10 He defiled Topheth,(A) which is in Ben Hinnom Valley,(B) so that no one could sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire[a](C) to Molech.(D) 11 He did away with the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun. They had been at the entrance of the Lord’s temple in the precincts by the chamber of Nathan-melech, the eunuch. He also burned the chariots of the sun.(E)

12 The king tore down the altars that the kings of Judah had made on the roof(F) of Ahaz’s upper chamber.(G) He also tore down the altars that Manasseh had made(H) in the two courtyards of the Lord’s temple. Then he smashed them[b] there and threw their dust into the Kidron Valley.

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Footnotes

  1. 23:10 Lit could make his son or daughter pass through the fire
  2. 23:12 Text emended; MT reads he ran from

10 He desecrated Topheth,(A) which was in the Valley of Ben Hinnom,(B) so no one could use it to sacrifice their son(C) or daughter in the fire to Molek. 11 He removed from the entrance to the temple of the Lord the horses that the kings of Judah(D) had dedicated to the sun. They were in the court[a] near the room of an official named Nathan-Melek. Josiah then burned the chariots dedicated to the sun.(E)

12 He pulled down(F) the altars the kings of Judah had erected on the roof(G) near the upper room of Ahaz, and the altars Manasseh had built in the two courts(H) of the temple of the Lord. He removed them from there, smashed them to pieces and threw the rubble into the Kidron Valley.(I)

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 23:11 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.