Chapter LII.
government then passed to
his son Josia. He is related to have been very pious, and to have
attended to divine things with the utmost care, profiting largely by
the aid of the priest Helchia. Having read a book written with the
words of God, and which had been found in the temple by the priest, in
which it was stated that the Hebrew nation would be destroyed on
account of their frequent acts of impiety and sacrilege, by his pious
supplications to God, and constant tears, he averted the impending
overthrow. When he learned through Olda the prophetess that this favor
was granted him, he then with still greater care set himself to
practice the worship of God, inasmuch as he was now under obligation to
the divine goodness. Accordingly, he burned all the vessels which had
by the superstitions of former kings been consecrated to idols. For to
such a height had profane observances prevailed, that they used to pay
divine honors to the sun and moon, and even erected shrines made of
metal to these fancied deities. Josia reduced these to powder, and also
slew the priests of the profane temples. He did not even spare the
tombs of the impious; and it was observed that thus was fulfilled what
had of old been predicted by the prophet. In the eighteenth year of his
reign, the Passover was celebrated. And about three years afterwards, having gone forth to battle against Nechao, king of Egypt, who was making war upon the Assyrians, before the armies properly engaged, he was wounded by an arrow. And being carried back to the city, he died of that wound, after he had reigned twenty and one years.