15 Even the altar(A) at Bethel, the high place made by Jeroboam(B) son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin—even that altar and high place he demolished. He burned the high place and ground it to powder, and burned the Asherah pole also. 16 Then Josiah(C) looked around, and when he saw the tombs that were there on the hillside, he had the bones removed from them and burned on the altar to defile it, in accordance(D) with the word of the Lord proclaimed by the man of God who foretold these things.

17 The king asked, “What is that tombstone I see?”

The people of the city said, “It marks the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and pronounced against the altar of Bethel the very things you have done to it.”

18 “Leave it alone,” he said. “Don’t let anyone disturb his bones(E).” So they spared his bones and those of the prophet(F) who had come from Samaria.

19 Just as he had done at Bethel, Josiah removed all the shrines at the high places that the kings of Israel had built in the towns of Samaria and that had aroused the Lord’s anger. 20 Josiah slaughtered(G) all the priests of those high places on the altars and burned human bones(H) on them. Then he went back to Jerusalem.

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15 Moreover, the altar at Bethel, the high place erected (A)by Jeroboam the son of Nebat, (B)who made Israel to sin, (C)that altar with the high place he pulled down and burned,[a] reducing it to dust. He also burned the Asherah. 16 And as Josiah turned, he saw the tombs there on the mount. And he sent and took the bones out of the tombs and burned them on the altar and defiled it, (D)according to the word of the Lord that the man of God proclaimed, who had predicted these things. 17 Then he said, “What is that monument that I see?” And the men of the city told him, (E)“It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and predicted[b] these things that you have done against the altar at Bethel.” 18 And he said, “Let him be; let no man move his bones.” So they let his bones alone, with the bones (F)of the prophet who came out of Samaria. 19 And Josiah removed all the shrines also of the high places that were (G)in the cities of Samaria, which kings of Israel had made, provoking the Lord to anger. He did to them according to all that he had done at Bethel. 20 And (H)he sacrificed all the priests of the high places who were there, on the altars, (I)and burned human bones on them. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 23:15 Septuagint broke in pieces its stones
  2. 2 Kings 23:17 Hebrew called