2 Kings 23

1And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem.

1Then the king sent out a summons, and all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem gathered together before him.

2And the king went up to the house of Jehovah, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of Jehovah.

2The king went up to the Temple of the LORD with all the men of Judah, all the people living in Jerusalem, the priests, the prophets, and all the people from the least to the greatest. He read at full volume everything written in the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the Temple of the LORD.

3And the king stood by the pillar, and made a covenant before Jehovah, to walk after Jehovah, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and all his soul, to confirm the words of this covenant that were written in this book: and all the people stood to the covenant.

3The king stood by the pillar and made a promise before the LORD to follow the LORD and obey his commands, laws, and rules with all his heart and soul. He promised to carry out the words of the covenant written in this book, and all the people joined in the covenant.

4And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the threshold, to bring forth out of the temple of Jehovah all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the Asherah, and for all the host of heaven, and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Beth-el.

4The king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the second-rank priests, and the doorkeepers to remove from the Temple of the LORD all the items made for Baal, Asherah, and all the stars of heaven. He burned these things outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron Valley and carried the ashes to Bethel.

5And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.

5He got rid of the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had appointed to burn incense at the high places in the towns of Judah and around Jerusalem. This included those who burned incense to Baal, the sun, the moon, the constellations, and all the stars of the sky.

6And he brought out the Asherah from the house of Jehovah, without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and beat it to dust, and cast the dust thereof upon the graves of the common people.

6He took the Asherah pole out of the Temple of the LORD to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem. He burned it there, ground it into dust, and threw the dust over the graves of the common people.

7And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were in the house of Jehovah, where the women wove hangings for the Asherah.

7He tore down the living quarters of the male shrine prostitutes that were inside the Temple of the LORD, where women also wove coverings for the Asherah pole.

8And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beer-sheba; and he brake down the high places of the gates that were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on a man’s left hand at the gate of the city.

8Josiah brought all the priests from the towns of Judah and ruined the high places where those priests had burned incense, from Geba all the way to Beersheba. He also tore down the high places at the gates, including the one at the entrance of the Gate of Joshua, the city governor, which was on the left side of the city gate.

9Nevertheless the priests of the high places came not up to the altar of Jehovah in Jerusalem, but they did eat unleavened bread among their brethren.

9The priests who had served at those high places were not allowed to serve at the LORD’s altar in Jerusalem, though they were allowed to eat unleavened bread with their fellow priests.

10And he defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech.

10He ruined Topheth, which is in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, so that no one could ever again sacrifice their son or daughter in the fire to the god Molech.

11And he took away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entrance of the house of Jehovah, by the chamber of Nathan-melech the chamberlain, which was in the precincts; and he burned the chariots of the sun with fire.

11He removed the statues of horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun at the entrance to the Temple of the LORD, near the room of the official Nathan-melech. This room was in the courtyard area. Josiah also burned the chariots dedicated to the sun.

12And the altars that were on the roof of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of Jehovah, did the king break down, and beat them down from thence, and cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron.

12The king pulled down the altars that the kings of Judah had built on the roof of Ahaz’s upper room, as well as the altars Manasseh had built in the two courtyards of the Temple of the LORD. He smashed them to pieces and threw their dust into the Kidron Valley.

13And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile.

13The king also ruined the high places east of Jerusalem, south of the Mount of Corruption. King Solomon of Israel had built these for Ashtoreth the disgusting goddess of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the disgusting god of Moab, and for Milcom the disgusting god of the Ammonites.

14And he brake in pieces the pillars, and cut down the Asherim, and filled their places with the bones of men.

14Josiah smashed the sacred stone pillars and cut down the Asherah poles, covering the ground where they stood with human bones.

15Moreover the altar that was at Beth-el, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, even that altar and the high place he brake down; and he burned the high place and beat it to dust, and burned the Asherah.

15He even tore down the altar at Bethel and the high place built by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had led Israel into sin. He burned the high place, ground it to dust, and burned the Asherah pole that was there.

16And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount; and he sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned them upon the altar, and defiled it, according to the word of Jehovah which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these things.

16As Josiah looked around, he saw the tombs on the hillside. He sent men to take the bones out of the tombs and burned them on the altar to ruin it. This happened just as the LORD had predicted through the man of God who announced these things.

17Then he said, What monument is that which I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the sepulchre of the man of God, who came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of Beth-el.

17The king asked, 'What is that monument I see over there?' The people of the city told him, 'It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and predicted these very things you have done to the altar of Bethel.'

18And he said, Let him be; let no man move his bones. So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet that came out of Samaria.

18Josiah said, 'Leave it alone. Don't let anyone move his bones.' So they left his bones there along with the bones of the prophet who had come from Samaria.

19And all the houses also of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke Jehovah to anger, Josiah took away, and did to them according to all the acts that he had done in Beth-el.

19Josiah also removed all the shrines at the high places in the towns of Samaria that the kings of Israel had built to make the LORD angry. He did to them exactly what he had done at Bethel.

20And he slew all the priests of the high places that were there, upon the altars, and burned men’s bones upon them; and he returned to Jerusalem.

20He killed all the priests of those high places on their own altars and burned human bones on them. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

21And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover unto Jehovah your God, as it is written in this book of the covenant.

21The king gave this order to all the people: 'Celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God, just as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.'

22Surely there was not kept such a passover from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah;

22A Passover like this had not been celebrated since the time the judges ruled Israel, nor during the entire time of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah.

23but in the eighteenth year of king Josiah was this passover kept to Jehovah in Jerusalem.

23But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah’s reign, this Passover was celebrated to the LORD in Jerusalem.

24Moreover them that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the teraphim, and the idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might confirm the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of Jehovah.

24Furthermore, Josiah got rid of the mediums, the psychics, the household gods, the idols, and all the disgusting things that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem. He did this to obey the laws written in the book that Hilkiah the priest had found in the Temple of the LORD.

25And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to Jehovah with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.

25There was no king like Josiah before him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart, all his soul, and all his strength, following all the Law of Moses. And no king like him rose up after him.

26Notwithstanding, Jehovah turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations wherewith Manasseh had provoked him.

26Even so, the LORD did not turn away from his terrifying and great anger. He was still furious with Judah because of all the things Manasseh had done to provoke him.

27And Jehovah said, I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and I will cast off this city which I have chosen, even Jerusalem, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there.

27The LORD said, 'I will remove Judah from my presence just as I removed Israel. I will reject Jerusalem, the city I chose, and this Temple, where I said, "My Name will be there."'

28Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

28The rest of the events of Josiah’s reign and everything he did are recorded in the Book of the History of the Kings of Judah.

29In his days Pharaoh-necoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates: and king Josiah went against him; and Pharaoh-necoh slew him at Megiddo, when he had seen him.

29While Josiah was king, Pharaoh Necho of Egypt went up to the Euphrates River to help the king of Assyria. King Josiah marched out to fight him, but Pharaoh Necho killed him at Megiddo as soon as they faced each other.

30And his servants carried him in a chariot dead from Megiddo, and brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own sepulchre. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made him king in his father’s stead.

30Josiah’s officers carried his body in a chariot from Megiddo to Jerusalem and buried him in his own tomb. Then the people of the land took Josiah’s son Jehoahaz, anointed him, and made him king to succeed his father.

31Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

31Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for three months. His mother’s name was Hamutal; she was the daughter of Jeremiah from Libnah.

32And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, according to all that his fathers had done.

32He did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD, just as his ancestors had done.

33And Pharaoh-necoh put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and put the land to a tribute of a hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold.

33Pharaoh Necho put him in chains at Riblah in the land of Hamath so that he could no longer rule in Jerusalem. He also forced the land of Judah to pay a tax of about 7,500 pounds of silver and 75 pounds of gold.

34And Pharaoh-necoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim: but he took Jehoahaz away; and he came to Egypt, and died there.

34Pharaoh Necho made Eliakim, another son of Josiah, king in place of his father and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But Pharaoh took Jehoahaz away to Egypt, where he eventually died.

35And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh; but he taxed the land to give the money according to the commandment of Pharaoh: he exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, of every one according to his taxation, to give it unto Pharaoh-necoh.

35Jehoiakim paid the silver and gold to Pharaoh. To do this, he taxed the land, collecting the money as Pharaoh had ordered. He forced the people of the land to pay the silver and gold based on their wealth so he could give it to Pharaoh Necho.

36Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Zebidah the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah.

36Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for eleven years. His mother’s name was Zebidah; she was the daughter of Pedaiah from Rumah.

37And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, according to all that his fathers had done.

37He did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD, just as his ancestors had done.