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15 Moreover, the altar which was in Bethel, the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin, had built, even that altar and the high place, Josiah tore down. Then he burned down the high place and crushed the pole of Asherah worship to dust and burned it with fire. 16 When Josiah turned and saw the tombs which were there on the hill, he sent and took the bones from the tombs and burned them on the altar. Thus he defiled them according to the word of Yahweh that the man of God had proclaimed who had proclaimed these things. 17 Then he said, “What is this gravestone that I am seeing?” The men of the city said to him, “This is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things which you have done against the altar of Bethel.” 18 So Josiah said, “Let him rest and let no man move his bones.” So they left his bones undisturbed with the bones of the prophet who had come from Samaria. 19 Moreover, all of the shrines of the high places which were in the towns of Samaria which the kings of Israel had made to provoke Yahweh, Josiah removed, and he did to them like all of the deeds he had done in Bethel. 20 Then he slaughtered all of the priests of the high places who were there, on the altars, and he burned the bones of the humans on them. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

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15 Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and the [a]high place (A)which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he broke down; and he burned the high place and crushed it to powder, and burned the wooden image. 16 As Josiah turned, he saw the tombs that were there on the mountain. And he sent and took the bones out of the tombs and burned them on the altar, and defiled it according to the (B)word of the Lord which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words. 17 Then he said, “What gravestone is this that I see?”

So the men of the city told him, “It is (C)the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things which you have done against the altar of Bethel.”

18 And he said, “Let him alone; let no one move his bones.” So they let his bones alone, with the bones of (D)the prophet who came from Samaria.

19 Now Josiah also took away all the [b]shrines of the [c]high places that were (E)in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke [d]the Lord to anger; and he did to them according to all the deeds he had done in Bethel. 20 (F)He (G)executed all the priests of the [e]high places who were there, on the altars, and (H)burned men’s bones on them; and he returned to Jerusalem.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 23:15 A place for pagan worship
  2. 2 Kings 23:19 Lit. houses
  3. 2 Kings 23:19 Places for pagan worship
  4. 2 Kings 23:19 So with LXX, Syr., Vg.; MT, Tg. omit the Lord
  5. 2 Kings 23:20 Places for pagan worship