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

² And the king went up into the house of the LORD, 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 the LORD.

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

⁴ And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel.

⁵ And 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.

⁶ And he brought out the grove from the house of the LORD, without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and stamped it small to powder, and cast the powder thereof upon the graves of the children of the people.

⁷ And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the grove.

⁸ And 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 Beersheba, and brake down the high places of the gates that were in the entering in of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on a man's left hand at the gate of the city.

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

¹⁰ And 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.

¹¹ And he took away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entering in of the house of the LORD, by the chamber of Nathanmelech the chamberlain, which was in the suburbs, and burned the chariots of the sun with fire.

¹² And the altars that were on the top 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 the LORD, did the king beat down, and brake them down from thence, and cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron.

¹³ And 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 Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile.

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

¹⁵ Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he brake down, and burned the high place, and stamped it small to powder, and burned the grove.

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

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

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

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

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

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

²² Surely there was not holden 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;

²³ But in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, wherein this passover was holden to the LORD in Jerusalem.

²⁴ Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD.

²⁵ And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the LORD 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.

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

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

²⁸ Now 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?

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

³⁰ And 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.

³¹ Jehoahaz 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.

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

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

³⁴ And Pharaohnechoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah his father, and turned his name to Jehoiakim, and took Jehoahaz away: and he came to Egypt, and died there.

³⁵ And 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 Pharaohnechoh.

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

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

---

¹ And the king ^H4428 sent, ^H7971 and they gathered ^H622 unto him all the elders ^H2205 of Judah ^H3063 and of Jerusalem. ^H3389

² And the king ^H4428 went up ^H5927 into the house ^H1004 of the LORD, ^H3068 and all the men ^H376 of Judah ^H3063 and all the inhabitants ^H3427 of Jerusalem ^H3389 with him, and the priests, ^H3548 and the prophets, ^H5030 and all the people, ^H5971 both small ^H6996 and great: ^H1419 and he read ^H7121 in their ears ^H241 all the words ^H1697 of the book ^H5612 of the covenant ^H1285 which was found ^H4672 in the house ^H1004 of the LORD. ^H3068

³ And the king ^H4428 stood ^H5975 by a pillar, ^H5982 and made ^H3772 a covenant ^H1285 before ^H6440 the LORD, ^H3068 to walk ^H3212 after ^H310 the LORD, ^H3068 and to keep ^H8104 his commandments ^H4687 and his testimonies ^H5715 and his statutes ^H2708 with all their heart ^H3820 and all their soul, ^H5315 to perform ^H6965 the words ^H1697 of this covenant ^H1285 that were written ^H3789 in this book. ^H5612 And all the people ^H5971 stood ^H5975 to the covenant. ^H1285

⁴ And the king ^H4428 commanded ^H6680 Hilkiah ^H2518 the high ^H1419 priest, ^H3548 and the priests ^H3548 of the second order, ^H4932 and the keepers ^H8104 of the door, ^H5592 to bring forth ^H3318 out of the temple ^H1964 of the LORD ^H3068 all the vessels ^H3627 that were made ^H6213 for Baal, ^H1168 and for the grove, ^H842 and for all the host ^H6635 of heaven: ^H8064 and he burned ^H8313 them without ^H2351 Jerusalem ^H3389 in the fields ^H7709 of Kidron, ^H6939 and carried ^H5375 the ashes ^H6083 of them unto Bethel. ^H1008

⁵ And he put down ^H7673 the idolatrous priests, ^H3649 whom the kings ^H4428 of Judah ^H3063 had ordained ^H5414 to burn incense ^H6999 in the high places ^H1116 in the cities ^H5892 of Judah, ^H3063 and in the places round about ^H4524 Jerusalem; ^H3389 them also that burned incense ^H6999 unto Baal, ^H1168 to the sun, ^H8121 and to the moon, ^H3394 and to the planets, ^H4208 and to all the host ^H6635 of heaven. ^H8064

⁶ And he brought out ^H3318 the grove ^H842 from the house ^H1004 of the LORD, ^H3068 without ^H2351 Jerusalem, ^H3389 unto the brook ^H5158 Kidron, ^H6939 and burned ^H8313 it at the brook ^H5158 Kidron, ^H6939 and stamped it small ^H1854 to powder, ^H6083 and cast ^H7993 the powder ^H6083 thereof upon the graves ^H6913 of the children ^H1121 of the people. ^H5971

⁷ And he brake down ^H5422 the houses ^H1004 of the sodomites, ^H6945 that were by the house ^H1004 of the LORD, ^H3068 where the women ^H802 wove ^H707 hangings ^H1004 for the grove. ^H842

⁸ And he brought ^H935 all the priests ^H3548 out of the cities ^H5892 of Judah, ^H3063 and defiled ^H2930 the high places ^H1116 where the priests ^H3548 had burned incense, ^H6999 from Geba ^H1387 to Beersheba, ^H884 and brake down ^H5422 the high places ^H1116 of the gates ^H8179 that were in the entering in ^H6607 of the gate ^H8179 of Joshua ^H3091 the governor ^H8269 of the city, ^H5892 which were on a man's ^H376 left hand ^H8040 at the gate ^H8179 of the city. ^H5892

⁹ Nevertheless the priests ^H3548 of the high places ^H1116 came not up ^H5927 to the altar ^H4196 of the LORD ^H3068 in Jerusalem, ^H3389 but they did eat ^H398 of the unleavened bread ^H4682 among ^H8432 their brethren. ^H251

¹⁰ And he defiled ^H2930 Topheth, ^H8612 which is in the valley ^H1516 of the children ^{H1121 H1121} of Hinnom, ^H2011 that no man ^H376 might make his son ^H1121 or his daughter ^H1323 to pass through ^H5674 the fire ^H784 to Molech. ^H4432

¹¹ And he took away ^H7673 the horses ^H5483 that the kings ^H4428 of Judah ^H3063 had given ^H5414 to the sun, ^H8121 at the entering in ^H935 of the house ^H1004 of the LORD, ^H3068 by the chamber ^H3957 of Nathanmelech ^H5419 the chamberlain, ^H5631 which was in the suburbs, ^H6503 and burned ^H8313 the chariots ^H4818 of the sun ^H8121 with fire. ^H784

¹² And the altars ^H4196 that were on the top ^H1406 of the upper chamber ^H5944 of Ahaz, ^H271 which the kings ^H4428 of Judah ^H3063 had made, ^H6213 and the altars ^H4196 which Manasseh ^H4519 had made ^H6213 in the two ^H8147 courts ^H2691 of the house ^H1004 of the LORD, ^H3068 did the king ^H4428 beat down, ^H5422 and brake them down ^H7323 from thence, and cast ^H7993 the dust ^H6083 of them into the brook ^H5158 Kidron. ^H6939

¹³ And the high places ^H1116 that were before ^H6440 Jerusalem, ^H3389 which were on the right hand ^H3225 of the mount ^H2022 of corruption, ^H4889 which Solomon ^H8010 the king ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478 had builded ^H1129 for Ashtoreth ^H6253 the abomination ^H8251 of the Zidonians, ^H6722 and for Chemosh ^H3645 the abomination ^H8251 of the Moabites, ^H4124 and for Milcom ^H4445 the abomination ^H8441 of the children ^H1121 of Ammon, ^H5983 did the king ^H4428 defile. ^H2930

¹⁴ And he brake in pieces ^H7665 the images, ^H4676 and cut down ^H3772 the groves, ^H842 and filled ^H4390 their places ^H4725 with the bones ^H6106 of men. ^H120

¹⁵ Moreover the altar ^H4196 that was at Bethel, ^H1008 and the high place ^H1116 which Jeroboam ^H3379 the son ^H1121 of Nebat, ^H5028 who made Israel ^H3478 to sin, ^H2398 had made, ^H6213 both that altar ^H4196 and the high place ^H1116 he brake down, ^H5422 and burned ^H8313 the high place, ^H1116 and stamped ^H1854 it small to powder, ^H6083 and burned ^H8313 the grove. ^H842

¹⁶ And as Josiah ^H2977 turned ^H6437 himself, he spied ^H7200 the sepulchres ^H6913 that were there in the mount, ^H2022 and sent, ^H7971 and took ^H3947 the bones ^H6106 out of the sepulchres, ^H6913 and burned ^H8313 them upon the altar, ^H4196 and polluted ^H2930 it, according to the word ^H1697 of the LORD ^H3068 which the man ^H376 of God ^H430 proclaimed, ^H7121 who proclaimed ^H7121 these words. ^H1697

¹⁷ Then he said, ^H559 What title ^H6725 is that ^H1975 that I see? ^H7200 And the men ^H582 of the city ^H5892 told ^H559 him, It is the sepulchre ^H6913 of the man ^H376 of God, ^H430 which came ^H935 from Judah, ^H3063 and proclaimed ^H7121 these things ^H1697 that thou hast done ^H6213 against the altar ^H4196 of Bethel. ^H1008

¹⁸ And he said, ^H559 Let him alone; ^H3240 let no man ^H376 move ^H5128 his bones. ^H6106 So they let his bones ^H6106 alone, ^H4422 with the bones ^H6106 of the prophet ^H5030 that came out ^H935 of Samaria. ^H8111

¹⁹ And all the houses ^H1004 also of the high places ^H1116 that were in the cities ^H5892 of Samaria, ^H8111 which the kings ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478 had made ^H6213 to provoke the LORD to anger, ^H3707 Josiah ^H2977 took away, ^H5493 and did ^H6213 to them according to all the acts ^H4639 that he had done ^H6213 in Bethel. ^H1008

²⁰ And he slew ^H2076 all the priests ^H3548 of the high places ^H1116 that were there upon the altars, ^H4196 and burned ^H8313 men's ^H120 bones ^H6106 upon them, and returned ^H7725 to Jerusalem. ^H3389

²¹ And the king ^H4428 commanded ^H6680 all the people, ^H5971 saying, ^H559 Keep ^H6213 the passover ^H6453 unto the LORD ^H3068 your God, ^H430 as it is written ^H3789 in the book ^H5612 of this covenant. ^H1285

²² Surely there was not holden ^H6213 such a passover ^H6453 from the days ^H3117 of the judges ^H8199 that judged ^H8199 Israel, ^H3478 nor in all the days ^H3117 of the kings ^H4428 of Israel, ^H3478 nor of the kings ^H4428 of Judah; ^H3063

²³ But in the eighteenth ^{H8083 H6240} year ^H8141 of king ^H4428 Josiah, ^H2977 wherein this passover ^H6453 was holden ^H6213 to the LORD ^H3068 in Jerusalem. ^H3389

²⁴ Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, ^H178 and the wizards, ^H3049 and the images, ^H8655 and the idols, ^H1544 and all the abominations ^H8251 that were spied ^H7200 in the land ^H776 of Judah ^H3063 and in Jerusalem, ^H3389 did Josiah ^H2977 put away, ^H1197 that he might perform ^H6965 the words ^H1697 of the law ^H8451 which were written ^H3789 in the book ^H5612 that Hilkiah ^H2518 the priest ^H3548 found ^H4672 in the house ^H1004 of the LORD. ^H3068

²⁵ And like unto him was there no king ^H4428 before ^H6440 him, that turned ^H7725 to the LORD ^H3068 with all his heart, ^H3824 and with all his soul, ^H5315 and with all his might, ^H3966 according to all the law ^H8451 of Moses; ^H4872 neither after ^H310 him arose ^H6965 there any like him.

²⁶ Notwithstanding the LORD ^H3068 turned ^H7725 not from the fierceness ^H2740 of his great ^H1419 wrath, ^H639 wherewith his anger ^H639 was kindled ^H2734 against Judah, ^H3063 because of all the provocations ^H3708 that Manasseh ^H4519 had provoked ^H3707 him withal.

²⁷ And the LORD ^H3068 said, ^H559 I will remove ^H5493 Judah ^H3063 also out of my sight, ^H6440 as I have removed ^H5493 Israel, ^H3478 and will cast off ^H3988 this city ^H5892 Jerusalem ^H3389 which I have chosen, ^H977 and the house ^H1004 of which I said, ^H559 My name ^H8034 shall be there.

²⁸ Now the rest ^H3499 of the acts ^H1697 of Josiah, ^H2977 and all that he did, ^H6213 are they not written ^H3789 in the book ^H5612 of the chronicles ^{H1697 H3117} of the kings ^H4428 of Judah? ^H3063

²⁹ In his days ^H3117 Pharaohnechoh ^H6549 king ^H4428 of Egypt ^H4714 went up ^H5927 against the king ^H4428 of Assyria ^H804 to the river ^H5104 Euphrates: ^H6578 and king ^H4428 Josiah ^H2977 went ^H3212 against ^H7125 him; and he slew ^H4191 him at Megiddo, ^H4023 when he had seen ^H7200 him.

³⁰ And his servants ^H5650 carried him in a chariot ^H7392 dead ^H4191 from Megiddo, ^H4023 and brought ^H935 him to Jerusalem, ^H3389 and buried ^H6912 him in his own sepulchre. ^H6900 And the people ^H5971 of the land ^H776 took ^H3947 Jehoahaz ^H3059 the son ^H1121 of Josiah, ^H2977 and anointed ^H4886 him, and made him king ^H4427 in his father's ^H1 stead.

³¹ Jehoahaz ^H3059 was twenty ^H6242 and three ^H7969 years ^H8141 old ^H1121 when he began to reign; ^H4427 and he reigned ^H4427 three ^H7969 months ^H2320 in Jerusalem. ^H3389 And his mother's ^H517 name ^H8034 was Hamutal, ^H2537 the daughter ^H1323 of Jeremiah ^H3414 of Libnah. ^H3841

³² And he did ^H6213 that which was evil ^H7451 in the sight ^H5869 of the LORD, ^H3068 according to all that his fathers ^H1 had done. ^H6213

³³ And Pharaohnechoh ^H6549 put him in bands ^H631 at Riblah ^H7247 in the land ^H776 of Hamath, ^H2574 that he might not reign ^H4427 in Jerusalem; ^H3389 and put ^H5414 the land ^H776 to a tribute ^H6066 of an hundred ^H3967 talents ^H3603 of silver, ^H3701 and a talent ^H3603 of gold. ^H2091

³⁴ And Pharaohnechoh ^H6549 made Eliakim ^H471 the son ^H1121 of Josiah ^H2977 king ^H4427 in the room of Josiah ^H2977 his father, ^H1 and turned ^H5437 his name ^H8034 to Jehoiakim, ^H3079 and took ^H3947 Jehoahaz ^H3059 away: ^H3947 and he came ^H935 to Egypt, ^H4714 and died ^H4191 there.

³⁵ And Jehoiakim ^H3079 gave ^H5414 the silver ^H3701 and the gold ^H2091 to Pharaoh; ^H6547 but he taxed ^H6186 the land ^H776 to give ^H5414 the money ^H3701 according to the commandment ^H6310 of Pharaoh: ^H6547 he exacted ^H5065 the silver ^H3701 and the gold ^H2091 of the people ^H5971 of the land, ^H776 of every one ^H376 according to his taxation, ^H6187 to give ^H5414 it unto Pharaohnechoh. ^H6549

³⁶ Jehoiakim ^H3079 was twenty ^H6242 and five ^H2568 years ^H8141 old ^H1121 when he began to reign; ^H4427 and he reigned ^H4427 eleven ^{H259 H6240} years ^H8141 in Jerusalem. ^H3389 And his mother's ^H517 name ^H8034 was Zebudah, ^H2080 the daughter ^H1323 of Pedaiah ^H6305 of Rumah. ^H7316

³⁷ And he did ^H6213 that which was evil ^H7451 in the sight ^H5869 of the LORD, ^H3068 according to all that his fathers ^H1 had done. ^H6213

---

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

² And 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.

³ And 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.

⁴ And 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.

⁵ And 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.

⁶ And 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.

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

⁸ And 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.

⁹ Nevertheless 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.

¹⁰ And 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.

¹¹ And 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.

¹² And 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.

¹³ And 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.

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

¹⁵ Moreover 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.

¹⁶ And 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.

¹⁷ Then 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.

¹⁸ And 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.

¹⁹ And 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.

²⁰ And 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.

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

²² Surely 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;

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

²⁴ Moreover 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.

²⁵ And 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.

²⁶ Notwithstanding, 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.

²⁷ And 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.

²⁸ Now 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?

²⁹ In 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.

³⁰ And 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.

³¹ Jehoahaz 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.

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

³³ And 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.

³⁴ And 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.

³⁵ And 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.

³⁶ Jehoiakim 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.

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

---

¹ And the king sendeth, and they gather unto him all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem,

² and the king goeth up to the house of Jehovah, and every man of Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, from small unto great, and he readeth in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that is found in the house of Jehovah.

³ And the king standeth by the pillar, and maketh the covenant before Jehovah, to walk after Jehovah, and to keep His commands, and His testimonies, and His statutes, with all the heart, and with all the soul, to establish the words of this covenant that are written on this book, and all the people stand in the covenant.

⁴ And the king commandeth Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the threshold, to bring out from the temple of Jehovah all the vessels that are made for Baal, and for the shrine, and for all the host of the heavens, and he burneth them at the outside of Jerusalem, in the fields of Kidron, and hath borne their ashes to Beth-El.

⁵ And he hath caused to cease the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah have appointed, (and they make perfume in high places, in cities of Judah and suburbs of Jerusalem,) and those making perfume to Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of the heavens.

⁶ And he bringeth out the shrine from the house of Jehovah to the outside of Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burneth it at the brook Kidron, and beateth it small to dust, and casteth its dust on the grave of the sons of the people.

⁷ And he breaketh down the houses of the whoremongers that `are' in the house of Jehovah, where the women are weaving houses for the shrine.

⁸ And he bringeth in all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defileth the high places where the priests have made perfume, from Geba unto Beer-Sheba, and hath broken down the high places of the gates that `are' at the opening of the gate of Joshua, head of the city, that `is' on a man's left hand at the gate of the city;

⁹ only, the priests of the high places come not up unto the altar of Jehovah in Jerusalem, but they have eaten unleavened things in the midst of their brethren.

¹⁰ And he hath defiled Topheth, that `is' in the valley of the son of Hinnom, so that no man doth cause his son and his daughter to pass over through fire to Molech.

¹¹ And he causeth to cease the horses that the kings of Judah have given to the sun from the entering in of the house of Jehovah, by the chamber of Nathan-Melech the eunuch, that `is' in the suburbs, and the chariots of the sun he hath burnt with fire.

¹² And the altars that `are' on the top of the upper chamber of Ahaz, that the kings of Judah made, and the altars that Manasseh made in the two courts of the house of Jehovah, hath the king broken down, and removeth thence, and hath cast their dust unto the brook Kidron.

¹³ And the high places that `are' on the front of Jerusalem, that `are' on the right of the mount of corruption, that Solomon king of Israel had built to Ashtoreth abomination of the Zidonians, and Chemosh abomination of Moab, and to Milcom abomination of the sons of Ammon, hath the king defiled.

¹⁴ And he hath broken in pieces the standing-pillars, and cutteth down the shrines, and filleth their place with bones of men;

¹⁵ and also the altar that `is' in Beth-El, the high place that Jeroboam son of Nebat made, by which he made Israel sin, both that altar and the high place he hath broken down, and doth burn the high place -- he hath beat it small to dust, and hath burnt the shrine.

¹⁶ And Josiah turneth, and seeth the graves that `are' there in the mount, and sendeth and taketh the bones out of the graves, and burneth `them' on the altar, and defileth it, according to the word of Jehovah that the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these things.

¹⁷ And he saith, `What `is' this sign that I see?' and the men of the city say unto him, `The grave of the man of God who hath come from Judah, and proclaimeth these things that thou hast done concerning the altar of Beth-El.'

¹⁸ And he saith, `Let him alone, let no man touch his bones;' and they let his bones escape, with the bones of the prophet who came out of Samaria.

¹⁹ And also all the houses of the high places that `are' in the cities of Samaria, that the kings of Israel made to provoke to anger, hath Josiah turned aside, and doth to them according to all the deeds that he did in Beth-El.

²⁰ And he slayeth all the priests of the high places who `are' there by the altars, and burneth the bones of man upon them, and turneth back to Jerusalem.

²¹ And the king commandeth the whole of the people, saying, `Make ye a passover to Jehovah your God, as it is written on this book of the covenant.'

²² Surely there hath not been made like this passover from the days of the judges who judged Israel, even all the days of the kings of Israel, and of the kings of Judah;

²³ but in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, hath this passover been made to Jehovah in Jerusalem.

²⁴ And also, those having 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, hath Josiah put away, in order to establish the words of the law that are written on the book that Hilkiah the priest hath found in the house of Jehovah.

²⁵ And like him there hath not been before him a king who turned back unto Jehovah with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses, and after him there hath none risen like him.

²⁶ Only, Jehovah hath not turned back from the fierceness of His great anger with which His anger burned against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh provoked him,

²⁷ and Jehovah saith, `Also Judah I turn aside from my presence, as I turned Israel aside, and I have rejected this city that I have chosen -- Jerusalem, and the house of which I said, My name is there.'

²⁸ And the rest of the matters of Josiah, and all that he did, are they not written on the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Judah?

²⁹ In his days hath Pharaoh-Nechoh king of Egypt come up against the king of Asshur, by the river Phrat, and king Josiah goeth out to meet him, and he putteth him to death in Megiddo, when he seeth him.

³⁰ And his servants cause him to ride dying from Megiddo, and bring him in to Jerusalem, and bury him in his own grave, and the people of the land take Jehoahaz son of Josiah, and anoint him, and cause him to reign instead of his father.

³¹ A son of twenty and three years `is' Jehoahaz in his reigning, and three months he hath reigned in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother `is' Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah,

³² and he doth the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, according to all that his fathers did,

³³ and Pharaoh-Nechoh bindeth him in Riblah, in the land of Hamath, from reigning in Jerusalem, and he putteth a fine on the land -- a hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold.

³⁴ And Pharaoh-Nechoh causeth Eliakim son of Josiah to reign instead of Josiah his father, and turneth his name to Jehoiakim, and Jehoahaz he hath taken away, and he cometh in to Egypt, and dieth there.

³⁵ And the silver and the gold hath Jehoiakim given to Pharaoh; only he valued the land to give the silver by the command of Pharaoh; from each, according to his valuation, he exacted the silver and the gold, from the people of the land, to give to Pharaoh-Nechoh.

³⁶ A son of twenty and five years `is' Jehoiakim in his reigning, and eleven years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother `is' Zebudah daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah,

³⁷ and he doth the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, according to all that his fathers did.

---

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

² And the king went up into 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 had been found in the house of Jehovah.

³ And the king stood on the dais, 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 with all [his] soul, to establish the words of this covenant that are written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.

⁴ And the king commanded Hilkijah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the doorkeepers, to bring forth out of the temple of Jehovah all the vessels that had been made for Baal, and for the Asherah, and for all the host of the heavens; and he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them to Bethel.

⁵ And he abolished the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense on the high places in the cities of Judah, and the environs of Jerusalem; and them that burned incense to Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the constellations, and to all the host of heaven.

⁶ And he brought out the Asherah from the house of Jehovah, outside Jerusalem, to the torrent of Kidron, and burned it at the torrent of Kidron, and stamped it small to powder, and cast the powder upon the graves of the children of the people.

⁷ And he broke down the houses of the sodomites, which were in the house of Jehovah, where the women wove tents for the Asherah.

⁸ And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba even to Beer-sheba; and he broke down the high places of the gates, those at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, [and] those on the left hand of any [going in] at the gate of the city.

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

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

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

¹² And the king broke down the altars that were on the roof of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars that Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of Jehovah, and he shattered them, [removing them] from thence, and cast the powder of them into the torrent of Kidron.

¹³ And 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 built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile.

¹⁴ And he broke in pieces the columns, and cut down the Asherahs, and filled their place with the bones of men.

¹⁵ Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, the high place that Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he broke down; and burned the high place, stamped it small to powder, and burned the Asherah.

¹⁶ And Josiah turned himself, and saw the sepulchres that were there on 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, that the man of God had proclaimed, who proclaimed these things.

¹⁷ Then he said, What tombstone 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 which thou hast done against the altar of Bethel.

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

¹⁹ And 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 removed, and did to them according to all the acts that he had done in Bethel.

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

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

²² For there was not holden 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;

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

²⁴ Moreover the necromancers and the soothsayers, and the teraphim and the idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, Josiah took away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkijah the priest had found in the house of Jehovah.

²⁵ And before him there had been no king like 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 his like.

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

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

²⁸ And 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?

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

³⁰ And 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.

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

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

³³ And Pharaoh-Nechoh had him bound at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and laid a tribute upon the land of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.

³⁴ And Pharaoh-Nechoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king instead of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. And he took Jehoahaz; and he came to Egypt, and died there.

³⁵ And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh; but he laid a proportional tax on the land to give the money according to the command of Pharaoh: he exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, of every one according to his estimation, to give it to Pharaoh-Nechoh.

³⁶ Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Zebuddah, daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah.

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

---

¹ The king sent, and they gathered to him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem.

² The king went up to the house of Yahweh, 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 Yahweh.

³ The king stood by the pillar, and made a covenant before Yahweh, to walk after Yahweh, 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.

⁴ 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 Yahweh all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the Asherah, and for all the host of the sky, and he burned them outside of Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron, and carried the ashes of them to Bethel.

⁵ 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; those also who burned incense to Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of the sky.

⁶ He brought out the Asherah from the house of Yahweh, outside of Jerusalem, to the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and beat it to dust, and cast the dust of it on the graves of the common people.

⁷ He broke down the houses of the sodomites, that were in the house of Yahweh, where the women wove hangings for the Asherah.

⁸ 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 Beersheba; and he broke 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.

⁹ Nevertheless the priests of the high places didn't come up to the altar of Yahweh in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened bread among their brothers.

¹⁰ 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.

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

¹² 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 Yahweh, did the king break down, and beat [them] down from there, and cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron.

¹³ The high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mountain of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had built 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.

¹⁴ He broke in pieces the pillars, and cut down the Asherim, and filled their places with the bones of men.

¹⁵ Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, 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 broke down; and he burned the high place and beat it to dust, and burned the Asherah.

¹⁶ As Josiah turned himself, he spied the tombs that were there in 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 word of Yahweh which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these things.

¹⁷ Then he said, What monument is that which I see? The men of the city told him, It is the tomb of the man of God, who came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that you have done against the altar of Bethel.

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

¹⁹ All the houses also of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke [Yahweh] to anger, Josiah took away, and did to them according to all the acts that he had done in Bethel.

²⁰ He killed all the priests of the high places that were there, on the altars, and burned men's bones on them; and he returned to Jerusalem.

²¹ The king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the Passover to Yahweh your God, as it is written in this book of the covenant.

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

²³ but in the eighteenth year of king Josiah was this Passover kept to Yahweh in Jerusalem.

²⁴ Moreover those who 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 Yahweh.

²⁵ Like him was there no king before him, who turned to Yahweh 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.

²⁶ Notwithstanding, Yahweh didn't turn from the fierceness of his great wrath, with which his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocation with which Manasseh had provoked him.

²⁷ Yahweh 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.

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

²⁹ In 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] killed him at Megiddo, when he had seen him.

³⁰ His servants carried him in a chariot dead from Megiddo, and brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own tomb. The people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made him king in his father's place.

³¹ Jehoahaz was twenty-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.

³² He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, according to all that his fathers had done.

³³ 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 one hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold.

³⁴ 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.

³⁵ 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 everyone according to his taxation, to give it to Pharaoh Necoh.

³⁶ Jehoiakim was twenty-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.

³⁷ He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, according to all that his fathers had done.

---

¹ Then the king sent and got together all the responsible men of Judah and of Jerusalem.

² And the king went up to the house of the Lord, with all the men of Judah and all the people of Jerusalem, and the priests and the prophets and all the people, small and great; and they were present at his reading of the book of the law which had come to light in the house of the Lord.

³ And the king took his place by the pillar, and made an agreement before the Lord, to go in the way of the Lord, and keep his orders and his decisions and his rules with all his heart and all his soul, and to keep the words of the agreement recorded in the book; and all the people gave their word to keep the agreement.

⁴ Then the king gave orders to Hilkiah, the chief priest, and to the priests of the second order, and to the keepers of the door, to take out of the house of the Lord all the vessels made for Baal and for the Asherah and for all the stars of heaven; and he had them burned outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and took the dust of them to Beth-el.

⁵ And he put an end to the false priests, who had been put in their positions by the kings of Judah to see to the burning of offerings in the high places in the towns of Judah and the outskirts of Jerusalem, and all those who made offerings to Baal and to the sun and the moon and the twelve signs and all the stars of heaven.

⁶ And he took the Asherah from the house of the Lord, outside Jerusalem to the stream Kidron, burning it by the stream and crushing it to dust, and he put the dust on the place where the bodies of the common people were put to rest.

⁷ And he had the houses pulled down of those who were used for sex purposes in the house of the Lord, where women were making robes for the Asherah.

⁸ And he made all the priests from the towns of Judah come into Jerusalem, and he made unclean the high places where the priests had been burning offerings, from Geba to Beer-sheba; and he had the high places of the evil spirits pulled down which were by the doorway of Joshua, the ruler of the town, on the left side of the way into the town.

⁹ Still the priests of the high places never came up to the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem; but they took their food of unleavened bread among their brothers.

¹⁰ And Topheth, in the valley of the sons of Hinnom, he made unclean, so that no man might make his son or his daughter go through the fire to Molech.

¹¹ And he took away the horses which the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the way into the house of the Lord, by the room of Nathan-melech, the unsexed servant, which was in the outer part of the building, and the carriages of the sun he put on fire.

¹² And the altars on the roof of the high room of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two outer squares of the house of the Lord, were pulled down and crushed to bits, and the dust of them was put into the stream Kidron.

¹³ And the high places before Jerusalem, on the south side of the mountain of destruction, which Solomon, king of Israel, had made for Ashtoreth, the disgusting god of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh, the disgusting god of Moab, and for Milcom, the disgusting god of the children of Ammon, the king made unclean.

¹⁴ The stone pillars were broken to bits and the wood pillars cut down, and the places where they had been were made full of the bones of the dead.

¹⁵ And the altar at Beth-el, and the high place put up by Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel do evil, that altar and that high place were pulled down; and the high place was burned and crushed to dust and the Asherah was burned.

¹⁶ Then Josiah, turning round, saw on the mountain the places of the dead, and he sent and had the bones taken out of their places and burned on the altar, so making it unclean, as the Lord had said by the man of God when Jeroboam was in his place by the altar on that feast-day. And he, turning his eyes to the resting-place of the man of God who had given word of these things, said:

¹⁷ What is that headstone I see over there? And the men of the town said to him, It is the resting-place of the man of God who came from Judah and gave word of all these things which you have done to the altar of Beth-el.

¹⁸ So he said, Let him be; let not his bones be moved. So they let his bones be with the bones of the prophet who came from Samaria.

¹⁹ Then Josiah took away all the houses of the high places in the towns of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had put up, moving the Lord to wrath, and he did with them as he had done in Beth-el.

²⁰ And all the priests of the high places there he put to death on the altars, burning the bones of the dead on them; and then he went back to Jerusalem.

²¹ And the king gave orders to all the people, saying, Keep the Passover to the Lord your God, as it says in this book of the law.

²² Truly, such a Passover had not been kept in all the days of the judges of Israel or of the kings of Israel or the kings of Judah;

²³ In the eighteenth year of the rule of King Josiah this Passover was kept to the Lord in Jerusalem.

²⁴ And all those who had control of spirits, and the wonder-workers, and the images, and the false gods, and all the disgusting things which were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, Josiah put away, so that he might give effect to the words of the agreement recorded in the book which Hilkiah the priest made discovery of in the house of the Lord.

²⁵ Never before had there been a king like him, turning to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his power, as the law of Moses says; and after him there was no king like him.

²⁶ But still the heat of the Lord's wrath was not turned back from Judah, because of all Manasseh had done in moving him to wrath.

²⁷ And the Lord said, I will send Judah away from before my face, as I have sent Israel; I will have nothing more to do with this town, which I had made mine, even Jerusalem, and the holy house of which I said, My name will be there.

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

²⁹ In his days, Pharaoh-necoh, king of Egypt, sent his armies against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates; and King Josiah went out against him; and he put him to death at Megiddo, when he had seen him.

³⁰ And his servants took his body in a carriage from Megiddo to Jerusalem, and put him into the earth there. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz, the son of Josiah, and put the holy oil on him and made him king in place of his father.

³¹ Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, ruling in Jerusalem for three months; his mother's name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

³² He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as his fathers had done.

³³ And Pharaoh-necoh put him in chains at Riblah in the land of Hamath, so that he might not be king in Jerusalem; and took from the land a tax of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.

³⁴ Then Pharaoh-necoh made Eliakim, the son of Josiah, king in place of Josiah his father, changing his name to Jehoiakim; but Jehoahaz he took away to Egypt, where he was till his death.

³⁵ And Jehoiakim gave the silver and gold to Pharaoh, taxing the land by his orders to get the money; the people of the land had to give silver and gold, everyone as he was taxed, to make the payment to Pharaoh-necoh.

³⁶ Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king; he was ruling in Jerusalem for eleven years; his mother's name was Zebidah, the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah.

³⁷ He did evil in the eyes of the Lord as his fathers had done.