¹⁶ He then brought me into the inner court^(A) of the house of the Lord, and there at the entrance to the temple, between the portico and the altar,^(B) were about twenty-five men. With their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, they were bowing down to the sun^(C) in the east.^(D)

¹⁹ And when you look up to the sky and see the sun,^(A) the moon and the stars^(B)—all the heavenly array^(C)—do not be enticed^(D) into bowing down to them and worshiping^(E) things the Lord your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.

³ and contrary to my command^(A) has worshiped other gods,^(B) bowing down to them or to the sun^(C) or the moon or the stars in the sky,^(D)

¹⁷ We will certainly do everything we said we would:^(A) We will burn incense^(B) to the Queen of Heaven^(C) and will pour out drink offerings to her just as we and our ancestors, our kings and our officials^(D) did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem.^(E) At that time we had plenty of food^(F) and were well off and suffered no harm.^(G)

² They will be exposed to the sun and the moon and all the stars of the heavens, which they have loved and served^(A) and which they have followed and consulted and worshiped.^(B) They will not be gathered up or buried,^(C) but will be like dung lying on the ground.^(D)

¹¹ He removed from the entrance to the temple of the Lord the horses that the kings of Judah^(A) 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.^(B)

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^(A) to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations and to all the starry hosts.^(B)