2 Kings 23

1 Then the king sent, —and there were gathered unto him, all the elders of Judah, and Jerusalem;

And the king sends, and they gather all [the] elderly of Judah and Jerusalem to him,

2 and the king went up to the house of Yahweh, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great, —and he read in their ears, all the words of the book of the covenant, which had been found in the house of Yahweh.

and the king goes up to the house of YHWH, and every man of Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, from small to great, and he reads in their ears all the words of the Scroll of the Covenant that is found in the house of YHWH.

3 And the king took his stand by the pillar, and solemnised a covenant before Yahweh—to follow Yahweh, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes, with all [their] heart and with all [their] soul, to confirm the words of this covenant, written in this book. And all the people took their stand in the covenant.

And the king stands by the pillar, and makes the covenant before YHWH, to walk after YHWH, and to keep His commands, and His testimonies, and His statutes, with all the heart, and with all the soul, to establish the words of this covenant that are written on this scroll, and all the people stand in the covenant.

4 Then the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the entrance-hall, to bring forth, out of the temple of Yahweh, all the vessels that had been made for Baal and for the Sacred Stem, and for all the army of the heavens, —and he burned them up outside Jerusalem, in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them to Bethel;

And the king commands Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the threshold, to bring out from the temple of YHWH all the vessels that are made for Ba‘al, and for the Asherah, and for all the host of the heavens, and he burns them at the outside of Jerusalem, in the fields of Kidron, and has carried their ashes to Beth-El.

5 and he put down the idol-priests, whom the kings of Judah had appointed, so that incense might be burned in the high places, in the cities of Judah, and round about Jerusalem, —them also that burned incense to Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the constellations, and to all the army of the heavens;

And he has caused to cease the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah have appointed (and they make incense in high places, in cities of Judah and outskirts of Jerusalem), and those making incense to Ba‘al, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the twelve signs, and to all the host of the heavens.

6 and he brought forth the Sacred Stem out of the house of Yahweh, outside Jerusalem, into the Kidron ravine, and burned it in the Kidron ravine, and crushed it to powder, —and cast the powder upon the graves of the sons of the people;

And he brings out the Asherah from the house of YHWH to the outside of Jerusalem, to the Brook of Kidron, and burns it at the Brook of Kidron, and beats it small to dust, and casts its dust on the grave of the sons of the people.

7 and he brake down the houses of the male devotees, which were in the house of Yahweh, —where the women did weave houses to the Sacred Stem;

And he breaks down the houses of the whoremongers that [are] in the house of YHWH, where the women are weaving houses for the Asherah.

8 and be brought in all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where, the priests, had burned incense, from Geba unto Beer-sheba, —and brake down the high places of the gates, that were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua, the governor of the city, which were on one’s left hand, in the gate of the city;

And he brings in all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiles the high places where the priests have made incense, from Geba to Beer-Sheba, and has broken down the high places of the gates that [are] at the opening of the Gate of Joshua, head of the city, that [is] on a man’s left hand at the gate of the city;

9 howbeit, the priests of the high places came not up unto the altar of Yahweh, in Jerusalem, save only that they did eat unleavened bread in the midst of their brethren;

only, the priests of the high places do not come up to the altar of YHWH in Jerusalem, but they have eaten unleavened things in the midst of their brothers.

10 and he defiled Topheth, which was in the valley of the son of Hinnom, —so that no man might cause his son or his daughter to pass through the fire unto Molech;

And he has defiled Topheth that [is] in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, so that no man causes his son and his daughter to pass over through fire to Molech.

11 and he did away with the horses, which the kings of Judah had devoted to the sun, at the entrance of the house of Yahweh, near the chamber of Nathan-melech the courtier, which was in the suburbs, also, the chariots of the sun, burned he with fire;

And he causes to cease the horses that the kings of Judah have given to the sun from the entering in of the house of YHWH, by the chamber of Nathan-Melech the eunuch, that [is] in the outskirts; and he has burned the chariots of the sun with fire.

12 and, the altars which were on the roof of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, also the altars which Manasseh had made, in the two courts of the house of Yahweh, did the king break down, —and hurried away from thence, and cast out the powder of them into the Kidron ravine;

And the altars that [are] on the top of the upper chamber of Ahaz, that the kings of Judah made, and the altars that Manasseh made in the two courts of the house of YHWH, the king has broken down, and removes from there, and has cast their dust into the Brook of Kidron.

13 and, the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of destruction, which Solomon king of Israel had built unto Ashtoreth—the abomination of the Zidonians, and unto Chemosh—the abomination of the Moabites, and unto Milcom—the disgusting thing of the sons of Ammon, did the king defile;

And the high places that [are] on the front of Jerusalem, that [are] on the right of the Mount of Corruption, that Solomon king of Israel had built to Ashtoreth, abomination of the Zidonians, and Chemosh, abomination of Moab, and to Milcom, abomination of the sons of Ammon, the king has defiled.

14 and he brake in pieces the pillars, and cut down the Sacred Stems, —and filled their place with human bones:

And he has broken the standing-pillars in pieces, and cuts down the Asherim, and fills their place with bones of men;

15 moreover also, the altar that was in Bethel, the high place which Jeroboam son of Nebat made, wherewith he caused, Israel, to sin, —even that altar, and the high place, brake he down, —and burned the high place, crushing it to powder, and burned a Sacred Stem.

and also the altar that [is] in Beth-El, the high place that Jeroboam son of Nebat made, by which he made Israel sin, both that altar and the high place he has broken down, and burns the high place—he has beat it small to dust, and has burned the Asherah.

16 And, when Josiah turned, and saw the graves which were there, in the mount, he sent and took the bones out of the graves, and burned upon the altar, and defiled it, —according to the word of Yahweh, which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these things.

And Josiah turns, and sees the graves that [are] there on the mountain, and sends and takes the bones out of the graves, and burns [them] on the altar, and defiles it, according to the word of YHWH that the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these things.

17 Then said he—What is yonder erection, which I do see? And the men of the city said unto him—The grave of the man of God, who came in out of Judah, and proclaimed these things, which thou hast done, concerning the altar of Bethel.

And he says, “What [is] this sign that I see?” And the men of the city say to him, “The grave of the man of God who has come from Judah, and proclaims these things that you have done concerning the altar of Beth-El.”

18 And he said—Let him rest, let, no man, disturb his bones. So they let his bones rest, with the bones of the prophet who came in out of Samaria.

And he says, “Leave him alone, let no man touch his bones”; and they let his bones escape with the bones of the prophet who came out of Samaria.

19 Moreover also, all the houses of the high places which were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made, so as to provoke Yahweh to anger, did Josiah remove, —and he did to them according to all the doings which he had done in Bethel;

And also all the houses of the high places that [are] in the cities of Samaria, that the kings of Israel made to provoke to anger, Josiah has turned aside, and does to them according to all the deeds that he did in Beth-El.

20 and he sacrificed all the priests of the high places, who were there, by the altars, and burned human bones thereupon, —and returned to Jerusalem.

And he slays all the priests of the high places who [are] there by the altars, and burns the bones of man on them, and turns back to Jerusalem.

21 Then did the king command all the people, saying, Keep ye a passover unto Yahweh, your God, —such as is written in this book of the covenant.

And the king commands the whole of the people, saying, “Make a Passover to your God YHWH, as it is written on this scroll of the covenant.”

22 Surely there had not been held such a passover as this, from the days of the Judges who judged Israel, —nor all the days of the kings of Israel, and the kings of Judah;

Surely there has not been made like this Passover from the days of the ones judging who judged Israel, even all the days of the kings of Israel, and of the kings of Judah;

23 save only, in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, when this passover was held unto Yahweh, in Jerusalem.

but in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover has been made to YHWH in Jerusalem.

24 Moreover also, them who had familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the household gods, and the manufactured gods, and the abominations which were to be seen in the land of Judah, and in Jerusalem, did Josiah consume, —that he might confirm the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest had found in the house of Yahweh.

And also, those having familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the teraphim, and the idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah, and in Jerusalem, Josiah has put away, in order to establish the words of the Law that are written on the scroll that Hilkiah the priest has found in the house of YHWH.

25 And, like him, was no king, before him, who turned unto Yahweh with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses, —neither, after him, arose one, like him.

And like him there has not been before him a king who turned back to YHWH with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses, and after him there has none risen like him.

26 Howbeit, Yahweh turned not away from the glow of his great anger, wherewith his anger glowed against Judah—because of all the provocations wherewith, Manasseh, had provoked him.

Only, YHWH has not turned back from the fierceness of His great anger with which His anger burned against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh provoked him,

27 So Yahweh said: Even Judah, will I remove from my presence, as I have removed Israel, —and will reject this city, which I had chosen, even Jerusalem, and the house as to which I had said, My Name, shall be, there.

and YHWH says, “I also turn Judah aside from my presence, as I turned Israel aside, and I have rejected this city that I have chosen—Jerusalem, and the house of which I said, My Name is there.”

28 Now, the rest of the story of Josiah, and all that he did, are, they, not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

And the rest of the matters of Josiah and all that he did, are they not written on the scroll of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

29 In his days, came up Pharaoh-necoh king of Egypt, against the king of Assyria, unto the river Euphrates, —and, when King Josiah went against him, he slew him at Megiddo, as soon as he saw him.

In his days Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt has come up against the king of Asshur, by the Euphrates River, and King Josiah goes out to meet him, and [Pharaoh Necho] puts him to death in Megiddo when he sees him.

30 And his servants conveyed him in a chariot, dead, from Megiddo, and brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own sepulchre, —and the people of the land took Jehoahaz, son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made, him, king, in his father’s stead.

And his servants cause him to ride dying from Megiddo, and bring him to Jerusalem, and bury him in his own grave, and the people of the land take Jehoahaz son of Josiah, and anoint him, and cause him to reign instead of his father.

31 Twenty-three years old, was Jehoahaz when he began to reign, and, three months, reigned he in Jerusalem, —and, his mother’s name, was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah, of Libnah.

Jehoahaz [is] a son of twenty-three years in his reigning, and he has reigned three months in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother [is] Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah,

32 And he did the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh, according to all that his, fathers, had done.

and he does evil in the eyes of YHWH, according to all that his fathers did,

33 And Pharaoh-necoh put him in bonds at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem, —and he laid a fine upon the land, a hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold.

and Pharaoh Necho binds him in Riblah, in the land of Hamath, from reigning in Jerusalem, and he puts a fine on the land—one hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold.

34 And Pharaoh-necoh made Eliakim son of Josiah king, instead of Josiah his father, and turned his name to Jehoiakim, —and, Jehoahaz, took he away, so he entered Egypt, and died there.

And Pharaoh Necho causes Eliakim son of Josiah to reign instead of his father Josiah, and turns his name to Jehoiakim, and he has taken Jehoahaz away, and he comes to Egypt, and dies there.

35 And, the silver and the gold, did Jehoiakim give unto Pharaoh, howbeit he assessed the land, that he might give the silver at the bidding of Pharaoh, —every man, according to his assessment, exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, that he might give it to Pharaoh-necoh.

And Jehoiakim has given the silver and the gold to Pharaoh; only he valued the land to give the silver by the command of Pharaoh; from each, according to his valuation, he exacted the silver and the gold, from the people of the land, to give to Pharaoh Necho.

36 Twenty-five years old, was Jehoiakim when he began to reign, and, eleven years, reigned he in Jerusalem, —and, his mother’s name, was Zebudah daughter of Pedaiah, of Rumah.

Jehoiakim [is] a son of twenty-five years in his reigning, and he has reigned eleven years in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother [is] Zebudah daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah,

37 And he did the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh, —according to all that, his fathers, had done.

and he does evil in the eyes of YHWH, according to all that his fathers did.