^aEntonces el rey mandó reunir con él a todos los ancianos de Judá y Jerusalén. 2 Y subió el rey a la casa del SEÑOR, y con él todos los hombres de Judá, todos los habitantes de Jerusalén, los sacerdotes, los profetas y todo el pueblo, desde el menor hasta el mayor; y leyó en su presencia¹ todas las palabras del libro del pacto^a que había sido hallado en la casa del SEÑOR^b. 3 Después el rey se puso en pie junto a la columna e hizo pacto delante del SEÑOR^a de andar en pos del SEÑOR y de guardar sus mandamientos, sus testimonios y sus estatutos^b con todo su corazón y con toda su alma, para cumplir las palabras de este pacto escritas en este libro. Y todo el pueblo confirmó el pacto.

4 Entonces el rey ordenó que el sumo sacerdote Hilcías y los sacerdotes de segundo orden y los guardianes del umbral^a, sacaran del templo del SEÑOR todas las vasijas que se habían hecho para Baal, para la Asera¹ y para todo el ejército de los cielos^b, y los quemó fuera de Jerusalén en los campos del Cedrón y llevó sus cenizas a Betel^c. 5 Quitó a los sacerdotes idólatras que los reyes de Judá habían nombrado para quemar incienso en los lugares altos en las ciudades de Judá y en los alrededores de Jerusalén, también a los que quemaban incienso a Baal, al sol y a la luna, a las constelaciones y a todo el ejército de los cielos^a. 6 Y sacó la Asera de la casa del SEÑOR fuera de Jerusalén, al torrente Cedrón, y la quemó junto al torrente Cedrón; la redujo a polvo^a y arrojó el polvo sobre los sepulcros de los hijos del pueblo^b. 7 También derribó las casas de los dedicados a la prostitución^1a que estaban en la casa del SEÑOR, donde las mujeres tejían^b pabellones² para la Asera. 8 Entonces trajo a todos los sacerdotes de las ciudades de Judá, y profanó los lugares altos donde los sacerdotes habían quemado incienso, desde Geba^a hasta Beerseba, y derribó los lugares altos de las puertas que estaban a la entrada de la puerta de Josué, gobernador de la ciudad, a la izquierda de la puerta de la ciudad. 9 Sin embargo, los sacerdotes^a de los lugares altos no podían subir al altar del SEÑOR en Jerusalén, sino que comían panes sin levadura¹ entre sus hermanos. 10 También profanó al Tofet¹ que está en el valle de Ben-hinom, para que nadie hiciera pasar por fuego^a a su hijo o a su hija^b para honrar a Moloc^c. 11 A la entrada de la casa del SEÑOR, junto a la cámara de Natán-melec, el oficial que estaba en las dependencias, quitó los caballos que los reyes de Judá habían dedicado al sol^a, y prendió fuego a los carros del sol. 12 Y los altares que estaban sobre el techo^a, el aposento alto de Acaz que habían hecho los reyes de Judá, y los altares que había hecho Manasés en los dos atrios de la casa del SEÑOR el rey los derribó^b, los destrozó¹ allí y arrojó su polvo al torrente Cedrón^c. 13 El rey también profanó los lugares altos que estaban frente a Jerusalén, los que estaban a la derecha del monte de destrucción, que Salomón, rey de Israel, había edificado a Astoret, ídolo abominable de los sidonios, y a Quemos, ídolo abominable de Moab^a, y a Milcom^b, ídolo abominable de los hijos de Amón^c. 14 Asimismo hizo pedazos los pilares sagrados^a, derribó las Aseras y llenó sus lugares con huesos humanos^b.

15 Además, derribó el altar que estaba en Betel^a y el lugar alto que había hecho Jeroboam, hijo de Nabat, el que hizo pecar a Israel, o sea, derribó también aquel altar y el lugar alto^b, destruyó sus piedras¹, las redujo a polvo y quemó la Asera^c. 16 Al volverse Josías, vio los sepulcros que estaban allí en el monte, y envió a recoger los huesos de los sepulcros y los quemó sobre el altar, profanándolo, conforme a la palabra del SEÑOR que había proclamado el hombre de Dios^a que había anunciado estas cosas. 17 Entonces dijo: ¿Qué monumento eseste que veo? Y los hombres de la ciudad le dijeron: Es el sepulcro del hombre de Dios que vino de Judá y proclamó estas cosas que has hecho contra el altar de Betel^a. 18 Y él dijo: Dejadlo en paz; que nadie moleste sus huesos. Así dejaron sus huesos intactos¹ con los huesos del profeta que vino^a de Samaria. 19 Josías quitó también todas las casas de los lugares altos que estaban en las ciudades de Samaria, las cuales habían hecho los reyes de Israel provocando a ira al SEÑOR^1a; les hizo tal y como² había hecho en Betel. 20 Y mató sobre los altares a todos los sacerdotes de los lugares altos que estaban allí, y quemó huesos humanos sobre ellos^a. Y regresó a Jerusalén.

21 ^aEntonces el rey ordenó a todo el pueblo, diciendo: Celebrad la Pascua al SEÑOR vuestro Dios como está escrito en este libro del pacto^b. 22 En verdad que tal Pascua no se había celebrado desde los días de los jueces que gobernaban a Israel, ni en ninguno de los días de los reyes de Israel y de los reyes de Judá^a. 23 solo en el año dieciocho del rey Josías fue celebrada esta Pascua al SEÑOR en Jerusalén.

24 Josías también quitó¹ los médium y los espiritistas^a, los ídolos domésticos^2b y los otros ídolos^c, y todas las abominaciones que se veían en la tierra de Judá y en Jerusalén, con el fin de confirmar³ las palabras de la ley^d que estaban escritas en el libro que el sacerdote Hilcías había hallado en la casa del SEÑOR^e. 25 Y antes de él no hubo rey como él que se volviera al SEÑOR con todo su corazón, con toda su alma y con todas sus fuerzas, conforme a toda la ley de Moisés, ni otro como él se levantó después de él^a.

26 Sin embargo, el SEÑOR no desistió¹ del furor de su gran ira, ya que ardía su ira contra Judá a causa de todas las provocaciones con que Manasés le había provocado^a. 27 Y el SEÑOR dijo: También quitaré a Judá de mi presencia, como he quitado a Israel^a. Y desecharé a esta ciudad que yo había escogido, a Jerusalén, y al templo del¹ cual dije: «Mi nombre estará allí^b».

28 Los demás hechos de Josías y todo lo que hizo, ¿no están escritos en el libro de las Crónicas de los reyes de Judá? 29 ^aEn sus días subió Faraón Necao, rey de Egipto, contra el rey de Asiria junto al río Eufrates^b. Y el rey Josías fue a su encuentro, pero Faraón Necao lo mató en Meguido^c en cuanto lo vio. 30 Sus siervos llevaron su cuerpo¹ en carro desde Meguido, lo trajeron a Jerusalén y lo sepultaron en su sepulcro^a. Entonces el pueblo de aquella² tierra tomó a Joacaz, hijo de Josías, y lo ungieron y lo hicieron rey en lugar de su padre^b.

31 ^aJoacaz tenía veintitrés años cuando comenzó a reinar^b, y reinó tres meses en Jerusalén. El nombre de su madre era Hamutal, hija de Jeremías, de Libna^c. 32 E hizo lo malo ante los ojos del SEÑOR, conforme a todo lo que habían hecho sus padres^a. 33 Y Faraón Necao^a lo puso en prisión en Ribla^b, en la tierra de Hamat^c, para que no reinara en Jerusalén; e impuso una multa sobre la tierra de cien talentos¹ de plata y un talento de oro. 34 Faraón Necao hizo rey a Eliaquim, hijo de Josías^a, en lugar de Josías su padre, y cambió su nombre por el de Joacim. Pero tomó a Joacaz y lo llevó¹ a Egipto^b, y allí murió^c. 35 Y Joacim dio la plata y el oro a Faraón, e impuso contribuciones al país para entregar el dinero conforme al mandato¹ de Faraón. Exigió la plata y el oro del pueblo de la tierra, a cada uno conforme a sus bienes, para dárselo a Faraón Necao^a.

36 Joacim tenía veinticinco años cuando comenzó a reinar, y reinó once años en Jerusalén^a. El nombre de su madre era Zebuda, hija de Pedaías, de Ruma. 37 E hizo lo malo ante los ojos del SEÑOR, conforme a todo lo que habían hecho sus padres^a.

^aThen the king sent messengers, and they gathered to him all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 2 And the king went up to the house of the LORD and every man of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, the prophets, and all the people, from the small to the great; and ^ahe read in their ¹presence all the words of the Book of the Covenant ^bwhich was found in the house of the LORD. 3 And ^athe king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD, ^bto walk after the LORD, and to keep His commandments, His provisions, and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to carry out the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people ¹entered into the covenant.

4 Then the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, ^athe priests of the second order, and the ¹doorkeepers ^bto bring out of the temple of the LORD all the utensils that had been made for Baal, for ²Asherah, and for all the heavenly ³lights; and ^che burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron Valley, and carried their ashes to Bethel. 5 Then he did away with the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had appointed to burn incense on the high places in the cities of Judah and in the surrounding area of Jerusalem, as well as those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun, to the moon, to the constellations, and to all the remaining ^aheavenly ¹lights. 6 He also brought out the Asherah from the house of the LORD outside Jerusalem to the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and ^aground it to dust, and ^bthrew its dust on the graves of the ¹common people. 7 And he tore down the cubicles of the ^amale cult prostitutes which were in the house of the LORD, where ^bthe women were weaving ¹hangings for the Asherah. 8 Then he brought all the priests from the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from ^aGeba to Beersheba; and he tore 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 one’s left at the city gate. 9 Nevertheless ^athe priests of the high places did not go up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened bread among their brothers. 10 ^aHe also defiled ¹Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, ^bso that no one would make his son or his daughter pass through the fire for ^cMolech. 11 And he did away with the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the ^asun, at the entrance of the house of the LORD, by the chamber of Nathan-melech the official, which was at the ¹covered courtyard; and he burned the chariots of the sun with fire. 12 The king also tore down ^athe altars that were on the roof, the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and ^bthe altars which Manasseh had made in the two courtyards of the house of the LORD; and he ¹smashed them there and ^cthrew their dust into the brook Kidron. 13 And the king defiled the high places that were opposite Jerusalem, which were on the right of ^athe mount of destruction which Solomon the king of Israel had built for ^bAshtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, for ^cChemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the sons of Ammon. 14 ^aHe also smashed to pieces the memorial stones and cut down the ¹Asherim, and ^bfilled their places with human bones.

15 Furthermore, ^athe altar that was at Bethel and the ^bhigh place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who misled Israel into sin, had made, even that altar and the high place he tore down. Then he ^cburned the high place, ground the remains to dust, and burned the Asherah. 16 Now when Josiah turned, he saw the graves that were there on the mountain, and he sent men and took the bones from the graves, and burned them on the altar and defiled it ^ain accordance with the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, the one who proclaimed these things. 17 Then he said, “What is this gravestone there that I see?” And the men of the city told him, “^aIt is the grave of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things which you have done against the altar of Bethel.” 18 And he said, “Leave him alone; no one is to disturb his bones.” So they left his bones undisturbed ^awith the bones of the prophet who came from Samaria. 19 Then Josiah also removed all the houses of the high places which were ^ain the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had constructed, ¹provoking the LORD to anger; and he did to them ²just as he had done in Bethel. 20 And ^ahe slaughtered all the priests of the high places who were there on the altars, and burned human bones on them; then he returned to Jerusalem.

21 Then the king commanded all the people, saying, “^aCelebrate the Passover to the LORD your God ^bas it is written in this Book of the Covenant.” 22 ^aTruly such a Passover had not been celebrated since the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah. 23 But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was celebrated to the LORD in Jerusalem.

24 Moreover, Josiah removed ^athe mediums, the spiritists, the ^1bhousehold idols, ^cthe idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, ^dso that he might ²fulfill the words of the Law which were written ^ein the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD. 25 Before him there was no king ^alike him who turned to the LORD with all his heart, all his soul, and all his might, in conformity to all the Law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him.

26 Nevertheless, the LORD did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath with which His anger burned against Judah, ^abecause of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him. 27 And the LORD said, “I will also remove Judah from My sight, ^ajust as I have removed Israel. And ^bI will reject this city which I have chosen, Jerusalem, and the ¹temple 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 ^aIn his days ^bPharaoh Neco king of Egypt went up to the king of Assyria at the river Euphrates. And King Josiah went to meet him, and when Pharaoh Neco saw him he killed him at ^cMegiddo. 30 ^aHis servants carried ¹his body in a chariot from Megiddo, and brought him to Jerusalem and buried him in his own tomb. ^bThen the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah and anointed him and made him king in place of his father.

31 ^aJehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned for three months in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was ^bHamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 32 He did evil in the sight of the LORD, ^ain accordance with all that his forefathers had done. 33 And ^aPharaoh Neco imprisoned him at ^bRiblah in the land of ^cHamath, so that he would not reign in Jerusalem; and he imposed on the land a fine of ¹a hundred talents of silver and ²a talent of gold.

34 Then Pharaoh Neco made ^aEliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of his father Josiah, and he ^bchanged his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz and ^1cbrought him to Egypt, and he died there. 35 So Jehoiakim ^agave the silver and gold to Pharaoh, but he assessed the land in order to give the money at the ¹command of Pharaoh. He collected the silver and gold from the people of the land, each according to his assessment, to give to Pharaoh Neco.

36 ^aJehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned for eleven years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Zebidah the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. 37 He did evil in the sight of the LORD, ^ain accordance with all that his forefathers had done.

^aThen 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 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 ^ahe read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant ^bwhich was found in the house of the LORD. 3 ^aThe king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD, ^bto walk after the LORD, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to carry out the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people ¹entered into the covenant.

4 Then the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest and ^athe priests of the second order and the ¹doorkeepers, ^bto bring out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, for ²Asherah, and for all the host of heaven; and ^che burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel. 5 He did away with the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had appointed to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah and in the surrounding area of Jerusalem, also those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and to the moon and to the constellations and to all the ^ahost of heaven. 6 He brought out the Asherah from the house of the LORD outside Jerusalem to the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and ^aground it to dust, and ^bthrew its dust on the graves of the ¹common people. 7 He also broke down the houses of the ^amale cult prostitutes which were in the house of the LORD, where ^bthe women were weaving ¹hangings for the Asherah. 8 Then he brought all the priests from the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from ^aGeba to Beersheba; and he broke down the high places of the gates which were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on one’s left at the city gate. 9 Nevertheless ^athe priests of the high places did not go up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened bread among their brothers. 10 ^aHe also defiled ¹Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, ^bthat no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire for ^cMolech. 11 He did away with the horses which the kings of Judah had given to the ^asun, at the entrance of the house of the LORD, by the chamber of Nathan-melech the official, which was in the precincts; and he burned the chariots of the sun with fire. 12 ^aThe altars which were on the roof, the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and ^bthe altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the LORD, the king broke down; and he ¹smashed them there and ^cthrew their dust into the brook Kidron. 13 The high places which were before Jerusalem, which were on the right of ^athe mount of destruction which Solomon the king of Israel had built for ^bAshtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for ^cChemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the sons of Ammon, the king defiled. 14 ^aHe broke in pieces the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherim and ^bfilled their places with human bones.

15 Furthermore, ^athe altar that was at Bethel and the ^bhigh place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin, had made, even that altar and the high place he broke down. Then he ^1cdemolished its stones, ground them to dust, and burned the Asherah. 16 Now when Josiah turned, he saw the graves that were there on the mountain, and he sent and took the bones from the graves and burned them on the altar and defiled it ^aaccording to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these things. 17 Then he said, “What is this monument that I see?” And the men of the city told him, “^aIt is the grave of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things which you have done against the altar of Bethel.” 18 He said, “Let him alone; let no one disturb his bones.” So they ¹left his bones undisturbed ^awith the bones of the prophet who came from Samaria. 19 Josiah also removed all the houses of the high places which were ^ain the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made provoking ¹the LORD; and he did to them ²just as he had done in Bethel. 20 All the priests of the high places who were there ^ahe slaughtered on the altars and burned human bones on them; then he returned to Jerusalem.

21 Then the king commanded all the people saying, “^aCelebrate the Passover to the LORD your God ^bas it is written in this book of the covenant.” 22 ^aSurely such a Passover had not been celebrated from the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel and of the kings of Judah. 23 But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was observed to the LORD in Jerusalem.

24 Moreover, Josiah ¹removed ^athe mediums and the spiritists and the ^bteraphim and ^cthe idols and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, ^dthat he might ²confirm the words of the law which were written ^ein the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD. 25 Before him there was no king ^alike 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; nor did any like him arise after him.

26 However, the LORD did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath with which His anger burned against Judah, ^abecause of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him. 27 The LORD said, “I will remove Judah also from My sight, ^aas I have removed Israel. And ^bI will cast off Jerusalem, this city which I have chosen, and the ¹temple 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 ^aIn his days ^bPharaoh Neco king of Egypt went up to the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates. And King Josiah went to meet him, and when Pharaoh Neco saw him he killed him at ^cMegiddo. 30 ^aHis servants drove ¹his body in a chariot from Megiddo, and brought him to Jerusalem and buried him in his own tomb. ^bThen the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah and anointed him and made him king in place of his father.

31 ^aJehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was ^bHamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 32 He did evil in the sight of the LORD, ^aaccording to all that his fathers had done. 33 ^aPharaoh Neco imprisoned him at ^bRiblah in the land of ^cHamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and he imposed on the land a fine of one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.

34 Pharaoh Neco made ^aEliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and ^bchanged his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz away and ^1cbrought him to Egypt, and he died there. 35 So Jehoiakim ^agave the silver and gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land in order to give the money at the ¹command of Pharaoh. He exacted the silver and gold from the people of the land, each according to his valuation, to give it to Pharaoh Neco.

36 ^aJehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Zebidah the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. 37 He did evil in the sight of the LORD, ^aaccording to all that his fathers had done.

^aKing Josiah sent word and they brought to him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem. 2 The king went up to the house of the LORD, and with him all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the prophets, and all the people, both small and great; and ^ahe read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant ^bwhich was found in the house (temple) of the LORD. 3 ^aThe king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD, ^bto walk after the LORD and to keep His commandments, His testimonies, and His statutes with all his heart and soul, to confirm the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people entered into the covenant.

4 Then the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest and ^athe priests of the second rank and the doorkeepers ^bto bring out of the temple of the LORD all the articles made for Baal, for the goddess Asherah, and for all the starry host of heaven; and ^che burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel where Israel’s idolatry began. 1+@Kin 12:28, 29 5 He got rid of the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense to pagan gods in the high places in Judah’s cities and all around Jerusalem—also those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun, to the moon, to the constellations of the zodiac, and to all the ^astarry host of heaven. 6 Josiah brought out the Asherah from the house of the LORD to the Brook Kidron outside Jerusalem, and burned it there, and ^aground it to dust, and ^bthrew its dust on the graves of the common people who had sacrificed to it. 7 And he tore down the houses of the ^amale cult prostitutes, which were at the house (temple) of the LORD, where ^bthe women were weaving tent hangings for the Asherah shrines. 8 Then Josiah brought all the idolatrous priests from the cities of Judah, and desecrated the high places where the priests had burned incense to idols, from ^aGeba to Beersheba, that is, north to south; and he tore down the high places of the gates which were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on one’s left at the city gate. 9 However, ^athe priests of the high places were not allowed to go up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem to serve, but they ate unleavened bread among their brothers. 10 ^aJosiah also defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of Ben-hinnom (son of Hinnom) , ^bso that no man could make his son or his daughter pass through the fire as a burnt offering for ^cMolech. Ezek 16:21 11 And he got rid of the horses that the kings of Judah had given in worship to the ^asun at the entrance of the house of the LORD, by the chamber of Nathan-melech the official, which was in the annex; and he burned the chariots of the sun. 12 ^aThe altars dedicated to the starry host of heaven which were on the roof, the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and ^bthe altars which Manasseh had made in the two courtyards of the house of the LORD, the king tore down; and he smashed them there and ^cthrew their dust into the Brook Kidron. 13 The king desecrated the high places which were opposite east of Jerusalem, which were on the right (south) of ^athe mount of corruption which Solomon the king of Israel had built for ^bAshtoreth the repulsiveness of the Sidonians, for ^cChemosh the repulsiveness of Moab, and for Milcom the repulsiveness of the sons (descendants) of Ammon. 14 ^aHe broke in pieces the sacred pillars (cultic memorial stones, images) and cut down the Asherim and ^breplaced them with human bones to desecrate the places forever.

15 Further, ^athe altar that was at Bethel, the ^bhigh place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin, had made, even that altar and the high place he tore down. Then he ^cdemolished its stones, ground them to dust, and burned the Asherah. 16 And as Josiah turned, he saw the graves that were there on the mountain, and he sent men and had the bones taken from the graves, and burned them on the altar and thereby desecrated it, ^ain accordance with the word of the LORD which the man of God prophesied, who proclaimed these things about this altar, naming Josiah before he was born. 1+@Kin 13:2-5 17 Then Josiah said, “What is this monument (gravestone) that I see?” The men of the city told him, “^aIt is the grave of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things which you have done to the altar of Bethel.” 18 He said, “Let him alone; let no one disturb his bones.” So they left his bones undisturbed, ^awith the bones of the prophet who came from Samaria. 1+@Kin 13:31, 32 19 Josiah also removed all the houses of the high places which were ^ain the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made provoking the LORD to anger; and he did to them just as he had done to those in Bethel. 20 ^aAll the priests of the high places who were there he slaughtered on the altars, and burned human bones on them to desecrate the places forever. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

21 Then the king commanded all the people, saying, “^aCelebrate the Passover to the LORD your God ^bas it is written in this book of the covenant.” 22 ^aIndeed, such a Passover as this had not been held since the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah. 23 But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover to the LORD was kept in Jerusalem.

24 Moreover, Josiah removed ^athe mediums and the soothsayers and the ^bteraphim (household gods) and ^cthe idols and all the repulsive things that were seen in Judah and in Jerusalem, ^dso that he might fulfill the words of the law written ^ein the book which Hilkiah the priest found in the house (temple) of the LORD. 25 Before him there was no king ^alike Josiah who turned to the LORD with all his heart and all his soul and all his might, in accordance with all the Law of Moses; nor did anyone like him arise after him.

26 However, the LORD did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath which was kindled against Judah ^abecause of all the ¹despicable acts with which Manasseh had provoked Him. 27 The LORD said, “I will also remove Judah from My sight, ^ajust as I have removed Israel; and ^bwill reject this city which I have chosen, this Jerusalem, and the house, of which I said, ‘My Name and the pledge of My Presence shall be there.’”

28 Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, everything that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 29 ^aIn his days ^bPharaoh Neco (Necho) king of Egypt went up to the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates to help him fight Nabopolassar the king of Babylon. King Josiah went out to meet him, but Pharaoh killed Josiah at ^cMegiddo when he saw him. 30 ^aJosiah’s servants carried his dead body in a chariot from Megiddo, brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own tomb. ^bThen the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah and anointed him and made him king in his father’s place.

31 ^aJehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned for only three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was ^bHamutal daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 32 He did evil in the sight of the LORD, ^ain accordance with everything that his forefathers had done. 33 ^aPharaoh Neco imprisoned him at ^bRiblah in the land of ^cHamath, so that he would not reign in Jerusalem, and imposed a fine on the land of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.

34 Pharaoh Neco made ^aEliakim the son of Josiah king in place of his father Josiah, and ^bchanged his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz and brought him ^cto Egypt, where he died. 35 Jehoiakim ^agave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land to give the money as Pharaoh commanded. He collected the silver and gold from the people of the land, from everyone according to his assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Neco.

36 ^aJehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned for eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. 37 He did evil in the sight of the LORD, ^ain accordance with everything that his forefathers had done.