ISV(i)
21 Hezekiah died, as did his ancestors, and his son Manasseh became king in his place.
21 1Manasseh Succeeds HezekiahManasseh began to reign at the age of twelve, and he reigned for 55 years in Jerusalem. His mother was named Hephzibah.
2 He did what the LORD considered to be evil, following the despicable practices of the nations whom the LORD had expelled in full view of the people of Israel.
3 He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed. He erected altars for Baal, crafted an Asherah, just as King Ahab of Israel had done, and worshipped and served the stars of heaven.
4 He also built altars in the LORD’s Temple, about which the LORD had said, “In Jerusalem I will place my Name.”
5 He built two altars to every star in the heavens in the two courts of the LORD’s Temple.
6 He made his son into a burnt offering, practiced witchcraft, used divination, and consorted with mediums and spirit-channelers. He practiced many things that the LORD considered to be evil and provoked him.
7 He also erected the carved image of Asherah that he had made inside the Temple about which the LORD had spoken to David and to his son Solomon, “I will put my Name forever in this Temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all of the tribes of Israel. 8 And I will not make Israel’s feet to wander anymore from the land that I have given to their ancestors, if they will only be careful to do everything that I have commanded them according to the entire Law that my servant Moses commanded them.” 9 But they would not listen. Manasseh led them astray to practice more evil than the nations whom the LORD had destroyed in the presence of the Israelis.
10The LORD Rebukes Manasseh’s IdolatrySo the LORD announced through his prophets,
11 “Because King Manasseh of Judah has committed these despicable things, acting more sinfully than did all of the Amorites who preceded him, including making Judah sin with its idols,
12 therefore this is what the LORD God of Israel says: ‘Look! I’m going to bring such a disaster to Jerusalem and Judah that both ears of those who hear about it will ring.
13 I’ll stretch out over Jerusalem the measuring line that is Samaria and the plumb line that is Ahab’s dynasty. Then I’ll wipe Jerusalem like one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down!
14 I will abandon the survivors of my heritage and hand them over to their enemies. They will become war booty and spoil to all of their enemies,
15 because they have done what I consider to be evil and they have provoked me from the day their ancestors left Egypt right up to this day!’”
16 In addition to this, Manasseh shed lots of innocent blood—until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another—besides his sin by which he caused Judah to sin by practicing what the LORD considered to be evil. 17 The rest of Manasseh’s deeds, including everything that he accomplished and the sin that he practiced, are recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah, are they not? 18 Manasseh died, as did his ancestors, and he was buried in the garden at his home in the Garden of Uzza. His son Amon became king in his place.
19Amon Reigns in JudahAmon began to reign at the age of 22, and ruled for two years in Jerusalem. His mother was named Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah.
20 He practiced what the LORD considered to be evil, just as his father Manasseh had done,
21 because he completely adopted his father’s lifestyle, serving the same idols his father had served and worshipped.
22 As a result, he abandoned the LORD God of his ancestors and did not walk in the LORD’s way.
23 Later on, Amon’s staff conspired against him and killed the king inside his own home.
24 But afterward, the people of the land executed everyone who had conspired against King Amon, and the people of the land installed his son Josiah to be king in his place.
25 Now the rest of Amon’s activities that he undertook are recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah, are they not? 26 He was buried in his own grave in the Garden of Uzza, and his son Josiah became king in his place.
22 1Josiah Succeeds AmonJosiah was an eight year old child when he began to reign, and he reigned for 31 years in Jerusalem. His mother was named Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath.
2 He practiced what the LORD considered to be right, living the way his ancestor David had lived, turning neither to the right nor to the left.
3 Eighteen years after King Josiah had begun to reign, the king sent Azaliah’s son Shaphan, grandson of Meshullam the scribe, to the LORD’s Temple. He told him, 4 “Go to the high priest Hilkiah, so he can count the money that has been brought into the LORD’s Temple by the doorkeepers who have been gathering it from the people. 5 Have them deliver it to the workmen who are supervising the LORD’s Temple, so that they may pay it over to the workmen who serve in the LORD’s Temple to repair its damages, 6 including paying the carpenters, builders, and masons, as well as buying timber and pre-carved stone to repair the Temple. 7 But you won’t need to force them to be accountable for money already paid to them, since they’re faithful.”
8Hilkiah Discovers an Ancient ArchiveLater on, Hilkiah the high priest informed Shaphan the scribe, “I’ve discovered the Book of the Law in the LORD’s Temple.” Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he began to read it.
9 Shaphan the scribe reported to King Josiah, brought up the matter to him, and told him, “Your servants have distributed the money that was found in the Temple by giving it to the workmen who supervise the LORD’s Temple.” 10 Then Shaphan the scribe informed the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” Then Shaphan read from it in the king’s presence.
11 When the king heard what was written in the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes 12 and issued these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Shaphan’s son Ahikam, Micaiah’s son Achbor, Shaphan the scribe, and the king’s servant Asaiah: 13 “Go ask the LORD for me, for the people, and for all of Judah about what’s written in this book that has been discovered, because the LORD’s anger is burning against us, since our ancestors have not listened to the words written in this book and have not lived according to everything that is written concerning us.”
14Huldah Predicts DisasterSo Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to the prophet Huldah, the wife of Tikvah’s son Shallum, the grandson of Harhas and supervisor of the royal wardrobe, who lived in the Second Quarter in Jerusalem. They spoke with her,
15 and she told them, “This is what the LORD God of Israel says: ‘Tell the man who sent you to me:
16 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Look! I’m bringing disaster on this place and on its inhabitants—everything written in the book that the king of Judah has read—
17 because they have abandoned me, burned incense to other gods, and they have provoked me to anger with everything that they’ve done. Therefore my anger is kindled against this place and it won’t be quenched!’”
18 Nevertheless, tell the king of Judah who sent you to ask the LORD about this, “This is what the LORD God of Israel says: ‘Now about what you’ve heard,
19 because your heart was sensitive, and you humbled yourself in the LORD’s presence when you heard what I had to say against this place and against its inhabitants—that they would become a desolation and a curse—and you have torn your clothes and cried out before me, be assured that I have truly heard you,’ declares the LORD.
20 ‘Therefore, look! I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be placed in your grave in peace. Your eyes will never see all the evil that I will bring on this place.’”’”
23 1Josiah’s CovenantAt this, the king sent for and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.
2 The king went up to the LORD’s Temple, accompanied by all the men of Judah, everyone who lived in Jerusalem, the priests, the prophets, and everyone—including those who were unimportant and those who were important—and he read to them everything written in the Book of the Covenant that had been discovered in the LORD’s Temple.
3 The king stood beside a pillar and made a covenant in the presence of the LORD: to follow after the LORD, to keep his commandments, his testimonies, and his statutes with all of his heart and soul, and to carry out what was written in the covenant contained in the book. All the people consented to enter into the covenant.
4Josiah Abolishes IdolatryThe king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the priests of the secondary order, and the doorkeepers to take out of the LORD’s Temple all of the implements that had been crafted for Baal, for Asherah, and for every star in the heavens. Then he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron and carried the ashes to Bethel.
5 The king unseated the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had appointed to burn incense in the high places throughout the cities of Judah and in the environs surrounding Jerusalem, including those who had been burning incense to Baal, to the sun, to the moon, to the constellations, and to every star in the heavens.
6 He brought the Asherah from the LORD’s Temple to the Kidron Brook outside Jerusalem, burned it at the Kidron brook, pulverized the ashes to dust, and scattered it over the graves of the common people.
7 He also demolished the temples of the cultic male prostitutes that had been operating in the LORD’s Temple, where the women had been doing weaving for the Asherah. 8 Then he gathered together all the priests from the cities of Judah and defiled the high places from Geba to Beer-sheba, where the priests had burned incense. He also demolished the high places of the gates that had been erected to the left as one enters the city gate—that is, near the entrance operated by Joshua, the governor of the city. 9 Nevertheless, the priests of the high places did not approach the LORD’s altar in Jerusalem, but instead they ate unleavened bread given to them by their relatives.
10 He also defiled Topheth, which is located in the Ben-hinnom Valley, so that no one would force his son or daughter to pass through the fire in dedication to Molech. 11 He abolished the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun at the entrance to the LORD’s Temple, near the offices of Nathan-melech, the official, that were in the precincts. He also set fire to the chariots of the sun.
12 The king demolished the rooftop altars on top of Ahaz’s upper chamber that the kings of Judah had erected, as well as the altars that Manasseh had made in the two courts of the LORD’s Temple. He pulverized them where they stood and cast their dust into the Kidron Brook. 13 The king defiled the high places which faced Jerusalem on the south side of Corruption Mountain, which King Solomon of Israel had constructed for Ashtoreth, the Sidonian abomination, for Chemosh, the Moabite abomination, and for Milcom, the Ammonite abomination. 14 He broke the pillars to pieces, cut down the Asherim, and filled their locations with human bones.
15 Furthermore, he even broke down the altar that had been at Bethel as well as the high place constructed by Nebat’s son Jeroboam, who had caused Israel to sin. He demolished its stones, pulverized them to dust, and burned the Asherah. 16 As Josiah turned around, he observed the graves located there on the mountain, so he sent for and recovered the bones from the graves and burned them on the altar to defile it, in keeping with the message from the LORD that the godly man had proclaimed when he was declaring these things. 17 He asked, “What is this monument that I’m looking at?”
The men who lived in that city answered him, “It’s the grave of that godly man who came from Judah and predicted these things that you’ve done against the altar at Bethel!”
18 Josiah replied, “Leave him alone. No one is to disturb his bones.” So they preserved his bones undisturbed, along with the bones of the prophet who had come from Samaria. 19 Josiah also removed all of the temples on the high places that had been in the cities of Samaria and that the kings of Israel had erected, thereby provoking the LORD. He treated Samaria just as he had Bethel. 20 After he had slaughtered all the priests who served at the high places and burned their bones on those high places, he returned to Jerusalem.
21Josiah Reinstates the PassoverAfter this, the king commanded all of the people, “Celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God, just as it’s prescribed in this Book of the Covenant.”
22 From the days of the judges who ruled in Israel, no Passover had been celebrated like this, not even in all the reigns of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah.
23 In the eighteenth year of the reign of King Josiah, this Passover was observed in Jerusalem to honor the LORD.
24 Furthermore, Josiah removed the mediums, the necromancers, the household gods, the idols, and every despicable thing that could be seen in the territory of Judah and in Jerusalem, so that he might confirm the words of the Law that had been written in the book that Hilkiah the priest had discovered in the LORD’s Temple.
25 There had been no king like him before him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his strength, in obeying everything in the Law of Moses. No king arose like Josiah after him.
26 Even so, the LORD did not turn away from his fierce and great anger that burned against Judah because of everything with which Manasseh had provoked him. 27 The LORD said, “I’m going to remove Judah from my sight as well, just as I’ve removed Israel. I will abandon Jerusalem, this city that I’ve chosen, as well as the Temple, about which I’ve spoken, ‘My Name shall remain there.’”
28Pharaoh Neco Kills JosiahNow the rest of Josiah’s actions, including everything that he did, are recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah, are they not?
29 During his reign, Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt, marched out toward the Euphrates River to meet the king of Assyria. King Josiah went out to engage him in battle, but Pharaoh Neco killed him at Megiddo as soon as he saw him.
30 Josiah’s servants drove his corpse in a chariot from Megiddo to Jerusalem and buried him in a tomb made for him.
Jehoahaz is Anointed KingThe people of the land took Josiah’s son Jehoahaz, anointed him, and installed him as king in his father’s place.
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7 He also erected the carved image of Asherah that he had made inside the Temple about which the LORD had spoken to David and to his son Solomon, “I will put my Name forever in this Temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all of the tribes of Israel. 8 And I will not make Israel’s feet to wander anymore from the land that I have given to their ancestors, if they will only be careful to do everything that I have commanded them according to the entire Law that my servant Moses commanded them.” 9 But they would not listen. Manasseh led them astray to practice more evil than the nations whom the LORD had destroyed in the presence of the Israelis.
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16 In addition to this, Manasseh shed lots of innocent blood—until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another—besides his sin by which he caused Judah to sin by practicing what the LORD considered to be evil. 17 The rest of Manasseh’s deeds, including everything that he accomplished and the sin that he practiced, are recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah, are they not? 18 Manasseh died, as did his ancestors, and he was buried in the garden at his home in the Garden of Uzza. His son Amon became king in his place.
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25 Now the rest of Amon’s activities that he undertook are recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah, are they not? 26 He was buried in his own grave in the Garden of Uzza, and his son Josiah became king in his place.
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3 Eighteen years after King Josiah had begun to reign, the king sent Azaliah’s son Shaphan, grandson of Meshullam the scribe, to the LORD’s Temple. He told him, 4 “Go to the high priest Hilkiah, so he can count the money that has been brought into the LORD’s Temple by the doorkeepers who have been gathering it from the people. 5 Have them deliver it to the workmen who are supervising the LORD’s Temple, so that they may pay it over to the workmen who serve in the LORD’s Temple to repair its damages, 6 including paying the carpenters, builders, and masons, as well as buying timber and pre-carved stone to repair the Temple. 7 But you won’t need to force them to be accountable for money already paid to them, since they’re faithful.”
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9 Shaphan the scribe reported to King Josiah, brought up the matter to him, and told him, “Your servants have distributed the money that was found in the Temple by giving it to the workmen who supervise the LORD’s Temple.” 10 Then Shaphan the scribe informed the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” Then Shaphan read from it in the king’s presence.
11 When the king heard what was written in the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes 12 and issued these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Shaphan’s son Ahikam, Micaiah’s son Achbor, Shaphan the scribe, and the king’s servant Asaiah: 13 “Go ask the LORD for me, for the people, and for all of Judah about what’s written in this book that has been discovered, because the LORD’s anger is burning against us, since our ancestors have not listened to the words written in this book and have not lived according to everything that is written concerning us.”
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7 He also demolished the temples of the cultic male prostitutes that had been operating in the LORD’s Temple, where the women had been doing weaving for the Asherah. 8 Then he gathered together all the priests from the cities of Judah and defiled the high places from Geba to Beer-sheba, where the priests had burned incense. He also demolished the high places of the gates that had been erected to the left as one enters the city gate—that is, near the entrance operated by Joshua, the governor of the city. 9 Nevertheless, the priests of the high places did not approach the LORD’s altar in Jerusalem, but instead they ate unleavened bread given to them by their relatives.
10 He also defiled Topheth, which is located in the Ben-hinnom Valley, so that no one would force his son or daughter to pass through the fire in dedication to Molech. 11 He abolished the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun at the entrance to the LORD’s Temple, near the offices of Nathan-melech, the official, that were in the precincts. He also set fire to the chariots of the sun.
12 The king demolished the rooftop altars on top of Ahaz’s upper chamber that the kings of Judah had erected, as well as the altars that Manasseh had made in the two courts of the LORD’s Temple. He pulverized them where they stood and cast their dust into the Kidron Brook. 13 The king defiled the high places which faced Jerusalem on the south side of Corruption Mountain, which King Solomon of Israel had constructed for Ashtoreth, the Sidonian abomination, for Chemosh, the Moabite abomination, and for Milcom, the Ammonite abomination. 14 He broke the pillars to pieces, cut down the Asherim, and filled their locations with human bones.
15 Furthermore, he even broke down the altar that had been at Bethel as well as the high place constructed by Nebat’s son Jeroboam, who had caused Israel to sin. He demolished its stones, pulverized them to dust, and burned the Asherah. 16 As Josiah turned around, he observed the graves located there on the mountain, so he sent for and recovered the bones from the graves and burned them on the altar to defile it, in keeping with the message from the LORD that the godly man had proclaimed when he was declaring these things. 17 He asked, “What is this monument that I’m looking at?”
The men who lived in that city answered him, “It’s the grave of that godly man who came from Judah and predicted these things that you’ve done against the altar at Bethel!”
18 Josiah replied, “Leave him alone. No one is to disturb his bones.” So they preserved his bones undisturbed, along with the bones of the prophet who had come from Samaria. 19 Josiah also removed all of the temples on the high places that had been in the cities of Samaria and that the kings of Israel had erected, thereby provoking the LORD. He treated Samaria just as he had Bethel. 20 After he had slaughtered all the priests who served at the high places and burned their bones on those high places, he returned to Jerusalem.
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26 Even so, the LORD did not turn away from his fierce and great anger that burned against Judah because of everything with which Manasseh had provoked him. 27 The LORD said, “I’m going to remove Judah from my sight as well, just as I’ve removed Israel. I will abandon Jerusalem, this city that I’ve chosen, as well as the Temple, about which I’ve spoken, ‘My Name shall remain there.’”
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