The Sealed Book from the Mormon Plates
The Sealed Book of Moses
CHAPTER 2
Hilkiah, the high priest, was appointed to the restoration of the temple by Josiah, king of Judah, in the days of Shaphan, the scribe secretary and soferim of all the languages that were around the land of Israel: the son of Azalias and the father of Ahikam, Elasah, which was later called by God by the name of Lehi, short for Eliashib, meaning "through whom God restores," and Gemariah and Jaazaniah. During the restoration of the temple, Hilkiah finds the own "book of the law of Jehovah, and together a scroll sealed by the signet ring of Moses himself hidden under the ark in the temple by the first Levites." Hilkiah delivers both the books he found to Shaphan, who reads the sealed manuscript to the king. Upon hearing the reading of the book, King Josiah rends his garments because of the abominations foretold in his record, which for fear that one of them would occur in his day, he sends to Huldah, the prophetess master of theschool of the prophets, a delegation led by the high priest Hilkiah, to inquire of the Lord, in the king's name, concerning the prophecies predicted from beginning to end of all things concerning this world, found in that record which was sealed, if one of them was destined to happen in his day.
1 And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah, king of Judah, that Hilkiah, the high priest, the son of Shallum, and the father of Azariah, began the reformation of the temple under the command of the king. In the course of these days, king Josiah sent Shaphan, the son of Azalias, the son of Meshullam, to the house of the LORD, saying: go to Hilkiah, the high priest, to gather all the money from his hands which the people brought into the house of the Lord. And take charge of delivering into the hands of the masters of work, so that they distribute it to the workers in charge; to the carpenters, and to the builders, and to the masons; and that we may buy timber and hewn stones to repair the house of the LORD our God, as it is commanded by the king of Judah.
2 It happened then, that the king's company came to the Temple, supervised by Shaphan the father of Lehi, whom the high priest Hilkiah said: See, I found the book of the law of Moses in the house of the Lord, for how much is together to him, a part of the parchment that remains sealed by Moses' own ring of seal. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, for that he himself might research; and, for a period of three days thereafter, stopping only to eat and rest, he read them all completely.
3 It occurred after this, that Shaphan hastened to stand before the king, first exposing to Josiah the answer regarding the expenses, taxes concerning the restoration of the temple, saying: Your servants gathered the money that was asked of the people, and delivered it into the hands of those who have positions of supervision in the work, which are in charge of the restoration of the house of the Lord.
4 It happened then, that Shaphan, the scribe, told the king, that Hilkiah the high priest delivered into his hand the lost book of Moses. And so he read it before the king, pausing and reasoning with him through what they understood of the writings they had of Moses and the prophets, and did so for days thereafter until they had finished reading in their entirety.
5 And it happened that, when the king heard the words of the book of the law, and subsequently as regards the sealed part of the manuscript of Moses, he tore his own garments, because among them were prophecies foretold by the Lord to Moses concerning all things related to the Priesthood of the Son of God and the consequences that fall upon the people of the covenant whenever the Elders of the house of Israel disrespect their investiture to the priestly position.
6 And the king commanded Hilkiah, the high priest after the house of Aaron, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe of the king, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying: Since not we have a priest in our midst according to the order of Melchizedek, go ye even unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum, the man of the cleaning of the garments of the temple, and inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that was found; for great is the wrath of Jehovah, which is kindled against us; for how much our fathers did not heed the law of the Lord concerning the covenants received in the most holy order of the priesthood of God, the order of his Son, whose image reflected among his elect on earth is in the order of the priesthood of Melchizedek, for to do according to all that is written in the book Sealed of the law of Moses, in regard to this higher priesthood, so that we may be ready to receive it and so that it may remain with us, that we are children of the covenant and not only among the prophets appointed directly by God, but that every man of the house of Judah find yourself worthy to port it.
7 It happened then, that the high priest Hilkiah, proceeding from the house of Aaron; together with Ahikam and Achbor; Shaphan and Asaiah, they went to Huldah, the prophetess1, the wife of Shallum, the son of Tikvah, the son of Haras, whose lineage was in designated of supervising the ones in charge of the garments of the Levites, and your he house was in the second part of the city, between the street that was designated to the washers and dyers of the priestly garments. (1) 2Kings 22:14
8 It happened then, that when they told Huldah these things, she said to them: Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, tell the man that hath sent you unto me, behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, to know all the words of the book that were read to the king of Judah, for how much they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, and they provoked me, the Lord; who brought them out of the land of Egypt out of the house of the slaves, to make them a strong and mighty nation among the sons of men, for how much they were faithful to my laws, which in the days of old I gave the house of Israel.
9 But now, behold, my wrath is kindled because of all the works of your hands; and my wrath is kindled against this place, as it like never before, and it shall not be quenched until every nation is scattered unto the four corners of the earth. Nonetheless, so shall ye say to the king of Judah: Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, concerning the words which thou hast heard, for how much your heart was tender and humbled before the Lord your God when you heard the account of my servant Moses, who foresaw all things concerning this world and its inhabitants in a single instant, and can record the things that were to come to take place against this place because they do not endure the most holy order of my priesthood, which is according to the order of my Son, for how much was taken from you from the days of Moses my chosen servant, and they sought him no more in his manner of life, accepting with haughtiness a minor priesthood in relation to things that has reserved for them, but they have not been able to endure them to this day.
10 These are the days when I lift up my hand against its inhabitants, that there may be desolation and cursing among them that profess to be my priests in the land which I have assigned to your ancestors. But as for thee, O king of Judah, for how much you ripped your garments, and you cried before of me the Lord, that also I will not abandon you completely, and behold, I, the Lord will gather you to your ancestors, and thou shalt be brought to thy grave in peace, and thine eyes shall not see all the evil that I will bring upon this place.