2 Kings 23:4-14

Expanded Bible

Josiah Destroys the Places for Idol Worship

⁴ The king commanded Hilkiah the high priest and the priests of the ·next rank [second order] and the ·gatekeepers [doorkeepers] to bring out of the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord ·everything [all the vessels/articles] made for Baal, Asherah, and all the ·stars of the sky [powers/hosts of heaven]. Then Josiah burned them outside Jerusalem in the ·open country [fields; terraces] of the Kidron Valley and carried their ashes to Bethel. ⁵ The kings of Judah had ·chosen [appointed] priests for these gods. These priests burned incense in the ·places where gods were worshiped [^Lhigh places; 12:3] in the cities of Judah and the ·towns [area] around Jerusalem. They burned incense to Baal, the sun, the moon, the ·planets [constellations], and all the ·stars of the sky [hosts/powers of heaven]. But Josiah ·took those priests away [did away with/or exterminated those priests]. ⁶ He removed the Asherah ·idol [pole; ^Ca sacred tree or pole dedicated to the goddess Asherah; 13:6] from the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord and took it outside Jerusalem to the Kidron Valley, where he burned it and ·beat [ground] it into dust. Then he threw the dust on the graves of the common people. ⁷ He also tore down the houses of the male prostitutes [1 Kin. 14:24] who were in the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord, where the women ·did weaving [wove hangings/coverings/veils] for Asherah.

⁸ King Josiah brought all the false priests from the cities of Judah. He ·ruined [desecrated; defiled] the ·places where gods were worshiped [^Lhigh places; 12:3], where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba. He destroyed the ·places of worship [^Lhigh places; 12:3] at the entrance to the Gate of Joshua, the ·ruler [governor] of the city, on the left side of the city gate. ⁹ The priests at the ·places where gods were worshiped [^Lhigh places; 12:3] were not allowed to ·serve [officiate; ^Lgo up] at the Lord’s altar in Jerusalem. But they could eat ·bread made without yeast [unleaven bread] with their ·brothers [fellow priests].

¹⁰ Josiah ·ruined [desecrated; defiled] Topheth, in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, so no one could ·sacrifice [^Lpass through the fire] his son or daughter to Molech. ¹¹ Judah’s kings had ·placed [dedicated] horses to the sun at the front door of the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord in the courtyard near the room of Nathan-Melech, an ·officer [official]. Josiah removed them and burned the chariots that were ·for sun worship also [dedicated to the sun].

¹² The kings of Judah had built altars on the ·roof [^Croofs were flat and served as an extra room] of the ·upstairs [upper] room of Ahaz. Josiah ·broke down [destroyed] these altars and the altars Manasseh had made in the two courtyards of the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord. Josiah smashed them to pieces and threw their ·dust [rubble] into the Kidron Valley. ¹³ King Josiah ·ruined [desecrated; defiled] the ·places where gods were worshiped [^Lhigh places; 12:3] east of Jerusalem, south of the Mount of ·Olives [or Corruption; or Destruction; ^Cso called because of the pagan sites]. Solomon king of Israel had built these places. One was for Ashtoreth, the ·hated goddess [detestable thing; ^Tabomination] of the Sidonians. One was for Chemosh, the ·hated god [detestable thing; ^Tabomination] of Moab. And one was for Molech, the ·hated god [detestable thing; ^Tabomination] of the Ammonites. ¹⁴ Josiah smashed to pieces the ·stone [sacred] pillars they worshiped, and he cut down the Asherah ·idols [poles; ^Ca sacred tree or pole dedicated to the goddess Asherah; 13:6]. Then he covered the places with human bones.