Josiah and Di Book Wey Lost

Workers dey busy for di temple. Dust full di air, hammer dey knock, timber and stone dey everywhere. And then di high priest find something wey nobody expect. One scroll. Di book of di law. One young king dey about to hear words wey go change everything.

Josiah become king of Judah when e be only eight years old. Im grandpapa Manasseh and im papa Amon don fill di land with idols, even inside di temple of Di Lord. But Second Kings talk say Josiah do wetin dey right, and e no turn go right or go left. For di eighteenth year of im reign, when e be like twenty-six years, Josiah send Shaphan, im secretary, go di temple. Make dem hand over di money wey people don give to di carpenters, builders and masons wey dey repair am. Di workers dey honest, so nobody need to check dia account.

For di temple, Hilkiah di high priest meet Shaphan with news wey shock am. I don find di book of di law for di house of Di Lord. E give am di book, and Shaphan read am. Then Shaphan go back to di palace. E first give report about di building work, and then e add, like say e no too important, Hilkiah di priest don give me one book. And e read am out loud give di king.

As Josiah dey listen, something break inside am. E tear im royal robe. Dis na God own words, and im people don ignore dem for years. Josiah turn to im officials. Go ask Di Lord for me, and for di people, and for all Judah, about wetin dem write for dis book. Di Lord go dey vex well well, because our papa-papa dem no listen to di words for inside am.

So di officials go meet Huldah, one prophetess wey dey live for Jerusalem, for di new part of di city. Her husband Shallum dey take care of di royal wardrobe. Huldah message hard, and e still get kindness. Trouble go come on top Jerusalem, because di people don turn dia back on God. But to di king, she talk dis one. Because your heart soft, and you humble yourself for Di Lord front when you hear dese words, and you tear your clothes and cry for my front, I don hear you, na so Di Lord talk. Josiah go rest for peace, and e no go see di disaster.

Josiah no keep di book to imself. E gather di leaders of Judah and go up to di temple with di priests, di prophets and all di people, from di smallest reach di oldest. And e read give dem every word of di book of di covenant. Then e stand near di pillar and make promise for Di Lord front, say e go follow am and keep im commandments with all im heart and all im soul. And all di people join di covenant.

Then one big clean-up come. Everything wey dem make for Baal and di other false gods, dem carry am comot from di temple and burn am for di fields of di Kidron Valley. Dem scatter di shrines from one end of di land reach di other. And then Josiah give command. Make una keep di Passover for Di Lord una God, as dem write am for dis book of di covenant. Second Kings talk say nobody don hold Passover like dat since di days of di judges. And e talk dis one about Josiah. No king before am turn to Di Lord with all im heart, and all im soul, and all im strength.

Wetin be di book wey Hilkiah find? Di Bible call am di book of di law and di book of di covenant, and e no give am any other name. Plenty scholars, both old and new, think say na di book of Deuteronomy, or one early form of am. Dem show say Josiah changes match Deuteronomy well well: worship wey gather for di one place wey God choose, removing di shrines and idols, covenant wey dem read out loud give all di people, and Passover wey dem keep for dat chosen place.

Dem tell Josiah story for Second Kings, chapter twenty-two and twenty-three. One king hear God word, and e first allow am change am, before e ask anybody else make dem change. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. When you hear God word, your heart dey soft, and wetin be one thing wey e fit dey ask you make you change?