2 Kings 23
World English Bible
23 The king sent, and they gathered to him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem. 2 The king went up to Yahweh’s house, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, with the priests, the prophets, and all the people, both small and great; and he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in Yahweh’s house. 3 The king stood by the pillar, and made a covenant before Yahweh, to walk after Yahweh, and to keep his commandments, 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 agreed to the covenant. 4 The king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the threshold, to bring out of Yahweh’s temple all the vessels that were made for Baal, for the Asherah, and for all the army of the sky, and he burned them outside of Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel. 5 He got rid of 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 around Jerusalem; those also who burned incense to Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the army of the sky. 6 He brought out the Asherah from Yahweh’s house, outside of Jerusalem, to the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and beat it to dust, and cast its dust on the graves of the common people. 7 He broke down the houses of the male shrine prostitutes that were in Yahweh’s house, where the women wove hangings for the Asherah. 8 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 Nevertheless the priests of the high places didn’t come up to Yahweh’s altar in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened bread among their brothers. 10 He defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the children 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, at the entrance of Yahweh’s house, by the room of Nathan Melech the officer, who was in the court; and he burned the chariots of the sun with fire. 12 The king broke down the altars that were on the roof of the upper room of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of Yahweh’s house, and beat them down from there, and cast their dust into the brook Kidron. 13 The king defiled the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mountain 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 children of Ammon. 14 He broke in pieces the pillars, cut down the Asherah poles, and filled their places with men’s bones. 15 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 turned himself, he spied the tombs that were there in the mountain; and he sent, and took the bones out of the tombs, and burned them on the altar, and defiled it, according to Yahweh’s word which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these things. 17 Then he said, “What monument is that which I see?”
The men of the city told him, “It is the tomb of the man of God, who came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that you have done against the altar of Bethel.”
18 He said, “Let him be! Let no one move his bones.” So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet who came out of Samaria. 19 All the houses also of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke Yahweh to anger, Josiah took away, and did to them according to all the acts that he had done in Bethel. 20 He killed all the priests of the high places that were there, on the altars, and burned men’s bones on them; and he returned to Jerusalem.
21 The king commanded all the people, saying, “Keep the Passover to Yahweh your God, as it is written in this book of the covenant.” 22 Surely there was not kept such a Passover 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 was kept to Yahweh in Jerusalem. 24 Moreover Josiah removed those who had familiar spirits, the wizards, and the teraphim,[a] and the idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might confirm the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in Yahweh’s house. 25 There was no king like him before him, who turned to Yahweh with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; and there was none like him who arose after him. 26 Notwithstanding, Yahweh didn’t turn from the fierceness of his great wrath, with which his anger burned against Judah, because of all the provocation with which Manasseh had provoked him. 27 Yahweh said, “I will also remove Judah 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 Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and all that he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 29 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 His servants carried him in a chariot dead from Megiddo, and brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own tomb. The people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made him king in his father’s place.
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 the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 32 He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, according to all that his fathers had done. 33 Pharaoh Necoh put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and put the land to a tribute of one hundred talents of silver, and a talent[b] of gold. 34 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 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 of the people of the land, from everyone according to his assessment, 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 the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. 37 He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, according to all that his fathers had done.
2 Kings 23
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Covenant Renewal
23 So the king sent messengers,(A) and they gathered all the elders(B) of Jerusalem and Judah to him. 2 Then the king went to the Lord’s temple with all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, as well as the priests and the prophets—all the people from the youngest to the oldest. As they listened, he read all the words of the book of the covenant(C) that had been found in the Lord’s temple.(D) 3 Next, the king stood by the pillar[a](E) and made a covenant(F) in the presence of the Lord to follow the Lord and to keep His commands, His decrees, and His statutes with all his mind and with all his heart,(G) and to carry out the words of this covenant that were written in this book; all the people agreed to[b] the covenant.(H)
Josiah’s Reforms
4 Then the king commanded Hilkiah(I) the high priest and the priests of the second rank(J) and the doorkeepers to bring out of the Lord’s temple all the articles made for Baal, Asherah, and the whole heavenly host.(K) He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron and carried their ashes to Bethel.(L) 5 Then he did away with the idolatrous priests the kings of Judah had appointed to burn incense at the high places(M) in the cities of Judah and in the areas surrounding Jerusalem. They had burned incense to Baal, and to the sun, moon, constellations, and the whole heavenly host.(N) 6 He brought out the Asherah pole(O) from the Lord’s temple to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem. He burned it at the Kidron Valley,(P) beat it to dust,(Q) and threw its dust on the graves of the common people.[c](R) 7 He also tore down the houses of the male cult prostitutes(S) that were in the Lord’s temple, in which the women were weaving tapestries[d] for Asherah.(T)
8 Then Josiah brought all the priests from the cities of Judah, and he defiled the high places(U) from Geba(V) to Beer-sheba,(W) where the priests had burned incense. He tore down the high places of the gates at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city (on the left at the city gate). 9 The priests of the high places, however, did not come up to the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem; instead, they ate unleavened bread with their fellow priests.(X)
10 He defiled Topheth,(Y) which is in the Valley of Hinnom,(Z) so that no one could make his son or daughter pass through the fire(AA) to Molech.(AB) 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 court official, and he burned up the chariots of the sun.(AC)
12 The king tore down the altars that were on the roof(AD)—Ahaz’s upper chamber(AE) that the kings of Judah had made—and the altars that Manasseh had made(AF) in the two courtyards of the Lord’s temple. Then he smashed them[e] there and threw their dust into the Kidron Valley. 13 The king also defiled the high places that were across from Jerusalem, to the south of the Mount of Destruction, which King Solomon of Israel had built for Ashtoreth, the detestable idol of the Sidonians; for Chemosh, the detestable idol of Moab; and for Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites.(AG) 14 He broke the sacred pillars into pieces,(AH) cut down the Asherah poles,(AI) then filled their places with human bones.
15 He even tore down the altar at Bethel(AJ) and the high place(AK) that Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin, had made. Then he burned the high place, crushed it to dust, and burned the Asherah.(AL) 16 As Josiah turned, he saw the tombs there on the mountain. He sent someone to take the bones out of the tombs, and he burned them on the altar.(AM) He defiled it according to the word of the Lord proclaimed by the man of God[f] who proclaimed these things.(AN) 17 Then he said, “What is this monument I see?”
The men of the city told him, “It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things that you have done to the altar at Bethel.”(AO)
18 So he said, “Let him rest. Don’t let anyone disturb his bones.” So they left his bones undisturbed with the bones of the prophet who came from Samaria.(AP)
19 Josiah also removed all the shrines of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke the Lord.(AQ) Josiah did the same things to them that he had done at Bethel. 20 He slaughtered on the altars all the priests of the high places(AR) who were there, and he burned human bones on the altars.(AS) Then he returned to Jerusalem.
Passover Observed
21 The king commanded all the people, “Keep the Passover of the Lord your God as written in the book of the covenant.”(AT) 22 No such Passover had ever been kept from the time of the judges who judged Israel through the entire time of the kings of Israel and Judah. 23 But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was observed to the Lord in Jerusalem.(AU)
Further Zeal for the Lord
24 In addition, Josiah removed the mediums, the spiritists,(AV) household idols,(AW) images, and all the detestable things(AX) that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem. He did this in order to carry out the words of the law that were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the Lord’s temple.(AY) 25 Before him there was no king like him who turned to the Lord with all his mind and with all his heart and with all his strength(AZ) according to all the law of Moses, and no one like him arose after him.(BA)
26 In spite of all that, the Lord did not turn from the fury of His great burning anger, which burned against Judah because of all that Manasseh had provoked Him with.(BB) 27 For the Lord had said, “I will also remove Judah from My sight just as I have removed Israel.(BC) I will reject this city Jerusalem, that I have chosen, and the temple about which I said, ‘My name will be there.’”(BD)
Josiah’s Death
28 The rest of the events of Josiah’s reign,(BE) along with all his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Judah’s Kings. 29 During his reign, Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt(BF) marched up to help the king of Assyria at the Euphrates River. King Josiah went to confront him, and at Megiddo(BG) when Neco saw him he killed him. 30 From Megiddo his servants carried his dead body in a chariot, brought him into Jerusalem, and buried him in his own tomb.(BH) Then the common people[g] took Jehoahaz son of Josiah, anointed him, and made him king in place of his father.(BI)
Judah’s King Jehoahaz
31 Jehoahaz(BJ) was(BK) 23 years old when he became king and reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal(BL) daughter of Jeremiah, from Libnah. 32 He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight just as his ancestors had done.(BM) 33 Pharaoh Neco imprisoned him at Riblah(BN) in the land of Hamath(BO) to keep him from reigning in Jerusalem, and he imposed on the land a fine of 7,500 pounds[h] of silver and 75 pounds[i] of gold.
Judah’s King Jehoiakim
34 Then(BP) Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim(BQ) son of Josiah king in place of his father Josiah and changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim.(BR) But Neco took Jehoahaz and went to Egypt, and he died there.(BS) 35 So Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but at Pharaoh’s command he taxed the land to give the money. He exacted the silver and the gold from the common people,[j] each man according to his assessment,(BT) to give it to Pharaoh Neco.
36 Jehoiakim was 25 years old when he became king and reigned 11 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah, from Rumah. 37 He did what was evil(BU) in the Lord’s sight just as his ancestors had done.
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 23:3 2Ch 34:31 reads platform
- 2 Kings 23:3 Lit people took a stand in
- 2 Kings 23:6 Lit the sons of the people
- 2 Kings 23:7 Or clothing
- 2 Kings 23:12 Text emended; MT reads he ran from
- 2 Kings 23:16 LXX adds when Jeroboam stood by the altar of the feast. And he turned and raised his eyes to the tomb of the man of God
- 2 Kings 23:30 Lit the people of the land
- 2 Kings 23:33 Lit 100 talents
- 2 Kings 23:33 Lit one talent
- 2 Kings 23:35 Lit the people of the land
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