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Then the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest and (A)the priests of the second order and the [a]doorkeepers, (B)to bring out of the temple of Yahweh all the vessels that were made for Baal, for [b]Asherah, and for all the host of heaven; and (C)he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel. And he did away with the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had appointed and who burn incense in 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 and to the moon and to the constellations and to all the (D)host of heaven. And he brought out the Asherah from the house of Yahweh 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 [c]common people. He also tore down the houses of the (G)male cult prostitutes which were in the house of Yahweh, where (H)the women were weaving [d]hangings for the Asherah. 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 which were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the ruler of the city, which were on one’s left at the city gate. Nevertheless (J)the priests of the high places did not go up to the altar of Yahweh in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened bread among their brothers. 10 (K)He also defiled [e]Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, (L)that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire for (M)Molech. 11 And he did away with the horses which the kings of Judah had given to the (N)sun, at the entrance of the house of Yahweh, by the chamber of Nathan-melech the official, which was in the precincts; and he burned the chariots of the sun with fire. 12 (O)Also, the altars which 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 courts of the house of Yahweh, the king tore down; and he [f]crushed them there and (Q)threw their dust into the brook Kidron. 13 And the high places which were before Jerusalem, which were on the right of (R)the mount of destruction which Solomon the king of Israel had built for (S)Ashtoreth the detestable idol of the Sidonians, and for (T)Chemosh the detestable idol of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the sons of Ammon, the king defiled. 14 (U)And he broke in pieces the sacred pillars and cut down the 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 A wooden symbol of a female deity, so in ch
  3. 2 Kings 23:6 Lit sons of the people
  4. 2 Kings 23:7 Or tents; lit houses
  5. 2 Kings 23:10 Lit place of burning
  6. 2 Kings 23:12 Or ran from there

Reforms under Josiah

Then the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest and (A)the priests of the second order and the [a]doorkeepers, (B)to bring out of the temple of the Lord all the vessels that were made for Baal, for [b]Asherah, and for all the host of heaven; and (C)he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel. He did away with the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had appointed to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah and in the surrounding area of Jerusalem, also those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and to the moon and to the constellations and to all the (D)host of heaven. He 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 [c]common people. He also broke down the houses of the (G)male cult prostitutes which were in the house of the Lord, where (H)the women were weaving [d]hangings for the Asherah. 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 broke down the high places of the gates which were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on one’s left at the city gate. 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 [e]Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, (L)that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire for (M)Molech. 11 He did away with the horses which 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 in the precincts; and he burned the chariots of the sun with fire. 12 (O)The altars which 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 courts of the house of the Lord, the king broke down; and he [f]smashed them there and (Q)threw their dust into the brook Kidron. 13 The high places which were before 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, and for (T)Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the sons of Ammon, the king defiled. 14 (U)He broke in pieces the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherim and (V)filled their places with human bones.

Read full chapter

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 23:6 Lit sons of the people
  4. 2 Kings 23:7 Or tents; lit houses
  5. 2 Kings 23:10 I.e. place of burning
  6. 2 Kings 23:12 Or ran from there