2 Kings 23

1 So the king sent messengers who gathered to him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem.

And the king sent, and they gathered to him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem.

2 Then 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, prophets, and all the people, from small to great. He then read in their hearing all the words of the book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of Yahweh.

And the king went up to the house of Jehovah, 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 was found in the house of Jehovah.

3 The king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before Yahweh, to walk after Yahweh and to keep his commandments, his regulations, and his statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to confirm the words of this covenant that were written in this book. So all the people agreed to stand by the covenant.

And the king stood by the pillar, and made a covenant before Jehovah to walk after Jehovah, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and all his soul, to confirm the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.

4 The king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, the priests under him, and the gatekeepers to bring out of the temple of Yahweh all the vessels that were made for Baal and Asherah, and for all the stars of heaven. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields in the Kidron Valley and carried their ashes to Bethel.

And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the threshold, to bring forth out of the temple of Jehovah all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the Asherah, and for all the host of heaven, and he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron, and carried the ashes of them to Bethel.

5 He got rid of the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had chosen to burn incense at the high places in the cities of Judah and in the places around Jerusalem—those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and the moon, to the planets, and to all the stars of heaven.

And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; those also who burned incense to Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.

6 He brought out the Asherah pole from the temple of Yahweh, outside Jerusalem to the Kidron Valley and burned it there. He beat it to dust and threw that dust onto the graves of the common people.

And he brought out the Asherah from the house of Jehovah, outside Jerusalem, to the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and beat it to dust, and cast the dust of it upon the graves of the common people.

7 He cleared out the rooms of the cultic prostitutes who were in the temple of Yahweh, where the women wove garments for Asherah.

And he broke down the houses of the sodomites that were in the house of Jehovah where the women wove hangings for the Asherah.

8 Josiah brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba. He destroyed the high places at the gates that were at the entrance to the gate of Joshua (the city governor), on the left side of the city gate.

And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba. And he broke 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 a man's left hand at the gate of the city.

9 Although the priests of those high places were not allowed to serve at the altar of Yahweh in Jerusalem, they ate unleavened bread among their brothers.

Nevertheless the priests of the high places did not come up to the altar of Jehovah in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened bread among their brothers.

10 Josiah defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, so that no one might cause his son or his daughter to pass through the fire as a sacrifice to Molech.

And he defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the sons of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech.

11 He took away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun. They had been in an area at the entrance to the temple of Yahweh, near the room of Nathan-Melek, the chamberlain. Josiah burned the chariots of the sun.

And he took away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entrance of the house of Jehovah, by the chamber of Nathan-melech the chamberlain, which was in the suburbs. And he burned the chariots of the sun with fire.

12 Josiah the king destroyed the altars that were on the roof of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars that Manasseh had made in the two courts of the temple of Yahweh. Josiah smashed them into pieces and threw them into the Kidron Valley.

And the altars that were on the roof of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of Jehovah, the king broke down, and beat them down from there, and cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron.

13 The king ruined the high places east of Jerusalem, south of the mount of corruption that Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth, the detestable idol of the Sidonians; for Chemosh, the detestable idol of Moab; and for Molech, the detestable idol of the people of Ammon.

And the king defiled the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the sons of Ammon.

14 He broke the stone pillars into pieces and cut down the Asherah poles and he filled those places with the bones of human beings.

And he broke in pieces the pillars, and cut down the Asherim, and filled their places with the bones of men.

15 Josiah also completely destroyed the altar that was at Bethel and the high place that Jeroboam son of Nebat (the one who made Israel to sin) had constructed. He also burned that altar and the high place and beat it to dust. He also burned the Asherah pole.

Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, even that altar and the high place he broke down. And he burned the high place and beat it to dust, and burned the Asherah.

16 As Josiah looked over the area, he noticed the graves that were on the hillside. He sent men to take the bones from the graves; then he burned them on the altar, which defiled it. This was according to the word of Yahweh which the man of God had spoken, the man who spoke of these things beforehand.

And as Josiah turned himself, he noticed the sepulchers that were there in the mount. And he sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchers, and burned them upon the altar, and defiled it, according to the word of Jehovah which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these things.

17 Then he said, “What monument is that I see?” The men of the city told him, “That is the grave of the man of God who came from Judah and spoke about these things that you have just done against the altar of Bethel.”

Then he said, What monument is that which I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the sepulcher of the man of God who came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou have done against the altar of Bethel.

18 So Josiah said, “Let it alone. No one should move his bones.” So they let his bones alone, along with the bones of the prophet who had come from Samaria.

And he said, Let him be; let no man move his bones. So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet who came out of Samaria.

19 Then Josiah removed all the houses on the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made, and that provoked Yahweh to anger. He did to them exactly what had been done at Bethel.

And Josiah also took away all the houses of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke Jehovah to anger. And he did to them according to all the acts that he had done in Bethel.

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

And he killed all the priests of the high places that were there, upon the altars, and burned men's bones upon them. And he returned to Jerusalem.

21 Then the king commanded all the people, saying, “Keep the Passover to Yahweh your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.”

And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the Passover to Jehovah your God, as it is written in this book of the covenant.

22 Such a Passover celebration had never been held from the days of the judges who ruled Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel or Judah.

Surely such a Passover was not kept from the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah.

23 But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah this Passover of Yahweh was celebrated in Jerusalem.

But in the eighteenth year of king Josiah this Passover was kept to Jehovah in Jerusalem.

24 Josiah also banished those who talked with the dead or with spirits. He also banished the fetishes, the idols, and all the disgusting things that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, so as to confirm the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest had found in the house of Yahweh.

Moreover Josiah put away the psychics, and the wizards, and the teraphim, and the idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of Jehovah.

25 Before Josiah, there had been no king like him, who turned to Yahweh with all his heart, all his soul, and all his might, who followed all the law of Moses. Nor did any king like Josiah arise after him.

And there was no king before him like him, who turned to Jehovah with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither arose any like him after him.

26 Nevertheless, Yahweh did not turn away from the burning of his fierce anger, which burned against Judah because of all that Manasseh had done to provoke him to anger.

Notwithstanding, Jehovah did not turn from the fierceness of his great wrath, with which his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked him.

27 So Yahweh said, “I will also remove Judah out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and I will throw away this city that I have chosen, Jerusalem, and the house of which I said, 'My name will be there.'”

And Jehovah said, I will remove Judah also out of my sight as I have removed Israel, and I will cast off this city which I have chosen, even Jerusalem, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there.

28 As for the other matters concerning Josiah, everything that he did, are they not written in the book of the events of the kings of Judah?

Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

29 In his days, Pharaoh Necho, king of Egypt, went to fight against the king of Assyria at the Euphrates River. King Josiah went to meet Necho in battle, and Necho killed him at Megiddo.

In his days Pharaoh-necoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates, and king Josiah went against him. And Pharaoh-necoh killed him at Megiddo when he had seen him.

30 Josiah's servants carried him dead in a chariot from Megiddo, brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own grave. Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah, anointed him, and made him king in his father's place.

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

31 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hamutal; she was the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

32 Jehoahaz did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, like everything that his ancestors had done.

And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, according to all that his fathers had done.

33 Pharaoh Necho put him in chains at Riblah in the land of Hamath, so that he might not reign in Jerusalem. Then Necho fined Judah one hundred talents of silver and one talent of gold.

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

34 Pharaoh Necho made Eliakim son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz away to Egypt, and Jehoahaz died there.

And Pharaoh-necoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz away, and he came to Egypt, and died there.

35 Jehoiakim paid the silver and gold to Pharaoh. In order to meet the demand of Pharaoh, Jehoikim taxed the land and he forced each man among the people of the land to pay him the silver and gold according to their assessments.

And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land to give the money according to the commandment of Pharaoh. He exacted the silver and the gold from the people of the land, of every one according to his taxation, to give it to Pharaoh-necoh.

36 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zebidah; she was the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah.

Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Zebidah the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah.

37 Jehoiakim did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, just as his ancestors had done.

And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, according to all that his fathers had done.