اَلْمُلُوكِ ٱلثَّانِي 23

١ 1 وَأَرْسَلَ ٱلْمَلِكُ، فَجَمَعُوا إِلَيْهِ كُلَّ شُيُوخِ يَهُوذَا وَأُورُشَلِيمَ.

Then the king summoned all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.

٢ 2 وَصَعِدَ ٱلْمَلِكُ إِلَى بَيْتِ ٱلرَّبِّ وَجَمِيعُ رِجَالِ يَهُوذَا وَكُلُّ سُكَّانِ أُورُشَلِيمَ مَعَهُ، وَٱلْكَهَنَةُ وَٱلْأَنْبِيَاءُ وَكُلُّ ٱلشَّعْبِ مِنَ ٱلصَّغِيرِ إِلَى ٱلْكَبِيرِ، وَقَرَأَ فِي آذَانِهِمْ كُلَّ كَلَامِ سِفْرِ ٱلشَّرِيعَةِ ٱلَّذِي وُجِدَ فِي بَيْتِ ٱلرَّبِّ.

And he went up to the house of the LORD with all the people of Judah and Jerusalem, as well as the priests and the prophets—all the people small and great—and in their hearing he read all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the LORD.

٣ 3 وَوَقَفَ ٱلْمَلِكُ عَلَى ٱلْمِنْبَرِ وَقَطَعَ عَهْدًا أَمَامَ ٱلرَّبِّ لِلذَّهَابِ وَرَاءَ ٱلرَّبِّ، وَلِحِفْظِ وَصَايَاهُ وَشَهَادَاتِهِ وَفَرَائِضِهِ بِكُلِّ ٱلْقَلْبِ وَكُلِّ ٱلنَّفْسِ، لِإِقَامَةِ كَلَامِ هَذَا ٱلْعَهْدِ ٱلْمَكْتُوبِ فِي هَذَا ٱلسِّفْرِ. وَوَقَفَ جَمِيعُ ٱلشَّعْبِ عِنْدَ ٱلْعَهْدِ.

So the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments, decrees, and statutes with all his heart and all his soul, and to carry out the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people entered into the covenant.

٤ 4 وَأَمَرَ ٱلْمَلِكُ حِلْقِيَّا ٱلْكَاهِنَ ٱلْعَظِيمَ، وَكَهَنَةَ ٱلْفِرْقَةِ ٱلثَّانِيَةِ، وَحُرَّاسَ ٱلْبَابِ أَنْ يُخْرِجُوا مِنْ هَيْكَلِ ٱلرَّبِّ جَمِيعَ ٱلْآنِيَةِ ٱلْمَصْنُوعَةِ لِلْبَعْلِ وَلِلسَّارِيَةِ وَلِكُلِّ أَجْنَادِ ٱلسَّمَاءِ، وَأَحْرَقَهَا خَارِجَ أُورُشَلِيمَ فِي حُقُولِ قَدْرُونَ، وَحَمَلَ رَمَادَهَا إِلَى بَيْتِ إِيلَ.

Then the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, the priests second in rank, and the doorkeepers to remove from the temple of the LORD all the articles made for Baal, Asherah, and all the host of heaven. And he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron and carried their ashes to Bethel.

٥ 5 وَلَاشَى كَهَنَةَ ٱلْأَصْنَامِ ٱلَّذِينَ جَعَلَهُمْ مُلُوكُ يَهُوذَا لِيُوقِدُوا عَلَى ٱلْمُرْتَفَعَاتِ فِي مُدُنِ يَهُوذَا وَمَا يُحِيطُ بِأُورُشَلِيمَ، وَٱلَّذِينَ يُوقِدُونَ: لِلْبَعْلِ، لِلشَّمْسِ، وَٱلْقَمَرِ، وَٱلْمَنَازِلِ، وَلِكُلِّ أَجْنَادِ ٱلسَّمَاءِ.

Josiah also did away with the idolatrous priests ordained by the kings of Judah to burn incense on the high places of the cities of Judah and in the places all around Jerusalem—those who had burned incense to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations, and to all the host of heaven.

٦ 6 وَأَخْرَجَ ٱلسَّارِيَةَ مِنْ بَيْتِ ٱلرَّبِّ خَارِجَ أُورُشَلِيمَ إِلَى وَادِي قَدْرُونَ وَأَحْرَقَهَا فِي وَادِي قَدْرُونَ، وَدَقَّهَا إِلَى أَنْ صَارَتْ غُبَارًا، وَذَرَّى ٱلْغُبَارَ عَلَى قُبُورِ عَامَّةِ ٱلشَّعْبِ.

He brought the Asherah pole from the house of the LORD to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem, and there he burned it, ground it to powder, and threw its dust on the graves of the common people.

٧ 7 وَهَدَمَ بُيُوتَ ٱلْمَأْبُونِينَ ٱلَّتِي عِنْدَ بَيْتِ ٱلرَّبِّ حَيْثُ كَانَتِ ٱلنِّسَاءُ يَنْسِجْنَ بُيُوتًا لِلسَّارِيَةِ.

He also tore down the quarters of the male shrine prostitutes that were in the house of the LORD, where the women had woven tapestries for Asherah.

٨ 8 وَجَاءَ بِجَمِيعِ ٱلْكَهَنَةِ مِنْ مُدُنِ يَهُوذَا، وَنَجَّسَ ٱلْمُرْتَفَعَاتِ حَيْثُ كَانَ ٱلْكَهَنَةُ يُوقِدُونَ، مِنْ جَبْعَ إِلَى بِئْرِ سَبْعٍ، وَهَدَمَ مُرْتَفَعَاتِ ٱلْأَبْوَابِ ٱلَّتِي عِنْدَ مَدْخَلِ بَابِ يَشُوعَ رَئِيسِ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ ٱلَّتِي عَنِ ٱلْيَسَارِ فِي بَابِ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ.

Then Josiah brought all the priests from the cities of Judah and desecrated the high places, from Geba to Beersheba, where the priests had burned incense. He tore down the high places of the gates at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which was to the left of the city gate.

٩ 9 إِلَّا أَنَّ كَهَنَةَ ٱلْمُرْتَفَعَاتِ لَمْ يَصْعَدُوا إِلَى مَذْبَحِ ٱلرَّبِّ فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ بَلْ أَكَلُوا فَطِيرًا بَيْنَ إِخْوَتِهِمْ.

Although the priests of the high places did not come up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, they ate unleavened bread with their fellow priests.

١٠ 10 وَنَجَّسَ تُوفَةَ ٱلَّتِي فِي وَادِي بَنِي هِنُّومَ لِكَيْ لَا يُعَبِّرَ أَحَدٌ ٱبْنَهُ أَوِ ٱبْنَتَهُ فِي ٱلنَّارِ لِمُولَكَ.

He also desecrated Topheth in the Valley of Ben-hinnom so that no one could sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire to Molech.

١١ 11 وَأَبَادَ ٱلْخَيْلَ ٱلَّتِي أَعْطَاهَا مُلُوكُ يَهُوذَا لِلشَّمْسِ عِنْدَ مَدْخَلِ بَيْتِ ٱلرَّبِّ عِنْدَ مُخْدَعِ نَثْنَمْلَكَ ٱلْخَصِيِّ ٱلَّذِي فِي ٱلْأَرْوِقَةِ، وَمَرْكَبَاتُ ٱلشَّمْسِ أَحْرَقَهَا بِٱلنَّارِ.

And he removed from the entrance to the house of the LORD the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun. They were in the court near the chamber of an official named Nathan-melech. And Josiah burned up the chariots of the sun.

١٢ 12 وَٱلْمَذَابِحُ ٱلَّتِي عَلَى سَطْحِ عُلِّيَّةِ آحَازَ ٱلَّتِي عَمِلَهَا مُلُوكُ يَهُوذَا، وَٱلْمَذَابِحُ ٱلَّتِي عَمِلَهَا مَنَسَّى فِي دَارَيْ بَيْتِ ٱلرَّبِّ، هَدَمَهَا ٱلْمَلِكُ، وَرَكَضَ مِنْ هُنَاكَ وَذَرَّى غُبَارَهَا فِي وَادِي قَدْرُونَ.

He pulled down the altars that the kings of Judah had set up on the roof near the upper chamber of Ahaz, and the altars that Manasseh had set up in the two courtyards of the house of the LORD. The king pulverized them there and threw their dust into the Kidron Valley.

١٣ 13 وَٱلْمُرْتَفَعَاتُ ٱلَّتِي قُبَالَةَ أُورُشَلِيمَ، ٱلَّتِي عَنْ يَمِينِ جَبَلِ ٱلْهَلَاكِ، ٱلَّتِي بَنَاهَا سُلَيْمَانُ مَلِكُ إِسْرَائِيلَ لِعَشْتُورَثَ رَجَاسَةِ ٱلصِّيدُونِيِّينَ، وَلِكَمُوشَ رَجَاسَةِ ٱلْمُوآبِيِّينَ، وَلِمَلْكُومَ كَرَاهَةِ بَنِي عَمُّونَ، نَجَّسَهَا ٱلْمَلِكُ.

The king also desecrated the high places east of Jerusalem, to the south of the Mount of Corruption, which King Solomon of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

١٤ 14 وَكَسَّرَ ٱلتَّمَاثِيلَ وَقَطَّعَ ٱلسَّوَارِيَ وَمَلَأَ مَكَانَهَا مِنْ عِظَامِ ٱلنَّاسِ.

He smashed the sacred pillars to pieces, cut down the Asherah poles, and covered the sites with human bones.

١٥ 15 وَكَذَلِكَ ٱلْمَذْبَحُ ٱلَّذِي فِي بَيْتِ إِيلَ فِي ٱلْمُرْتَفَعَةِ ٱلَّتِي عَمِلَهَا يَرُبْعَامُ بْنُ نَبَاطَ ٱلَّذِي جَعَلَ إِسْرَائِيلَ يُخْطِئُ، فَذَانِكَ ٱلْمَذْبَحُ وَٱلْمُرْتَفَعَةُ هَدَمَهُمَا وَأَحْرَقَ ٱلْمُرْتَفَعَةَ وَسَحَقَهَا حَتَّى صَارَتْ غُبَارًا، وَأَحْرَقَ ٱلسَّارِيَةَ.

He even pulled down the altar at Bethel, the high place set up by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin. Then he burned the high place, ground it to powder, and burned the Asherah pole.

١٦ 16 وَٱلْتَفَتَ يُوشِيَّا فَرَأَى ٱلْقُبُورَ ٱلَّتِي هُنَاكَ فِي ٱلْجَبَلِ، فَأَرْسَلَ وَأَخَذَ ٱلْعِظَامَ مِنَ ٱلْقُبُورِ وَأَحْرَقَهَا عَلَى ٱلْمَذْبَحِ، وَنَجَّسَهُ حَسَبَ كَلَامِ ٱلرَّبِّ ٱلَّذِي نَادَى بِهِ رَجُلُ ٱللهِ ٱلَّذِي نَادَى بِهَذَا ٱلْكَلَامِ.

And as Josiah turned, he saw the tombs there on the hillside, and he sent someone to take the bones out of the tombs, and he burned them on the altar to defile it, according to the word of the LORD proclaimed by the man of God who had foretold these things.

١٧ 17 وَقَالَ: «مَا هَذِهِ ٱلصُّوَّةُ ٱلَّتِي أَرَى؟» فَقَالَ لَهُ رِجَالُ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ: «هِيَ قَبْرُ رَجُلِ ٱللهِ ٱلَّذِي جَاءَ مِنْ يَهُوذَا وَنَادَى بِهَذِهِ ٱلْأُمُورِ ٱلَّتِي عَمِلْتَ عَلَى مَذْبَحِ بَيْتِ إِيلَ».

Then the king asked, “What is this monument I see?” And the men of the city replied, “It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and pronounced these things that you have done to the altar of Bethel.”

١٨ 18 فَقَالَ: «دَعُوهُ. لَا يُحَرِّكَنَّ أَحَدٌ عِظَامَهُ». فَتَرَكُوا عِظَامَهُ وَعِظَامَ ٱلنَّبِيِّ ٱلَّذِي جَاءَ مِنَ ٱلسَّامِرَةِ.

“Let him rest,” said Josiah. “Do not let anyone disturb his bones.” So they left his bones undisturbed, along with those of the prophet who had come from Samaria.

١٩ 19 وَكَذَا جَمِيعُ بُيُوتِ ٱلْمُرْتَفَعَاتِ ٱلَّتِي فِي مُدُنِ ٱلسَّامِرَةِ ٱلَّتِي عَمِلَهَا مُلُوكُ إِسْرَائِيلَ لِلْإِغَاظَةِ، أَزَالَهَا يُوشِيَّا، وَعَمِلَ بِهَا حَسَبَ جَمِيعِ ٱلْأَعْمَالِ ٱلَّتِي عَمِلَهَا فِي بَيْتِ إِيلَ.

Just as Josiah had done at Bethel, so also in the cities of Samaria he removed all the shrines of the high places set up by the kings of Israel who had provoked the LORD to anger.

٢٠ 20 وَذَبَحَ جَمِيعَ كَهَنَةِ ٱلْمُرْتَفَعَاتِ ٱلَّتِي هُنَاكَ عَلَى ٱلْمَذَابِحِ، وَأَحْرَقَ عِظَامَ ٱلنَّاسِ عَلَيْهَا، ثُمَّ رَجَعَ إِلَى أُورُشَلِيمَ.

On the altars he slaughtered all the priests of the high places, and he burned human bones on them. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

٢١ 21 وَأَمَرَ ٱلْمَلِكُ جَمِيعَ ٱلشَّعْبِ قَائِلًا: «ٱعْمَلُوا فِصْحًا لِلرَّبِّ إِلَهِكُمْ كَمَا هُوَ مَكْتُوبٌ فِي سِفْرِ ٱلْعَهْدِ هَذَا».

The king commanded all the people, “Keep the Passover of the LORD your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.”

٢٢ 22 إِنَّهُ لَمْ يُعْمَلْ مِثْلُ هَذَا ٱلْفِصْحِ مُنْذُ أَيَّامِ ٱلْقُضَاةِ ٱلَّذِينَ حَكَمُوا عَلَى إِسْرَائِيلَ، وَلَا فِي كُلِّ أَيَّامِ مُلُوكِ إِسْرَائِيلَ وَمُلُوكِ يَهُوذَا.

No such Passover had been observed from the days of the judges who had governed Israel through all the days of the kings of Israel and Judah.

٢٣ 23 وَلَكِنْ فِي ٱلسَّنَةِ ٱلثَّامِنَةَ عَشْرَةَ لِلْمَلِكِ يُوشِيَّا، عُمِلَ هَذَا ٱلْفِصْحُ لِلرَّبِّ فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ.

But in the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign, this Passover was observed to the LORD in Jerusalem.

٢٤ 24 وَكَذَلِكَ ٱلسَّحَرَةُ وَٱلْعَرَّافُونَ وَٱلتَّرَافِيمُ وَٱلْأَصْنَامُ وَجَمِيعُ ٱلرَّجَاسَاتِ ٱلَّتِي رُئِيَتْ فِي أَرْضِ يَهُوذَا وَفِي أُورُشَلِيمَ، أَبَادَهَا يُوشِيَّا لِيُقِيمَ كَلَامَ ٱلشَّرِيعَةِ ٱلْمَكْتُوبَ فِي ٱلسِّفْرِ ٱلَّذِي وَجَدَهُ حِلْقِيَّا ٱلْكَاهِنُ فِي بَيْتِ ٱلرَّبِّ.

Furthermore, Josiah removed the mediums and spiritists, the household gods and idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem. He did this to carry out the words of the law written in the book that Hilkiah the priest had found in the house of the LORD.

٢٥ 25 وَلَمْ يَكُنْ قَبْلَهُ مَلِكٌ مِثْلُهُ قَدْ رَجَعَ إِلَى ٱلرَّبِّ بِكُلِّ قَلْبِهِ وَكُلِّ نَفْسِهِ وَكُلِّ قُوَّتِهِ حَسَبَ كُلِّ شَرِيعَةِ مُوسَى، وَبَعْدَهُ لَمْ يَقُمْ مِثْلُهُ.

Neither before nor after Josiah was there any king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, according to all the Law of Moses.

٢٦ 26 وَلَكِنَّ ٱلرَّبَّ لَمْ يَرْجِعْ عَنْ حُمُوِّ غَضَبِهِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ، لِأَنَّ غَضَبَهُ حَمِيَ عَلَى يَهُوذَا مِنْ أَجْلِ جَمِيعِ ٱلْإِغَاظَاتِ ٱلَّتِي أَغَاظَهُ إِيَّاهَا مَنَسَّى.

Nevertheless, the LORD did not turn away from the fury of His burning anger, which was kindled against Judah because of all that Manasseh had done to provoke Him to anger.

٢٧ 27 فَقَالَ ٱلرَّبُّ: «إِنِّي أَنْزِعُ يَهُوذَا أَيْضًا مِنْ أَمَامِي كَمَا نَزَعْتُ إِسْرَائِيلَ، وَأَرْفُضُ هَذِهِ ٱلْمَدِينَةَ ٱلَّتِي ٱخْتَرْتُهَا أُورُشَلِيمَ وَٱلْبَيْتَ ٱلَّذِي قُلْتُ يَكُونُ ٱسْمِي فِيهِ».

For the LORD had said, “I will remove Judah from My sight, just as I removed Israel. I will reject this city Jerusalem, which I chose, and the temple of which I said, ‘My Name shall be there.’”

٢٨ 28 وَبَقِيَّةُ أُمُورِ يُوشِيَّا وَكُلُّ مَا عَمِلَ، أَمَا هِيَ مَكْتُوبَةٌ فِي سِفْرِ أَخْبَارِ ٱلْأَيَّامِ لِمُلُوكِ يَهُوذَا؟

As for the rest of the acts of Josiah, along with all his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

٢٩ 29 فِي أَيَّامِهِ صَعِدَ فِرْعَوْنُ نَخْوُ مَلِكُ مِصْرَ عَلَى مَلِكِ أَشُّورَ إِلَى نَهْرِ ٱلْفُرَاتِ. فَصَعِدَ ٱلْمَلِكُ يُوشِيَّا لِلِقَائِهِ، فَقَتَلَهُ فِي مَجِدُّو حِينَ رَآهُ.

At the end of Josiah’s reign, Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt marched up to help the king of Assyria at the Euphrates River. King Josiah went out to confront him, but Neco faced him and killed him at Megiddo.

٣٠ 30 وَأَرْكَبَهُ عَبِيدُهُ مَيْتًا مِنْ مَجِدُّو، وَجَاءُوا بِهِ إِلَى أُورُشَلِيمَ وَدَفَنُوهُ فِي قَبْرِهِ. فَأَخَذَ شَعْبُ ٱلْأَرْضِ يَهُوآحَازَ بْنَ يُوشِيَّا وَمَسَحُوهُ وَمَلَّكُوهُ عِوَضًا عَنْ أَبِيهِ.

From Megiddo his servants carried his body in a chariot, brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own tomb. Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah, anointed him, and made him king in place of his father.

٣١ 31 كَانَ يَهُوآحَازُ ٱبْنَ ثَلَاثٍ وَعِشْرِينَ سَنَةً حِينَ مَلَكَ، وَمَلَكَ ثَلَاثَةَ أَشْهُرٍ فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ، وَٱسْمُ أُمِّهِ حَمُوطَلُ بِنْتُ إِرْمِيَا مِنْ لِبْنَةَ.

Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah.

٣٢ 32 فَعَمِلَ ٱلشَّرَّ فِي عَيْنَيِ ٱلرَّبِّ حَسَبَ كُلِّ مَا عَمِلَهُ آبَاؤُهُ.

And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, just as his fathers had done.

٣٣ 33 وَأَسَرَهُ فِرْعَوْنُ نَخْوُ فِي رَبْلَةَ فِي أَرْضِ حَمَاةَ لِئَلَّا يَمْلِكَ فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ، وَغَرَّمَ ٱلْأَرْضَ بِمِئَةِ وَزْنَةٍ مِنَ ٱلْفِضَّةِ وَوَزْنَةٍ مِنَ ٱلذَّهَبِ.

And Pharaoh Neco imprisoned Jehoahaz at Riblah in the land of Hamath so that he could not reign in Jerusalem, and he imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.

٣٤ 34 وَمَلَّكَ فِرْعَوْنُ نَخْوُ أَلِيَاقِيمَ بْنَ يُوشِيَّا عِوَضًا عَنْ يُوشِيَّا أَبِيهِ، وَغَيَّرَ ٱسْمَهُ إِلَى يَهُويَاقِيمَ، وَأَخَذَ يَهُوآحَازَ وَجَاءَ إِلَى مِصْرَ فَمَاتَ هُنَاكَ.

Then Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim son of Josiah king in place of his father Josiah, and he changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt, where he died.

٣٥ 35 وَدَفَعَ يَهُويَاقِيمُ ٱلْفِضَّةَ وَٱلذَّهَبَ لِفِرْعَوْنَ، إِلَّا أَنَّهُ قَوَّمَ ٱلْأَرْضَ لِدَفْعِ ٱلْفِضَّةِ بِأَمْرِ فِرْعَوْنَ. كُلَّ وَاحِدٍ حَسَبَ تَقْوِيمِهِ. فَطَالَبَ شَعْبَ ٱلْأَرْضِ بِٱلْفِضَّةِ وَٱلذَّهَبِ لِيَدْفَعَ لِفِرْعَوْنَ نَخْوٍ.

So Jehoiakim paid the silver and gold to Pharaoh Neco, but to meet Pharaoh’s demand he taxed the land and exacted the silver and the gold from the people, each according to his wealth.

٣٦ 36 كَانَ يَهُويَاقِيمُ ٱبْنَ خَمْسٍ وَعِشْرِينَ سَنَةً حِينَ مَلَكَ، وَمَلَكَ إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ، وَٱسْمُ أُمِّهِ زَبِيدَةُ بِنْتُ فِدَايَةَ مِنْ رُومَةَ.

Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah; she was from Rumah.

٣٧ 37 وَعَمِلَ ٱلشَّرَّ فِي عَيْنَيِ ٱلرَّبِّ حَسَبَ كُلِّ مَا عَمِلَ آبَاؤُهُ.

And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, just as his fathers had done.