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The King Institutes Religious Reform

23 The king summoned all the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem.[a] The king went up to the Lord’s temple, accompanied by all the people of Judah, all the residents of Jerusalem, the priests, and the prophets. All the people were there, from the youngest to the oldest. He read aloud[b] all the words of the scroll of the covenant that had been discovered in the Lord’s temple. The king stood by the pillar and renewed[c] the covenant before the Lord, agreeing to follow[d] the Lord and to obey his commandments, laws, and rules with all his heart and being,[e] by carrying out the terms[f] of this covenant recorded on this scroll. All the people agreed to keep the covenant.[g]

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 23:1 tn Heb “and the king sent and all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem gathered to him.”
  2. 2 Kings 23:2 tn Heb “read in their ears.”
  3. 2 Kings 23:3 tn Heb “cut,” that is, “made, agreed to.”
  4. 2 Kings 23:3 tn Heb “walk after.”
  5. 2 Kings 23:3 tn Or “soul.”
  6. 2 Kings 23:3 tn Heb “words.”
  7. 2 Kings 23:3 tn Heb “stood in the covenant.”

Josiah’s Reformation

23 Then the king directed that all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem should be gathered to him.(A) The king went up to the house of the Lord, and with him went all the people of Judah, all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the prophets, and all the people, both small and great; he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant that had been found in the house of the Lord.(B) The king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the Lord, to follow the Lord, keeping his commandments, his decrees, and his statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. All the people joined in the covenant.(C)

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