2 Mpanjaka 23
1 Ary nanirahan’ ny mpanjaka, ka dia vory tany aminy ny loholon’ ny Joda Jerosalema rehetra.
Then the king summoned all the elders of Jerusalem and [of the other places in] Judah.
2 Dia niakatra ho ao an-tranon’ i Jehovah ny mpanjaka, ary nanaraka azy ny lehilahy rehetra amin’ ny Joda sy ny mponina rehetra tany Jerosalema mbamin’ ny mpisorona sy ny mpaminany ary ny vahoaka rehetra, na kely na lehibe; ary novakiny teo anatrehany ny teny rehetra tamin’ ny bokin’ ny fanekena izay hita tao an-tranon’ i Jehovah.
They went together to the temple, along with the priests and the prophets, and many other [HYP] people, from the most important people to the least important people. And while they listened, the king read to them all of the laws that Moses had written. He read from the scroll that had been found in the temple.
3 Ary ny mpanjaka nitsangana teo amin’ ny fitoeran’ andriana, dia nanao fanekena teo anatrehan’ i Jehovah hanaraka Azy sy hitandrina ny lalàny sy ny teni-vavolombelony ary ny didiny amin’ ny fony rehetra sy ny fanahiny rehetra, hankatò ny tenin’ ny fanekena sy izay voasoratra ao amin’ izany boky izany. Ary ny vahoaka rehetra koa dia mba nanaiky ny fanekena.
Then the king stood next to the pillar [where the kings stood when they made important announcements], and while Yahweh was listening, he repeated his promise to sincerely obey [DOU] all of Yahweh’s commands and regulations [DOU]. He also promised to (fulfill the conditions of/do what was written in) the agreement he made with Yahweh. And all the people also promised to obey the agreement.
4 Ary ny mpanjaka nandidy an’ i Hilkia mpisoronabe sy ireo mpisorona manarakaraka ary ny mpiandry varavarana hamoaka ny fanaka rehetra izay natao ho an’ i Bala sy Astarta ary ho an’ izay rehetra eny amin’ ny lanitra hiala amin’ ny tempolin’ i Jehovah; ka nodorany tany ivelan’ i Jerosalema teny amin’ ny saha amoron’ i Kidrona ireny, ary nentiny ho any Betela ny vovony.
Then the king commanded Hilkiah the Supreme Priest and all the other priests who assisted him and the men who guarded the entrance to the temple to bring out from the temple all the items that people had been using to worship Baal, the goddess Asherah, and the stars. [After they carried them out, ] they burned all those things outside the city near the Kidron Valley. Then they took all the ashes to Bethel, [because that city was already considered to be desecrated/unholy].
5 Ary natsahany koa ny mpisorona amin’ ny andriamani-tsi-izy, izay notendren’ ny mpanjakan’ ny Joda handoro ditin-kazo manitra eny amin’ ny fitoerana avo tany amin’ ny tanànan’ ny Joda sy tamin’ ny manodidina an’ i Jerosalema, sy izay nandoro ditin-kazo manitra koa ho an’ i Bala, dia ny masoandro, ary ho an’ ny volana sy ny kintana amin’ ny Zodiaka ary ho an’ izay rehetra eny amin’ ny lanitra.
There were many pagan priests that the previous kings of Judah had appointed to burn incense on the altars on the tops of hills in Judah. They had been offering sacrifices to Baal, to the sun, the moon, the planets, and the stars. The king stopped them from doing those things.
6 Ary ny Aseraha navoakany hiala amin’ ny tranon’ i Jehovah ho any ivelan’ i Jerosalema, ao amin’ ny lohasahan-driaka Kidrona; ary nodorany tao io ka notorotoroiny ho vovoka, ary ny vovony nafafiny teny ambonin’ ny fasam-bahoaka.
He [commanded that] the statue of the goddess Asherah [be] taken out of the temple. Then they took it outside Jerusalem, down to the Kidron Brook, and burned it. Then they pounded the ashes to powder and scattered that over the graves in the public cemetery.
7 Ary noravany ny tranon’ ny olona nanolo-tena hijangajanga ho fanompoan-tsampy izay teo amin’ ny tranon’ i Jehovah, dia ireo nanenoman’ ny vehivavy lay ho an’ i Astarta.
He also destroyed the rooms in the temple where the temple male prostitutes lived. That was where women wove robes that were used to worship the goddess Asherah.
8 Ary nampaka ny mpisorona rehetra avy tamin’ ny tanànan’ ny Joda izy, dia nolotoiny ny fitoerana avo, izay nandoroan’ ny mpisorona ditin-kazo manitra, hatrany Geba ka hatrany Beri-sheba ary noravany ny fitoerana avo tao akaikin’ ny vavahady, dia ilay teo anoloan’ ny vavahadin’ i Josoa, komandin’ ny tanàna, sy ilay teo an-kavia raha miditra amin’ ny vavahadin’ ny tanana.
Josiah also brought [to Jerusalem] all the priests who were offering sacrifices in the other cities in Judah. He also desecrated the places on the tops of hills where the priests had burned incense [to honor idols], from Geba [in the north] to Beersheba [in the south]. Those priests were not allowed to offer sacrifices in the temple, but they [were allowed to] eat the unleavened bread that the priests [who worked in the temple] ate. He also [commanded that] the altars that were dedicated to the goat demons near the gate built by Joshua, the mayor of Jerusalem, [be] destroyed. Those altars were at the left of the main gate into the city.
9 Fa ny mpisorona tamin’ ny fitoerana avo tsy navela hanatitra teo ambonin’ ny alitaran’ i Jehovah any Jerosalema; nefa nahazo niara-nihinana mofo tsy misy masirasira tamin’ ny rahalahiny ihany izy.
10 Ary nolotoiny koa Tofeta, izay eo amin’ ny lohasahan’ ny taranak’ i Hinoma, mba tsy hisy hampandeha ny zananilahy na ny zananivavy hamaky ny afo ho an’ i Moloka intsony.
Josiah also desecrated the place named Topheth, in the Hinnom Valley, in order that no one could offer his son or daughter there to be completely burned for a sacrifice to [the god] Molech.
11 Ary ny soavaly izay nohamasinin’ ireo mpanjakan’ ny Joda ho an’ ny masoandro ka nataony teo amin’ ny fidirana ho ao an-tranon’ i Jehovah, teo akaikin’ ny efi-tranon’ i Natana-meleka tandapa, izay tao Parvara, dia nesoriny; ary ny kalesin’ ny masoandro nodorany tamin’ ny afo.
He also removed the horses that the [previous] kings of Judah had dedicated to worshiping the sun, and he burned the chariots that were used in that worship. Those horses and chariots were kept in the courtyard outside the temple, near the entrance to the temple, and near the room where [one of Josiah’s] officials, whose name was Nathan-Melech, lived.
12 Ary ireo alitara teo an-tampon-trano ambony amin’ ny tranon’ i Ahaza, izay nataon’ ireo mpanjakan’ ny Joda, sy ny alitara izay nataon’ i Manase tao anatin’ ny kianja roa tamin’ ny tranon’ i Jehovah, dia noravan’ ny mpanjaka ka notorotoroiny, dia nafafiny tany amin’ ny lohasahan-driaka Kidrona ny vovony.
Josiah also commanded his servants to tear down the altars that the previous kings of Judah had built on the roof of the palace, above the room where King Ahaz had stayed. They also tore down the altars that had been built by King Manasseh in the two courtyards outside the temple. He commanded that they be smashed to pieces and thrown down into the Kidron Valley.
13 Ary nolotoin’ ny mpanjaka ireo fitoerana avo izay teo anoloan’ i Jerosalema, teo amin’ ny ankavanan’ ny tendrombohitra nahitan-doza, dia ireo nataon’ i Solomona, mpanjakan’ ny Isiraely, ho an’ i Astarta, fa havetavetan’ ny Sidoniana, sy ho an’ i Kemosy, fahavetavetan’ i Moaba, ary ho an’ i Milkoma, fahavetavetan’ ny taranak’ i Amona.
He also commanded that the altars that King Solomon had built east of Jerusalem, south of Olive Tree Hill, be desecrated. Solomon had built them for the worship of the disgusting idols—the [statue of the goddess] Astarte [worshiped by the people in] Sidon [city], Chemosh the god of the Moab people-group, and Molech the god of the Ammon people-group.
14 Dia notorotoroiny ny tsangam-baton-tsampy sady nokapainy koa ny Aseraha, ka nofenoiny taolan’ olona ny nitoerany.
They also broke into pieces the stone pillars that the Israeli people worshiped, and cut down the [pillars that honored the goddess] Asherah, and they scattered the ground there with human bones [to desecrate it].
15 Ary ny alitara izay tao Betela sy ny fitoerana avo izay nataon’ i Jeroboama, zanak’ i Nebata, ilay nampanota ny Isiraely, dia noravany koa; ary nodorany ny fitoerana avo ka notorotoroiny ho vovoka, ary nodorany koa ny Aseraha.
Furthermore, he commanded them to tear down the place of worship at Bethel which had been built by King Jeroboam, the king who persuaded the people of Israel to sin. They tore down the altar. Then they broke its stones into pieces and pounded them to become powder. They also burned the statue [of the goddess] Asherah.
16 Ary nitodika Josia ka nahita ny fasana teny an-tendrombohitra, dia naniraka naka ny taolana tao am-pasana, ary nodorany teo ambonin’ ny alitara ireny nandotoany azy, araka ny tenin’ i Jehovah, izay notorin’ ilay lehilahin’ Andriamanitra.
Then Josiah looked around and saw some tombs there on the hill. He commanded his men to take the bones out of those tombs and burn them on the altar. By doing that, he desecrated the altar. That was what a prophet had predicted many years before when Jeroboam was standing close to that altar at a festival. Then Josiah looked up and saw the tomb of the prophet who had predicted that.
17 Dia hoy izy: Tsangam-baton’ iza itsy hitako itsy? Ary hoy ny mponina tao an-tanana taminy: Fasan’ ilay lehilahin’ Andriamanitra izay avy tany Joda io, dia ilay nitory izao zavatra nataonao tamin’ ny alitara eto Betela izao.
Josiah asked, “Whose tomb is that?” The people of Bethel replied, “It is the tomb of the prophet who came from Judah and predicted that these things that you have just now done to this altar would happen.”
18 Ary hoy izy: Aoka itsy; aza misy manetsika ny taolany akory. Dia tsy nokasihiny ny taolany sy ny taolan’ ilay mpaminany avy tany Samaria.
Josiah replied, “Allow his tomb to remain as it is. Do not remove the prophet’s bones from the tomb.” So the people did not remove those bones, or the bones of the other prophet, the one who had come from Samaria.
19 Ary ny trano rehetra tamin’ ny fitoerana avo, izay teny amin’ ny tanànan’ i Samaria, izay nataon’ ireo mpanjakan’ ny Isiraely ka nahatonga fahatezerana, dia noravan’ i Josia koa ka nataony araka izay rehetra efa navony tany Betela.
In every city in Israel, at Josiah’s command, they tore down the shrines that had been built by the previous kings of Israel, which had caused Yahweh to become very angry. He did to all those shrines/altars the same thing that he had done to the altars at Bethel.
20 Ary ny mpisorona rehetra izay teo, dia ny mpisorona amin’ ny fitoerana avo, novonoiny teo ambonin’ ny alitara, sady nandoro taolan’ olona teo koa izy, dia niverina nankany Jerosalema.
He ordered that all the priests who offered sacrifices on the altars on the tops of hills must be killed on those altars. Then he burned human bones on every one of those altars [to desecrate them]. Then he returned to Jerusalem.
21 Ary ny mpanjaka nandidy ny vahoaka rehetra hoe: Tandremo ny Paskan’ i Jehovah Andriamanitrareo, araka ny voasoratra ao amin’ ny bokin’ ity fanekena ity.
Then the king commanded all the people to celebrate the Passover Festival to honor Yahweh their God, which was written in the law of Moses that they should do [every year].
22 Fa tsy nisy Paska notandremana toy izany hatramin’ ny andron’ ny mpitsara izay nitsara ny Isiraely, na tamin’ ny andro rehetra nanjakan’ ny mpanjakan’ ny Isiraely sy ny mpanjakan’ ny Joda;
During all the years that leaders ruled Israel and during all the years that kings had ruled Israel and Judah, they had not celebrated that festival.
23 fa tamin’ ny taona fahavalo ambin’ ny folo nanjakan’ i Josia mpanjaka no nitandremany izany Paska izany ho an’ i Jehovah tany Jerosalema.
But now, after Josiah had been ruling for almost 18 years, to [honor] Yahweh they celebrated the Passover Festival in Jerusalem.
24 Ary ny nanao azy ho tsindrian-javatra sy ny mpanao hatsarana sy ny terafima sy ny sampy ary ny fahavetavetana rehetra izay hita tany amin’ ny tany Joda sy tany Jerosalema dia nesorin’ i Josia koa, mba hanatanterahana ny tenin’ ny lalàna voasoratra ao amin’ ilay boky hitan’ i Hilkia mpisorona tao an-tranon’ i Jehovah.
Furthermore, Josiah got rid of all the people in Jerusalem and other places in Judah who practiced sorcery and those who requested the spirits of dead people [to tell them what they should do]. He also removed from Jerusalem and from the other places in Judah all the household idols and all the other idols and abominable things. He did those things in order to obey what had been written in the scroll that Hilkiah had found in the temple.
25 Ary tsy nisy mpanjaka tahaka azy teo alohany, izay niverina ho amin’ i Jehovah tamin’ ny fony rehetra sy ny fanahiny rehetra sy ny heriny rehetra araka ny lalàn’ i Mosesy rehetra; sady tsy nisy tahaka azy intsony niseho tao aoriany.
Josiah was totally devoted to Yahweh. There had never been [in Judah or Israel] a king like him. He obeyed all the laws of Moses. And there has never since then been a king like Josiah.
26 Nefa Jehovah tsy nitsahatra tamin’ ny firehetan’ ny fahatezerany mafy, dia ilay fahatezerana nirehitra tamin’ ny Joda noho ny fampahatezerana rehetra izay nampahatezeran’ i Manase Azy.
But Yahweh had become extremely angry with the people of Judah because of all the things that [King] Manasseh had done to infuriate him, and he continued to be very angry.
27 Dia hoy Jehovah: Hesoriko koa ny Joda hiala eo imasoko, tahaka ny nanesorako ny Isiraely, ary holaviko ity tanàna Jerosalema nofidiko ity sy ny trano izay nolazaiko hoe: Ho ao ny anarako.
He said, “I will do to Judah what I have done to Israel. I will banish the people of Judah, with the result that they will never enter my presence again. And I will reject Jerusalem, the city that I chose [to belong to me], and I will abandon the temple, the place where I said that I [MTY] should be worshiped.”
28 Ary ny tantaran’ i Josia sisa mbamin’ izay rehetra nataony, tsy efa voasoratra ao amin’ ny bokin’ ny tantaran’ ny mpanjakan’ ny Joda va izany?
[If you want to know more about] [RHQ] all the other things that Josiah did, they are written in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Judah’.
29 Tamin’ ny andro nanjakan’ i Josia no niakaran’ i Farao-neko, mpanjakan’ i Egypta, hankany amoron’ ny ony Eofrata hiady amin’ ny mpanjakan’ i Asyria; ary Josia mpanjaka dia nandeha hiady amin’ i Farao. Kanjo nony hitany, dia matiny tao Megido izy.
While Josiah was the king of Judah, King Neco of Egypt led his army north to the Euphrates River to help the king of Assyria. King Josiah tried to stop the army of Egypt at Megiddo [city], but Josiah was killed in a battle there.
30 Ary ny fatiny dia napetraky ny mpanompony tao anaty kalesy ka nentiny niala tao Megido ho any Jerosalema, dia naleviny tao amin’ ny fasany. Ary nalain’ ny vahoaka Joahaza, zanak’ i Josia, dia nohosorany ka nampanjakainy handimby an-drainy.
His officials placed his corpse in a chariot and took it back to Jerusalem, where it was buried in his own tomb, a tomb where the other previous kings had not been buried. Then the people of Judah poured [olive] oil on [the head of] Josiah’s son Joahaz, to appoint him to be the new king.
31 Telo amby roa-polo taona Joahaza fony izy vao nanjaka, ary telo volana no nanjakany tany Jerosalema. Ary ny anaran-dreniny dia Hamotala, zanakavavin’ i Jeremia, avy any Libna.
Joahaz was 23 years old when he became the king [of Judah], but he ruled from Jerusalem for [only] three months. His mother was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah from Libnah [city].
32 Ary nanao izay ratsy eo imason’ i Jehovah izy tahaka izay rehetra nataon’ ny razany.
Joahaz did many things that Yahweh said were evil, just like many of his ancestors had done.
33 Ary nafatotr’ i Farao-neko tao Ribla any amin’ ny tany Hamata izy, mba tsy hanjakany any Jerosalema, sady nampandoaviny sazy talenta volafotsy zato sy talenta volamena iray ny fanjakana.
King Neco’s [army came from Egypt and captured him and] tied him up with chains and took him as a prisoner to Riblah [town] in Hamath [district], to prevent him from continuing to rule in Jerusalem. Neco forced the people of Judah to pay to him (7,500 pounds/3,400 kg.) of silver and (75 pounds/34 kg.) of gold.
34 Ary Farao-neko nanendry an’ i Eliakima, zanak’ i Josia, ho mpanjaka hisolo an’ i Josia rainy; ary ny anarany novany ho Joiakima, fa Joahaza kosa dia nentiny ho any Egypta ka maty tany.
King Neco appointed another son of Josiah, Eliakim, to be the new king, and he changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. Then he took Joahaz to Egypt, and later Joahaz died there in Egypt.
35 Ary ny volafotsy sy ny volamena dia nomen’ i Joiakima an’ i Farao; kanefa notombanany avokoa ny olona rehetra araka ny didin’ i Farao, ary ny vahoaka rehetra dia samy nampandoaviny vola araka ny tombany avy, mba homeny an’ i Farao-neko.
King Jehoiakim collected a tax from the people [of Judah]. He collected more from the rich people and less from the poor people. He collected silver and gold from them, in order to pay to the king of Egypt what he commanded them to give.
36 Dimy amby roa-polo taona Joiakima, fony izy vao nanjaka, ary nanjaka iraika ambin’ ny folo taona tany Jerosalema izy. Ary ny anaran-dreniny dia Zebida, zanakavavin’ i Pedaia, avy any Romaha.
Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became the king [of Judah], and he ruled from Jerusalem for eleven years. His mother was Zebidah, the daughter of Pedaiah from Rumah [town].
37 Ary nanao izay ratsy eo imason’ i Jehovah izy tahaka izay nataon’ ny razany.
He did many things that Yahweh says are evil, like his ancestors had done.
