2 Kings 23

1So they took her message back to the king.

Josiah’s Religious Reforms

22 Then the king summoned all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 2And the king went up to the Temple of the LORD with all the people of Judah and Jerusalem, along with the priests and the prophets—all the people from the least to the greatest. There the king read to them the entire Book of the Covenant that had been found in the LORD’s Temple. 3The king took his place of authority beside the pillar and renewed the covenant in the LORD’s presence. He pledged to obey the LORD by keeping all his commands, laws, and decrees with all his heart and soul. In this way, he confirmed all the terms of the covenant that were written in the scroll, and all the people pledged themselves to the covenant. 4Then the king instructed Hilkiah the high priest and the priests of the second rank and the Temple gatekeepers to remove from the LORD’s Temple ail the articles that were used to worship Baal, Asherah, and all the powers of the heavens. The king had all these things burned outside Jerusalem on the terraces of the Kidron Valley, and he carried the ashes away to Bethel. 5He did away with the idolatrous priests, who had been appointed by the previous Kings of Judah, for they had offered sacrifices at the pagan shrines throughout Judah and even in the vicinity of Jerusalem. They had also offered sacrifices to Baal, and to the sun, the moon, the constellations, and to all the powers of the heavens. 6The king removed the Asherah pole from the LORD’s Temple and took it outside Jerusalem to the Kidron Valley, where he burned it. Then he ground the ashes of the pole to dust and threw the dust over the graves of the people. 7He also tore down the living quarters of the male and female shrine prostitutes that were inside the Temple of the LORD, where the women wove coverings for the Asherah pole. 8Josiah brought to Jerusalem all the priests who were living in other towns of Judah. He also defiled the pagan shrines, where they had offered sacrifices—all the way from Geba to Beersheba. He destroyed the shrines at the entrance to the gate of Joshua, the governor of 22:14 Or the Second Quarter, a newer section of Jerusalem. Hebrew reads the Mishneh, 22:16 Hebrew this place; also in 22:19, 2! Jerusalem. This gate was located to the left of the city gate as one enters the city. 9The 23:9 aot priests who had served at the pagan shrines were not allowed* to serve at the LORD’s altar in; Jerusalem, but they were allowed to eat unleavened bread with the other priests. 10Then the king defiled the altar of Topheth in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, sono one could 23:10 os ever again use it to sacrifice a son or daughter in the fire* as an offering to Molech. He re- 1 Kgs, moved from the entrance of the LORD’s Temple the horse statues that the former kings of ome Judah had dedicated to the sun. They were near the quarters of Nathan-melech the eunuch, an officer of the court.* The king also burned the chariots dedicated to the sun. 12Josiah tore down the altars that the kings of Judah had built on the palace roof above 23:12 |, the upper room of Ahaz. The king destroyed the altars that Manasseh had built in the two 2 Chr 33:45 courtyards of the LORD’s Temple. He smashed them to bits* and scattered the pieces in the oni 8 Kidron Valley. 12 The king also desecrated the pagan shrines east of Jerusalem, to the south 43.43 of the Mount of Corruption, where King Solomon of Israel had built shrines for Ashtoreth, 1 Kgs 11:7 the detestable goddess of the Sidonians; and for Chemosh, the detestable god of the Moab- Jer 487 ites; and for Molech,* the vile god of the Ammonites. #He smashed the sacred pillars and 23:14 cut down the Asherah poles. Then he desecrated these places by scattering human bones Deut 7:5, 25 over them. 13The king also tore down the altar at Bethel—the pagan shrine that Jeroboam son of 23:15 Nebat had made when he caused Israel to sin. He burned down the shrine and ground it to 1 Kgs 12:28-33 dust, and he burned the Asherah pole. 16Then Josiah turned around and noticed several ee 13:2, 32 tombs in the side of the hill. He ordered that the bones be brought out, and he burned them on the altar at Bethel to desecrate it. (This happened just as the LORD had promised through the man of God when Jeroboam stood beside the altar at the festival.) Then Josiah turned and looked up at the tomb of the man of God* who had predicted these things. 17" What is that monument over there?” Josiah asked. 2317 And the people of the town told him, “It is the tomb of the man of God who came from sont one, Judah and predicted the very things that you have just done to the altar at Bethel!” 18Josiah replied, “Leave it alone. Don’t disturb his bones.” So they did not burn his bones aoe 13:11, 31 or those of the old prophet from Samaria. 19Then Josiah demolished all the buildings at the pagan shrines in the towns of Samaria, just as he had done at Bethel. They had been built by the various kings of Israel and had made the LORD* very angry. 20He executed the priests of the pagan shrines on their own 2s 14:18 altars, and he burned human bones on the altars to desecrate them. Finally, he returned to Jerusalem. 23:19 2 Chr 34:6-7 Josiah Celebrates Passover: 21King Josiah then issued this order to all the people: “You must celebrate the Passover to 23:21 the LORD your God, as required in this Book of the Covenant.” 22There had not been a Pass- Deut 16:2-6 over celebration like that since the time when the judges ruled in {srael, nor throughout all Rae e18-19 the years of the kings of Israel and Judah. 23This Passover was celebrated to the LORD in Jerusalem in the eighteenth year of King Josiah’s reign. 24Josiah also got rid of the mediums and psychics, the household gods, the idols,* and 23:24 a1 ev si every other kind of detestable practice, both in Jerusalem and throughout the land of Judah. peut 18:10-12 He did this in obedience to the laws written in the scroll that Hilkiah the priest had foundin 2 Kgs 21:6; 22:8 23:9 Hebrew did not come up. 23:10 Or to make a son or daughter pass through the fire. 23:11 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain. 23:12 Or He quickly removed them. 23:13 Hebrew Milcom, a variant spelling of Molech. eT re 23:13 The Mount of Olives is here called the Mount of Corrup- 23:21-23 When Josiah rediscovered the Passover in the Book tion because it had become a favorite spot to build pagan shrines. of the Covenant, he ordered everyone to observe the ceremonies Solomon built a pagan shrine, and other kings built places of idol exactly as prescribed. This Passover celebration was to have been worship there, too, But God-fearing kings, such as Hezekiah and a yearly holiday celebrated in remembrance of the entire nation’s Josiah, destroyed these pagan worship centers. In New Testa- deliverance from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 12), but it had not been ment times, Jesus often sat on the Mount of Olives and taught kept for many years. As a result, “there had not been a Passover his disciples about serving only God (Matthew 24:3ff). For more —_celebration like that since the time when the judges ruled in Israel. background on Ashtoreth, Chemosh, and Molech, see the note nor throughout all the years of the kings of Israel and Judah.” on 1 Kings 11:5-8. Acommon misconception states that God is against celebration. 23:16-18 The prophecies mentioned in this passage appear wanting to take all the fun out of life. In reality, God wants to give in 1 Kings 13:21-32. us life in its fullness (John 10:10), and those who love him have the most to celebrate. the LORD’s Temple. 25Never before had there been a king like Josiah, who turned to the LORD with all his heart and soul and strength, obeying all the laws of Moses. And there has never been a king like him since. 26Even so, the LORD was very angry with Judah because of all the wicked things Manasseh had done to provoke him. 27For the LORD said, “I will also banish Judah from my presence just as I have banished Israel. And I will reject my chosen city of Jerusalem and the Temple where my name was to be honored.” 28The rest of the events in Josiah’s reign and all his deeds are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah. 29While Josiah was king, Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt, went to the Euphrates River to help the king of Assyria. King Josiah and his army marched out to fight him,* but King Neco* killed him when they met at Megiddo. 30Josiah’s officers took his body back in a chariot from Megiddo to Jerusalem and buried him in his own tomb. Then the people of the land anointed Josiah’s son Jehoahaz and made him the next king.

Jehoahaz Rules in Judah

3131Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah from Libnah. 32He did what was evil in the LORD’s sight, just as his ancestors had done. 33Pharaoh Neco put Jehoahaz in prison at Riblah in the land of Hamath to prevent him from ruling* in Jerusalem. He also demanded that Judah pay 7,500 pounds of silver and 75 pounds of gold* as tribute. 2. Judah is exiled to Babylon

Jehoiakim Rules in Judah

3434Pharaoh Neco then installed Eliakim, another of Josiah’s sons, to reign in place of his father, and he changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. Jehoahaz was taken to Egypt as a prisoner, where he died. 35In order to get the silver and gold demanded as tribute by Pharaoh Neco, Jehoiakim collected a tax from the people of Judah, requiring them to pay in proportion to their wealth. 36Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother was Zebidah, the daughter of Pedaiah from Rumah. 37He did what was evil in the LORD’s sight, just as his ancestors had done.