בֶּן־שְׁמוֹנֶה שָׁנִים יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ בְמָלְכוֹ וּשְׁלֹשִׁים וְאַחַת שָׁנָה מָלַךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם׃   34:1

2Chr. 34:1   Josiah was eight years of age on his becoming king and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem.

This verse is similar to part of 2Kin.22:1.

וַיַּעַשׂ הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה וַיֵּלֶךְ בְּדַרְכֵי דָּוִיד אָבִיו וְלֹא־סָר יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאול׃   34:2

2Chr. 34:2   And he did the right thing in the eyes of the Lord and walked in the ways of David, his ancestor, and did not turn aside right or left.

This verse is similar to 2Kin.22:2.

וּבִשְׁמוֹנֶה שָׁנִים לְמָלְכוֹ וְהוּא עוֹדֶנּוּ נַעַר הֵחֵל לִדְרוֹשׁ לֵאלֹהֵי דָּוִיד אָבִיו וּבִשְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה הֵחֵל   34:3

 לְטַהֵר אֶת־יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלִַם מִן־הַבָּמוֹת וְהָאֲשֵׁרִים וְהַפְּסִלִים וְהַמַּסֵּכוֹת׃

2Chr. 34:3   And at eight years into his reign, so he was still a boy, he began to seek for the God of David, his ancestor, and in the twelfth year he began to purify Judah and Jerusalem from the high places and the Asherim and the idols and the molten images.

This verse and the next four (vss. 34:3 to 34:7) are not found in 2Kings Chapter 22 or elsewhere.

וַיְנַתְּצוּ לְפָנָיו אֵת מִזְבְּחוֹת הַבְּעָלִים וְהַחַמָּנִים אֲשֶׁר־לְמַעְלָה מֵעֲלֵיהֶם גִּדֵּעַ וְהָאֲשֵׁרִים וְהַפְּסִלִים   34:4

 וְהַמַּסֵּכוֹת שִׁבַּר וְהֵדַק וַיִּזְרֹק עַל־פְּנֵי הַקְּבָרִים הַזֹּבְחִים לָהֶם׃

2Chr. 34:4   And they destroyed the altars of the Baalim before him, and he cut down the sun images, which were higher than they were, and he crushed the Asherim and the idols and the molten images that it could be dust, and it was strewn over the surface of the graves of those who had been sacrificing to them.

וְעַצְמֹות כֹּהֲנִים שָׂרַף עַל־ (מִזְבְּחֹותָים) [מִזְבְּחֹותָם] וַיְטַהֵר אֶת־יְהוּדָה וְאֶת־יְרוּשָׁלִָם׃   34:5

2Chr. 34:5   And he burned the bones of the priests together with their altars.  Thus he purified Judah and Jerusalem.

The word in the parentheses in this verse is incorrectly spelled.  The correction in the brackets, which removes the yad, can be translated as together with their altars or on their altars, the latter translation being less likely.

וּבְעָרֵי מְנַשֶּׁה וְאֶפְרַיִם וְשִׁמְעֹון וְעַד־נַפְתָּלִי (בָּהַר) (בָּתֵּיהֶם) [בְּחַרְבֹתֵיהֶם] סָבִיב׃   34:6

2Chr. 34:6   And it was in the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon and even Naphtali, with their axes on every side,

The two words in the sets of parentheses, if they were correct, could be translated as on the mountain of their houses, which makes little sense.  The correction in the brackets, which combines the two words into one, is translated as with their axes.

וַיְנַתֵּץ אֶת־הַמִּזְבְּחוֹת וְאֶת־הָאֲשֵׁרִים וְהַפְּסִלִים כִּתַּת לְהֵדַק וְכָל־הַחַמָּנִים גִּדַּע בְּכָל־אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל   34:7

 וַיָּשָׁב לִירוּשָׁלִָם׃

2Chr. 34:7   that he destroyed the altars and crushed the Asherim and the idols into dust and cut down all the sun images throughout all the land of Israel; then he returned to Jerusalem.

וּבִשְׁנַת שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה לְמָלְכוֹ לְטַהֵר הָאָרֶץ וְהַבָּיִת שָׁלַח אֶת־שָׁפָן בֶּן־אֲצַלְיָהוּ וְאֶת־מַעֲשֵׂיָהוּ   34:8

  שַׂר־הָעִיר וְאֵת יוֹאָח בֶּן־יוֹאָחָז הַמַּזְכִּיר לְחַזֵּק אֶת־בֵּית יְהוָה אֱלֹהָיו׃

2Chr. 34:8   And in his reign's eighteenth year, to purify the land and the house, he sent Shaphan son of Azaliah and Maaseiah, a leader of the city, and Joah son of Joachaz, the recorder, to restore the house of the Lord, their God.

This verse bears some similarity to 2Kin. 22:3.  The differences are (1) the grandfather of Shaphan is named Meshullam there, (2) Shaphan is called a scribe, and (3) Joah is not mentioned.

וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל־חִלְקִיָּהוּ הַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדֹול וַיִּתְּנוּ אֶת־הַכֶּסֶף הַמּוּבָא בֵית־אֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר אָסְפוּ־הַלְוִיִּם שֹׁמְרֵי   34:9

 הַסַּף מִיַּד מְנַשֶּׁה וְאֶפְרַיִם וּמִכֹּל שְׁאֵרִית יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמִכָּל־יְהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִן (וְיֹשְׁבֵי) [וַיָּשֻׁבוּ] יְרוּשָׁלִָם׃

2Chr. 34:9   And they came to Hilkiah, the high priest, and delivered the money brought of the house of God that the Levites, the keepers of the door, had gathered from the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim and from all the remnant of Israel and from all Judah and Benjamin and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

The word in the parentheses, translated as and the inhabitants of, does not constitute an error as I see it.  The “corrected” word in the brackets can be translated as and they returned to.  The primary reason I see the “correction” as inappropriate is that the word for to is not in the Hebrew.  Of eighteen bibles I’ve examined, only three use the corrected translation.  Fifteen agree with my translation.  If we go by tradition, majority wins in a vote, so I guess I win.

This verse and the next five (vss. 34:9 to 34:14) are not found in 2Kings Chapter 22 or elsewhere.

וַיִּתְּנוּ עַל־יַד עֹשֵׂה הַמְּלָאכָה הַמֻּפְקָדִים בְּבֵית יְהוָה וַיִּתְּנוּ אֹתוֹ עוֹשֵׂי הַמְּלָאכָה אֲשֶׁר עֹשִׂים בְּבֵית   34:10

 יְהוָה לִבְדּוֹק וּלְחַזֵּק הַבָּיִת׃

2Chr. 34:10   And they gave the appointed property over to the hand of the overseers in the house of the Lord, and the performers of the activity who were working in the house of the Lord used it to repair and restore the house.

וַיִּתְּנוּ לֶחָרָשִׁים וְלַבֹּנִים לִקְנוֹת אַבְנֵי מַחְצֵב וְעֵצִים לַמְחַבְּרוֹת וּלְקָרוֹת אֶת־הַבָּתִּים אֲשֶׁר הִשְׁחִיתוּ   34:11

 מַלְכֵי יְהוּדָה׃

2Chr. 34:11   They also gave to the carpenters and to the builders to buy hewn stones and beams for joints and to build up the houses that the kings of Judah had destroyed.

וְהָאֲנָשִׁים עֹשִׂים בֶּאֱמוּנָה בַּמְּלָאכָה וַעֲלֵיהֶם מֻפְקָדִים יַחַת וְעֹבַדְיָהוּ הַלְוִיִּם מִן־בְּנֵי מְרָרִי וּזְכַרְיָהּ   34:12

 וּמְשֻׁלָּם מִן־בְּנֵי הַקְּהָתִים לְנַצֵּחַ וְהַלְוִיִּם כָּל־מֵבִין בִּכְלֵי־שִׁיר׃

2Chr. 34:12   And the men were working with fidelity in the activity as the overseers, Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, from the children of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam from the children of the Kohathites, were above them to watch, and each of the Levites was an expert with musical instruments.

וְעַל הַסַּבָּלִים וּמְנַצְּחִים לְכֹל עֹשֵׂה מְלָאכָה לַעֲבוֹדָה וַעֲבוֹדָה וּמֵהַלְוִיִּם סוֹפְרִים וְשֹׁטְרִים וְשׁוֹעֲרִים׃   34:13

2Chr. 34:13   They were also over the burden bearers, as they were overseers concerning everyone doing work according to any manner of service, and some of the Levites were scribes and officials and gatekeepers.

וּבְהוֹצִיאָם אֶת־הַכֶּסֶף הַמּוּבָא בֵּית יְהוָה מָצָא חִלְקִיָּהוּ הַכֹּהֵן אֶת־סֵפֶר תּוֹרַת־יְהוָה בְּיַד־מֹשֶׁה׃   34:14

2Chr. 34:14   And upon their taking out the money brought in to the house of the Lord, Hilkiah, the priest, found the book of the Torah of the Lord by the hand of Moses.

וַיַּעַן חִלְקִיָּהוּ וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־שָׁפָן הַסּוֹפֵר סֵפֶר הַתּוֹרָה מָצָאתִי בְּבֵית יְהוָה וַיִּתֵּן חִלְקִיָּהוּ אֶת־הַסֵּפֶר   34:15

 אֶל־שָׁפָן׃

2Chr. 34:15   And Hilkiah responded as he said to Shaphan, the scribe, “I have found the book of the Torah in the house of the Lord.”  And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan.

This verse is similar to 2Kin. 22:8, but the next 2 verses are missing from 2Kings Chapter 22.

וַיָּבֵא שָׁפָן אֶת־הַסֵּפֶר אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיָּשֶׁב עוֹד אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּבָר לֵאמֹר כֹּל אֲשֶׁר־נִתַּן בְּיַד־עֲבָדֶיךָ הֵם   34:16

 עֹשִׂים׃

2Chr. 34:16   Then Shaphan brought the book to the king, and reported to the king more of the word saying, “All that was given into the hand of your servants, they are using,

וַיַּתִּיכוּ אֶת־הַכֶּסֶף הַנִּמְצָא בְּבֵית־יְהוָה וַיִּתְּנוּהוּ עַל־יַד הַמֻּפְקָדִים וְעַל־יַד עוֹשֵׂי הַמְּלָאכָה׃   34:17

2Chr. 34:17   as they have poured out the money secured in the house of the Lord and they delivered it into the hand of the overseers and into the hand of the performers of the work.”

וַיַּגֵּד שָׁפָן הַסּוֹפֵר לַמֶּלֶךְ לֵאמֹר סֵפֶר נָתַן לִי חִלְקִיָּהוּ הַכֹּהֵן וַיִּקְרָא־בוֹ שָׁפָן לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ׃   34:18

2Chr. 34:18   Then Shaphan, the scribe, announced to the king saying, “Hilkiah, the priest, has delivered a book to me.”  And Shaphan read aloud in it before the king.

This verse is similar to 2Kin. 22:10.  The next verses down to v. 34:28 deal with the same situation as 2Kin. 22:11 to 22:20, but they contain some minor differences.

וַיְהִי כִּשְׁמֹעַ הַמֶּלֶךְ אֵת דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה וַיִּקְרַע אֶת־בְּגָדָיו׃   34:19

2Chr. 34:19   And it was when the king heard the words of the Torah, then he tore his garments.

This verse is almost identical to 2Kin. 22:11.

וַיְצַו הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת־חִלְקִיָּהוּ וְאֶת־אֲחִיקָם בֶּן־שָׁפָן וְאֶת־עַבְדּוֹן בֶּן־מִיכָה וְאֵת שָׁפָן הַסּוֹפֵר וְאֵת עֲשָׂיָה   34:20

 עֶבֶד־הַמֶּלֶךְ לֵאמֹר׃

2Chr. 34:20   And the king commanded Hilkiah and Ahikam son of Shaphan and Abdon son of Micah and Shaphan, the scribe, and Asaiah, a servant of the king, saying,

לְכוּ דִרְשׁוּ אֶת־יְהוָה בַּעֲדִי וּבְעַד הַנִּשְׁאָר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וּבִיהוּדָה עַל־דִּבְרֵי הַסֵּפֶר אֲשֶׁר נִמְצָא   34:21

  כִּי־גְדוֹלָה חֲמַת־יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר נִתְּכָה בָנוּ עַל אֲשֶׁר לֹא־שָׁמְרוּ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ אֶת־דְּבַר יְהוָה לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּכָל־הַכָּתוּב

  עַל־הַסֵּפֶר הַזֶּה׃

2Chr. 34:21   “Go inquire with the Lord on my behalf and on behalf of the spared in Israel and in Judah concerning the words of the book that has been found, for the ‘wrath’ of the Lord that shall be poured out on us must be great, for the reason that our fathers did not keep the word of the Lord to do according to everything written on this scroll.”

וַיֵּלֶךְ חִלְקִיָּהוּ וַאֲשֶׁר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל־חֻלְדָּה הַנְּבִיאָה אֵשֶׁת שַׁלֻּם בֶּן־ (תֹּוקְהַת) [תָּקְהַת] בֶּן־חַסְרָה   34:22

   שֹׁומֵר הַבְּגָדִים וְהִיא יֹושֶׁבֶת בִּירוּשָׁלִַם בַּמִּשְׁנֶה וַיְדַבְּרוּ אֵלֶיהָ כָּזֹאת׃

2Chr. 34:22   So Hilkiah went, with whomever of the king, to Huldah, the prophetess, the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath son of Hasrah, keeper of the garments, as she was dwelling in Jerusalem in the second quarter, and they spoke to her about that.

The word in the parentheses is the name Tokhath.  The name appears in only this one verse in the bible, so it’s not easy to ascertain the correct spelling.  As I am more reluctant than the sages to call out errors, I imagine it could be correct.  So I believe the correction in the brackets is unnecessary.

וַתֹּאמֶר לָהֶם כֹּה־אָמַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אִמְרוּ לָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר־שָׁלַח אֶתְכֶם אֵלָי׃   34:23

2Chr. 34:23   And she said to them, “Thus says the Lord, God of Israel: ‘Say to the one who sent you to Me,

כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה הִנְנִי מֵבִיא רָעָה עַל־הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה וְעַל־יוֹשְׁבָיו אֵת כָּל־הָאָלוֹת הַכְּתוּבוֹת עַל־הַסֵּפֶר   34:24

 אֲשֶׁר קָרְאוּ לִפְנֵי מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה׃

2Chr. 34:24   ‘Thus says the Lord:  ‘Behold, I am bringing evil upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the curses written on the scroll that they read before the king of Judah,

תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר עֲזָבוּנִי (וַיַּקְטִירוּ) [וַיְקַטְּרוּ] לֵאלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים לְמַעַן הַכְעִיסֵנִי בְּכֹל מַעֲשֵׂי יְדֵיהֶם וְתִתַּךְ   34:25

חֲמָתִי בַּמָּקֹום הַזֶּה וְלֹא תִכְבֶּה׃

2Chr. 34:25   for the reason that they have forsaken Me and sacrificed to other gods in order to provoke Me by all the works of their hands.  So My ‘wrath’ is poured out upon this place, and it cannot be quenched.’

The word in the parentheses in this verse, translated as and sacrificed, is misspelled.  The second yad is superfluous.  The correction is in the brackets.

וְאֶל־מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה הַשֹּׁלֵחַ אֶתְכֶם לִדְרֹושׁ בַּיהוָה כֹּה תֹאמְרוּ אֵלָיו ס כֹּה־אָמַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל   34:26

  הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר שָׁמָעְתָּ׃

2Chr. 34:26   ‘And concerning the king of Judah who sent you to inquire by the Lord, thus shall you say to him:  ‘Thus says the Lord, God of Israel, of the words that you heard:

יַעַן רַךְ־לְבָבְךָ וַתִּכָּנַע מִלִּפְנֵי אֱלֹהִים בְּשָׁמְעֲךָ אֶת־דְּבָרָיו עַל־הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה וְעַל־יֹשְׁבָיו וַתִּכָּנַע לְפָנַי   34:27

 וַתִּקְרַע אֶת־בְּגָדֶיךָ וַתֵּבְךְּ לְפָנָי וְגַם־אֲנִי שָׁמַעְתִּי נְאֻם־יְהוָה׃

2Chr. 34:27   ‘Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself from before God on your hearing His words about this place and about its inhabitants, that you humbled yourself before Me and tore your garments and wept before Me, so indeed I have heard,’ declares the Lord.’

הִנְנִי אֹסִפְךָ אֶל־אֲבֹתֶיךָ וְנֶאֱסַפְתָּ אֶל־קִבְרֹתֶיךָ בְּשָׁלוֹם וְלֹא־תִרְאֶינָה עֵינֶיךָ בְּכֹל הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי   34:28

 מֵבִיא עַל־הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה וְעַל־יֹשְׁבָיו וַיָּשִׁיבוּ אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּבָר׃

2Chr. 34:28   ‘Behold, I will be gathering you to your ancestors, but you will be gathered to your grave sites in peace, and your eyes shall not look on all the evil that I will be bringing upon this place and upon its inhabitants.’”  And they answered the king the word.

וַיִּשְׁלַח הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֶּאֱסֹף אֶת־כָּל־זִקְנֵי יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלִָם׃   34:29

2Chr. 34:29   And the king sent and gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.

This verse is similar to 2Kin. 23:1.

וַיַּעַל הַמֶּלֶךְ בֵּית־יְהוָה וְכָל־אִישׁ יְהוּדָה וְיֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִַם וְהַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם וְכָל־הָעָם מִגָּדוֹל וְעַד־קָטָן   34:30

 וַיִּקְרָא בְאָזְנֵיהֶם אֶת־כָּל־דִּבְרֵי סֵפֶר הַבְּרִית הַנִּמְצָא בֵּית יְהוָה׃

2Chr. 34:30   And the king went up to the house of the Lord, as well as every one of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and the Levites and all the people, both greatest and even smallest, and he read in their ears all the words of the scroll of the covenant that had been found in the house of the Lord.

This verse is similar to 2Kin. 23:2.

וַיַּעֲמֹד הַמֶּלֶךְ עַל־עָמְדוֹ וַיִּכְרֹת אֶת־הַבְּרִית לִפְנֵי יְהוָה לָלֶכֶת אַחֲרֵי יְהוָה וְלִשְׁמוֹר אֶת־מִצְוֺתָיו   34:31

  וְעֵדְוֺתָיו וְחֻקָּיו בְּכָל־לְבָבוֹ וּבְכָל־נַפְשׁוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת־דִּבְרֵי הַבְּרִית הַכְּתוּבִים עַל־הַסֵּפֶר הַזֶּה׃

2Chr. 34:31   Then the king remained at his place and made the pledge before the Lord to proceed following the Lord and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His ordinances with all his heart and all his soul, to observe the words of the covenant that are written on this scroll.

This verse is similar to 2Kin. 23:3, and the next verse is part of 2Kin. 23:3 also.

וַיַּעֲמֵד אֵת כָּל־הַנִּמְצָא בִירוּשָׁלִַם וּבִנְיָמִן וַיַּעֲשׂוּ יֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִַם כִּבְרִית אֱלֹהִים אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם׃   34:32

2Chr. 34:32   And he made everyone found in Jerusalem and Benjamin to take a stand, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, of the God of their ancestors.

וַיָּסַר יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ אֶת־כָּל־הַתּוֹעֵבוֹת מִכָּל־הָאֲרָצוֹת אֲשֶׁר לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּעֲבֵד אֵת כָּל־הַנִּמְצָא   34:33

  בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לַעֲבוֹד אֶת־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיהֶם כָּל־יָמָיו לֹא סָרוּ מֵאַחֲרֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם׃

2Chr. 34:33   And Josiah removed all the abominations from all the lands that belonged to the children of Israel and made everyone found in Israel labor to serve the Lord, their God.  All his days they did not depart from following the Lord, God of their ancestors.

This last verse summarizes the longer description contained in 2Kin. 23:4 to 23:7.

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