The Second Book of the Kings

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 23 -

(2 Chronicles 34:29–33)

Then the King sent, and there gathered vnto him all the Elders of Iudah and of Ierusalem.

And the King went vp into the house of the Lord, with all the men of Iudah and all the inhabitants of Ierusalem with him, and the Priests and Prophets, and all the people both small and great: and he reade in their eares all the wordes of the booke of the couenant, which was found in the house of the Lord.

And the King stood by the pillar, and made a couenant before the Lord, that they shoulde walke after the Lord, and keepe his commandements, and his testimonies, and his statutes with all their heart, and with all their soule, that they might accomplish the wordes of this couenant written in this booke. And all the people stood to the couenant.

Josiah Destroys Idolatry

(1 Kings 13:1–10; 2 Chronicles 34:3–7)

Then the King commanded Hilkiah the hie Priest and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the doore, to bring out of ye Temple of the Lord all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the groue, and for all the hoste of heauen, and he burnt them without Ierusalem in the fieldes of Kedron, and caryed the pouder of them into Beth-el.

And he put downe the Chemarims, whom the Kings of Iudah had founded to burne incense in the hie places, and in the cities of Iudah, and about Ierusalem, and also them that burnt incense vnto Baal, to the sunne and to the moone, and to the planets, and to all the hoste of heauen.

And he brought out the groue from the Temple of the Lord without Ierusalem vnto the valley of Kedron, and burnt it in the valley Kedron, and stampt it to pouder, and cast the dust thereof vpon the graues of the children of the people.

And hee brake downe the houses of the Sodomites, that were in the house of the Lord, where the women woue hangings for the groue.

Also he brought all the priests out of the cities of Iudah, and defiled the hie places where the Priests had burnt incense, euen from Geba to Beer-sheba, and destroyed the hie places of the gates, that were in the entring in of the gate of Ioshua the gouernour of the citie, which was at the left hand of the gate of the citie.

Neuerthelesse the Priests of the hie places came not vp to the altar of the Lord in Ierusalem, saue onely they did eate of the vnleauened bread among their brethren.

He defiled also Topheth, which was in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man shoulde make his sonne or his daughter passe through the fire to Molech.

He put downe also the horses that the Kings of Iudah had giuen to the sunne at the entring in of the house of the Lord, by the chamber of Nethan-melech the eunuche, which was ruler of the suburbes, and burnt the charets of the sunne with fire.

And the altars that were on the top of the chamber of Ahaz, which the Kings of Iudah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the Lord did the King breake downe, and hasted thence, and cast the dust of them in the brooke Kedron.

Moreouer the King defiled the hie places that were before Ierusalem and on the right hand of the mount of corruption (which Salomon the King of Israel had buylt for Ashtoreth the idole of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the idole of the Moabites, and for Milchom the abomination of the children of Ammon)

And he brake the images in pieces, and cut downe the groues and filled their places with the bones of men.

Furthermore the altar that was at Beth-el, and the hie place made by Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat, which made Israel to sinne, both this altar and also the hie place, brake he downe, and burnt the hie place, and stampt it to powder and burnt the groue.

And as Iosiah turned himselfe, he spied the graues, that were in the mount, and sent and tooke the bones out of the graues, and burnt them vpon the altar and polluted it, according to the word of the Lord, that the man of God proclaimed, which cryed the same wordes.

Then he sayde, What title is that which I see? And the men of the citie sayd vnto him, It is the sepulchre of the man of God, which came from Iudah, and tolde these things that thou hast done to the altar of Beth-el.

Then sayde he, Let him alone: let none remooue his bones. So his bones were saued with the bones of the Prophet that came from Samaria.

Iosiah also tooke away all the houses of the hie places, which were in the cities of Samaria, which the Kings of Israel had made to anger the Lord, and did to them according to all the factes that he had done in Beth-el.

And he sacrificed all the Priests of the hie places, that were there vpon the altars, and burnt mens bones vpon them, and returned to Ierusalem.

Josiah Restores the Passover

(2 Chronicles 35:1–19)

Then the king commanded all the people, saying, Keepe the passeouer vnto the Lord your God, as it is written in the booke of this couenant.

And there was no Passeouer holden like that from the dayes of the Iudges that iudged Israel, nor in all the dayes of the Kinges of Israel, and of the Kings of Iudah.

And in the eightenth yere of King Iosiah was this Passeouer celebrated to the Lord in Ierusalem.

Iosiah also tooke away them that had familiar spirits, and the soothsayers, and the images, and the idoles, and al the abominations that were espied in the lande of Iudah and in Ierusalem, to performe the wordes of the Lawe, which were written in the booke that Hilkiah the Priest found in the house of the Lord.

Like vnto him was there no King before him, that turned to the Lord with al his heart, and with all his soule, and with all his might according to all the Lawe of Moses, neither after him arose there anie like him.

Notwithstanding the Lord turned not from the fiercenesse of his great wrath wherewith he was angrie against Iudah, because of all the prouocatios wherwith Manasseh had prouoked him.

Therefore the Lord saide, I will put Iudah also out of my sight, as I haue put away Israel, and will cast off this citie Ierusalem, which I haue chosen, and the house whereof I said, My name shalbe there.

The Death of Josiah

(2 Chronicles 35:20–24)

Concerning the rest of the actes of Iosiah, and all that hee did, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah?

In his dayes Pharaoh Nechoh King of Egypt went vp against the King of Asshur to the riuer Perath. And King Iosiah went against him, whome when Pharaoh sawe, he slewe him at Megiddo.

Then his seruants caryed him dead from Megiddo, and brought him to Ierusalem, and buried him in his owne sepulchre. And the people of the lande tooke Iehoahaz the sonne of Iosiah, and anointed him, and made him King in his fathers steade.

Jehoahaz Succeeds Josiah

(2 Chronicles 36:1–4)

Iehoahaz was three and twentie yeere olde when he beganne to reigne, and reigned three moneths in Ierusalem. His mothers name also was Hamutal the daughter of Ieremiah of Libnah.

And he did euill in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done.

And Pharaoh Nechoh put him in bondes at Riblah in the lande of Hamath, while he reigned in Ierusalem, and put the lande to a tribute of an hundreth talents of siluer, and a talent of golde.

And Pharaoh Nechoh made Eliakim the sonne of Iosiah King in steade of Iosiah his father, and turned his name to Iehoiakim, and tooke Iehoahaz away, which when he came to Egypt, dyed there.

And Iehoiakim gaue the siluer and the golde to Pharaoh, and taxed the land to giue the money, according to the commadement of Pharaoh: he leuyed of euery man of the people of the lande, according to his value, siluer and golde to giue vnto Pharaoh Nechoh.

Jehoiakim Reigns in Judah

(2 Chronicles 36:5–8)

Iehoiakim was fiue and twentie yere olde, when he began to reigne, and he reigned eleuen yeeres in Ierusalem. His mothers name also was Zebudah the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah.

And he did euill in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done.

(2 Chronicles 34:29–33)

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

The king went up to the LORD’s house, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him—with the priests, the prophets, and all the people, both small and great; and he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the LORD’s house.

The king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD to walk after the LORD and to keep his commandments, 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 agreed to the covenant.

Josiah Destroys Idolatry

(1 Kings 13:1–10; 2 Chronicles 34:3–7)

The king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the threshold, to bring out of the LORD’s temple all the vessels that were made for Baal, for the Asherah, and for all the army of the sky; and he burned them outside of Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel.

He got rid of 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 around Jerusalem; those also who burned incense to Baal, to the sun, to the moon, to the planets, and to all the army of the sky.

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

He broke down the houses of the male shrine prostitutes that were in the LORD’s house, where the women wove hangings for the Asherah.

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.

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

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.

He took away the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun, at the entrance of the LORD’s house, by the room of Nathan Melech the officer who was in the court; and he burned the chariots of the sun with fire.

The king broke down the altars that were on the roof of the upper room of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the LORD’s house, and beat them down from there, and cast their dust into the brook Kidron.

The king defiled 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.

He broke in pieces the pillars, cut down the Asherah poles, and filled their places with men’s bones.

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.

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 LORD’s word which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these things.

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.”

He said, “Let him be! Let no one move his bones.” So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet who came out of Samaria.

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.

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.

Josiah Restores the Passover

(2 Chronicles 35:1–19)

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

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;

but in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was kept to the LORD in Jerusalem.

Moreover, Josiah removed those who had familiar spirits, the wizards, and the teraphim,(a) and the idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might confirm the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the LORD’s house.

There was no king like him before him, who 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; and there was none like him who arose after him.

Notwithstanding, the LORD didn’t turn from the fierceness of his great wrath, with which his anger burned against Judah, because of all the provocation with which Manasseh had provoked him.

The LORD said, “I will also remove Judah 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.’”

The Death of Josiah

(2 Chronicles 35:20–24)

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?

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, but Pharaoh Necoh killed him at Megiddo when he saw him.

His servants carried him dead in a chariot from Megiddo, 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.

Jehoahaz Succeeds Josiah

(2 Chronicles 36:1–4)

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

He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, according to all that his fathers had done.

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

(b)

of gold.

Pharaoh Necoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim; but he took Jehoahaz away, and he came to Egypt and died there.

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, from everyone according to his assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Necoh.

Jehoiakim Reigns in Judah

(2 Chronicles 36:5–8)

Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zebidah the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah.

He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, according to all that his fathers had done.

Footnotes

(a)23:24 teraphim were household idols.

(b)23:33 A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds or 965 Troy ounces