze averenge mari inoiswa mumba maJehovha, yakaunganidzwa navatariri vomukova kuvanhu;

⁴“Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may sum the money which is brought into the house of Yahweh, which the keepers of the threshold have gathered of the people.

⁵vaipe mumaoko avabati vebasa, vanotarira temberi yaJehovha; ivo vaipe vabati vebasa vari mumba maJehovha, kuti vagadzirise zvakaputsika paimba;

⁵Let them deliver it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of Yahweh; and let them give it to the workmen who are in the house of Yahweh, to repair the breaches of the house,

⁶ivo vavezi, navavaki, navanoronga mabwe, uye vatenge nayo matanda, namabwe akavezwa, kuti vagadzire temberi.

⁶to the carpenters, and to the builders, and to the masons, and for buying timber and cut stone to repair the house.

⁷Asi havana kubvunzwa pamusoro pemari yakaiswa mumaoko avo, nekuti vaibata vakatendeka.

⁷However there was no accounting made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand; for they dealt faithfully.”

⁸Ipapo Hirikia mupristi mukuru akati kuna Shafani munyori, Ndawana bhuku yomurayiro mumba maJehovha. Hirikia akapa Shafani bhuku yomurayiro, iye akairava.

⁸Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the book of the law in the house of Yahweh.” Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan, and he read it.

⁹Zvino Shafani munyori akasvika kuna mambo, akadzoka neshoko kuna mambo, akati, Varanda venyu vadurura mari yakawanikwa mumba, vakaipa mumaoko avabati vebasa, vanotarira imba yaJehovha.

⁹Shaphan the scribe came to the king, and brought the king word again, and said, “Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of Yahweh.”

¹⁰Shafani munyori akati kuna mambo, mupristi Hirikia wandipa bhuku. Shafani akariravira mambo.

¹⁰Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, “Hilkiah the priest has delivered a book to me.” Shaphan read it before the king.

¹¹Zvino mambo wakati achinzwa mashoko ebhuku yomurayiro, akabvarura nguvo dzake.

¹¹It happened, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he tore his clothes.

¹²Mambo akaraira mupristi Hirikia, naAhikami mwanakomana waShafani, naAkibhori mwanakomana waMikaya, naShafani munyori, naAsaya muranda wamambo, akati,

¹²The king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying,

¹³Endai mundondibvunzira Jehovha, ini navanhu vavaJudha vose, pamusoro pamashoko ebhuku iyi yakawanikwa; nekuti kutsamwa kwaJehovha kwaakatitsamwira nako kukuru kwazvo, nekuti madzibaba edu havana kuteerera mashoko ebhuku iyi, havana kuita zvose zvatakarairwa.

¹³“Go inquire of Yahweh for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found; for great is the wrath of Yahweh that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not listened to the words of this book, to do according to all that which is written concerning us.”

¹⁴Naizvozvo mupristi Hirikia, naAhikami, naAkibhori, naShafani, naAsaya vakaenda kuna Huridha muporofitakadzi, mukadzi waSharumi mwanakomana waTikiva, mwanakomana waHarahasi, muchengeti wenguvo; (zvino iye mukadzi wakange agere paJerusaremu kurutivi rwechipiri rweguta;) vakataurirana naye.

¹⁴So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the second quarter); and they talked with her.

¹⁵Iye akati kwavari, Zvanzi naJehovha Mwari waIsiraeri, Udzai munhu wakakutumai kwandiri muti,

¹⁵She said to them, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: ‘Tell the man who sent you to me,

¹⁶zvanzi naJehovha, tarirai, ndichauyisa zvakaipa pamusoro penzvimbo iyi, napamusoro pavagerepo, iwo mashoko ose ebhuku yakarahwa namambo weJudha;

¹⁶“Thus says Yahweh, ‘Behold, I will bring evil on this place, and on its inhabitants, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read.

¹⁷nekuti vakandirasha, vakapisira vamwe vamwari zvinonhuhwira, vakanditsamwisa namabasa ose amaoko avo, naizvozvo kutsamwa kwangu kuchapfutidza nzvimbo iyi, uye hakungadzimwi.

¹⁷Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and it shall not be quenched.’”

¹⁸Asi muti kuna mambo waJudha wakakutumai kuzobvunza Jehovha, Zvanzi naJehovha Mwari waIsiraeri, kana ari mashoko awakanzwa,

¹⁸But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of Yahweh, thus you shall tell him, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: ‘Concerning the words which you have heard,

¹⁹moyo wako zvawakanga uri munyoro, ukazvininipisa pamberi paJehovha, nguva yawakanzwa zvandakataura pamusoro penzvimbo iyi, napamusoro pavageremo, kuti vachaitwa dongo nechinhu chakatukwa, wakabvarura nguvo dzako, wakachema pamberi pangu; zvino zvanzi naJehovha, Ini ndakunzwawo.

¹⁹because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before Yahweh, when you heard what I spoke against this place, and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and have torn your clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard you,’ says Yahweh.

²⁰Naizvozvo, tarira, ndichakuisa kuna madzibaba ako, uchavigwa muhwiro hwako norugare, meso ako haangawoni zvakaipa zvose zvandichauyisa pamusoro penzvimbo iyi. Vakadzoka neshoko kuna mambo.

²⁰‘Therefore behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, neither shall your eyes see all the evil which I will bring on this place.’”’” They brought back this message to the king.