¹¹ When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law,^(A) he tore his robes. ¹² He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam^(B) son of Shaphan, Akbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant:^{(C) 13} “Go and inquire^(D) of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord’s anger^(E) that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.”

¹⁴ Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Akbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to speak to the prophet^(F) Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the New Quarter.

¹⁵ She said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me, ¹⁶ ‘This is what the Lord says: I am going to bring disaster^(G) on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book^(H) the king of Judah has read. ¹⁷ Because they have forsaken^(I) me and burned incense to other gods and aroused my anger by all the idols their hands have made,^[a] my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.’ ¹⁸ Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire^(J) of the Lord, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: ¹⁹ Because your heart was responsive and you humbled^(K) yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people—that they would become a curse^[b](L) and be laid waste^(M)—and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I also have heard you, declares the Lord. ²⁰ Therefore I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace.^(N) Your eyes^(O) will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.’”

So they took her answer back to the king.