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.

He went to the Lord's Temple with all the people of Judah and Jerusalem, together with the priests and the Levites, all the people from the least to the greatest, and he read to them the whole Book of the Agreement that had been discovered in the Lord's Temple.

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.

The king stood by the pillar and made a solemn agreement before the Lord to follow him and to keep his commandments, laws, and regulations with total dedication, and to observe the requirements of the agreement as written in the book. All the people entered into the agreement.

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 ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the priests of second rank, and the doorkeepers to remove from the Lord's Temple everything made for Baal, Asherah, and the worship of sun, moon, and stars. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the Kidron fields and took 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.

He also dismissed the priests appointed by the kings of Judah to present burnt offerings on the high places of the towns of Judah and in the places all around Jerusalem, those who had sacrificed to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations, and to all the powers 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 removed the Asherah pole from the Lord's Temple and took it to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem. He burned it there, ground it into dust, and threw its dust over the graves of the ordinary people.

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

He also demolished the quarters of the cult prostitutes that were in the Lord's Temple, where the women used to weave tapestries for the 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.

Josiah brought to Jerusalem all the priests from the towns of Judah and defiled the high places, from Geba to Beersheba, where the priests had sacrificed burnt offerings. He demolished the high places of the gates, near to the entrance of the gate of Joshua, the governor of the city, which was left of the town gate.

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

Though the priests of the high places did not serve at the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem, they did eat unleavened bread with their brother priests.

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

He defiled the Topheth altar 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.

He removed the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun from the entrance to the Lord's Temple. They were in the courtyard near the room of a eunuch named Nathan-melech. Josiah also burned the chariots dedicated to 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 demolished the altars that the kings of Judah had set up on the roof near the upper chamber of Ahaz, and the altars Manasseh had placed in the two courtyards of the Lord's Temple. The king smashed them to pieces and scattered them in 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 defiled the high places to the east of Jerusalem, to the south of the Mount of Corruption, the places which King Solomon of Israel had built for Ashtoreth, the vile goddess of the Sidonians, for Chemosh, the vile god of the Moabites, and for Molech, the vile god of the Ammonites.

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

He smashed the sacred stone pillars to pieces, chopped down the Asherah poles, and covered the places 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 also demolished the altar at Bethel, the high place set up by Jeroboam, son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin. Then he burned the high place, ground it to dust, 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.

As Josiah looked around he saw some tombs there on the hill. He had the bones taken from the tombs, and he burned them on the altar to defile it, just as the Lord had said through the man of God who had prophesied 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 he asked, “Whose gravestone is this that I see?” “It's the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed exactly what you have done to the altar of Bethel,” the townspeople replied.

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

“Let him rest in peace,” said Josiah. “Don't anyone touch his bones.” So they left his bones undisturbed, together with the bones of the prophet who came 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.

Josiah destroyed, just as he did at Bethel, all the shrines of the high places in the towns of Samaria that the kings of Israel had built that had angered the Lord.

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

Josiah slaughtered all the priests who were there at the high places on the altars, and 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 sent out an order to all the people, “Observe the Passover of the Lord your God, as it is written in this Book of the Agreement.”

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

Such a Passover as this had not been observed from the days of the judges who ruled Israel on 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 King Josiah, this Passover was observed to honor 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.

In addition, Josiah got rid of the mediums and spiritists, the household gods and idols, and all the disgusting practices that were present in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem. He did this to fulfill the words of the law written in the book that Hilkiah the priest had found in the Lord's Temple.

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.

Never before was there a king like him who committed himself to the Lord in all his thoughts and attitudes, and with all his strength, keeping all the Law of Moses. There was no king like him afterwards either.

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

However, the Lord had not given up his furious hostility, which burned against Judah because of all that Manasseh had done to anger him.

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».

So the Lord announced, “I'm also going to banish Judah from my presence, just as I banished Israel. I will abandon this city that I have chosen, Jerusalem, and the Temple regarding which I said, My name will be there.”

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

The rest of what happened in Josiah's reign, and all he did, are recorded in the Book of 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.

While Josiah was still king, Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt, led his army to help the king of Assyria at the Euphrates River. King Josiah took his army to fight him at Megiddo, but when Neco saw Josiah he killed him.

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.

His servants put his body in a chariot, brought him back from Megiddo to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own tomb. Then the people of the land chose Jehoahaz, son of Josiah, anointed him, and made him king in succession to 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 when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for three months. His mother's name was Hamutal, daughter of Jeremiah. She came from Libnah.

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

He did what was evil in the Lord's sight, just as all his forefathers 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.

Pharaoh Neco imprisoned Jehoahaz at Riblah in the land of Hamath to stop him ruling in Jerusalem. He also imposed on Judah a tribute of one 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.

Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim, son of Josiah, king in succession to his father Josiah, and he changed Eliakim's name to Jehoiakim. Neco took Jehoahaz 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.

Jehoiakim paid the silver and gold to Pharaoh Neco, but in order to meet Pharaoh's demand he taxed the land and required payment of the silver and the gold from the people, each in proportion to their 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 when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for eleven years. His mother's name was Zebidah, daughter of Pedaiah She came from Rumah.

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

He did evil in the Lord's sight, just as his forefathers had done.