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2 Kings 23:4-14
New American Standard Bible

Reforms under Josiah

4 Then the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, (A)the priests of the second order, and the [a]doorkeepers (B)to bring out of the temple of the Lord all the utensils that had been made for Baal, for [b]Asherah, and for all the heavenly [c]lights; and (C)he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron Valley, and carried their ashes to Bethel. 5 Then he did away with the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had appointed to burn incense on the high places in the cities of Judah and in the surrounding area of Jerusalem, as well as those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun, to the moon, to the constellations, and to all the remaining (D)heavenly [d]lights. 6 He also brought out the Asherah from the house of the Lord outside Jerusalem to the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and (E)ground it to dust, and (F)threw its dust on the graves of the [e]common people. 7 And he tore down the cubicles of the (G)male cult prostitutes which were in the house of the Lord, where (H)the women were weaving [f]hangings for the Asherah. 8 Then he brought all the priests from the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from (I)Geba to Beersheba; and he tore 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 at the city gate. 9 Nevertheless (J)the priests of the high places did not go up to the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened bread among their brothers. 10 (K)He also defiled [g]Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, (L)so that no one would make his son or his daughter pass through the fire for (M)Molech. 11 And he did away with the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the (N)sun, at the entrance of the house of the Lord, by the chamber of Nathan-melech the official, which was at the [h]covered courtyard; and he burned the chariots of the sun with fire. 12 The king also tore down (O)the altars that were on the roof, the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and (P)the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courtyards of the house of the Lord; and he [i]smashed them there and (Q)threw their dust into the brook Kidron. 13 And the king defiled the high places that were opposite Jerusalem, which were on the right of (R)the mount of destruction which Solomon the king of Israel had built for (S)Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, for (T)Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the sons of Ammon. 14 (U)He also smashed to pieces the memorial stones and cut down the [j]Asherim, and (V)filled their places with human bones.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 23:4 Lit keepers of the threshold
  2. 2 Kings 23:4 I.e., a wooden symbol of a female deity, and so throughout the ch
  3. 2 Kings 23:4 Lit host
  4. 2 Kings 23:5 Lit host
  5. 2 Kings 23:6 Lit sons of the people
  6. 2 Kings 23:7 Or dresses
  7. 2 Kings 23:10 I.e., place of burning
  8. 2 Kings 23:11 Meaning of the Heb uncertain
  9. 2 Kings 23:12 Or ran from there
  10. 2 Kings 23:14 I.e., wooden symbols of a female deity (Asherah)
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2 Kings 23:4-14
American Standard Version

4 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 without Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Beth-el. 5 And he put down the [a]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; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the [b]planets, and to all the host of heaven. 6 And he brought out the Asherah from the house of Jehovah, without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and beat it to dust, and cast the dust thereof upon the graves of the [c]common people. 7 And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were in the house of Jehovah, where the women wove [d]hangings for the Asherah. 8 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 Beer-sheba; and he 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 a man’s left hand at the gate of the city. 9 Nevertheless the priests of the high places came not up to the altar of Jehovah in Jerusalem, but they did eat unleavened bread among their brethren. 10 And he defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the [e]children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech. 11 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 precincts; and he burned the chariots of the sun with fire. 12 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, did the king break down, and [f]beat them down from thence, and cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron. 13 And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of [g]corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile. 14 And he brake in pieces the [h]pillars, and cut down the Asherim, and filled their places with the bones of men.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 23:5 Hebrew Chemarim. See Hos. 10:5; Zeph. 1:4.
  2. 2 Kings 23:5 Or, twelve signs
  3. 2 Kings 23:6 Hebrew children of the people.
  4. 2 Kings 23:7 Or, tents. Hebrew houses.
  5. 2 Kings 23:10 According to another reading, son.
  6. 2 Kings 23:12 Or, ran from thence
  7. 2 Kings 23:13 Or, destruction
  8. 2 Kings 23:14 Or, obelisks
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2 Kings 23:4-14
New International Version

4 The king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the priests next in rank and the doorkeepers(A) to remove(B) from the temple of the Lord all the articles made for Baal and Asherah and all the starry hosts. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron Valley and took the ashes to Bethel. 5 He did away with the idolatrous priests appointed by the kings of Judah to burn incense on the high places of the towns of Judah and on those around Jerusalem—those who burned incense(C) to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations and to all the starry hosts.(D) 6 He took the Asherah pole from the temple of the Lord to the Kidron Valley(E) outside Jerusalem and burned it there. He ground it to powder(F) and scattered the dust over the graves(G) of the common people.(H) 7 He also tore down the quarters of the male shrine prostitutes(I) that were in the temple of the Lord, the quarters where women did weaving for Asherah.

8 Josiah brought all the priests from the towns of Judah and desecrated the high places, from Geba(J) to Beersheba, where the priests had burned incense. He broke down the gateway at the entrance of the Gate of Joshua, the city governor, which was on the left of the city gate. 9 Although the priests of the high places did not serve(K) at the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem, they ate unleavened bread with their fellow priests.

10 He desecrated Topheth,(L) which was in the Valley of Ben Hinnom,(M) so no one could use it to sacrifice their son(N) 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(O) 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.(P)

12 He pulled down(Q) the altars the kings of Judah had erected on the roof(R) near the upper room of Ahaz, and the altars Manasseh had built in the two courts(S) of the temple of the Lord. He removed them from there, smashed them to pieces and threw the rubble into the Kidron Valley.(T) 13 The king also desecrated the high places that were east of Jerusalem on the south of the Hill of Corruption—the ones Solomon(U) king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the vile goddess of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the vile god of Moab, and for Molek the detestable(V) god of the people of Ammon.(W) 14 Josiah smashed(X) the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles and covered the sites with human bones.(Y)

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Footnotes

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