2 Kings 23 Cross References - NSB

¹ Then the king sent for all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem to join him. ² The king went up to the Temple of Jehovah. All the inhabitants of Judah young and old also went to Jehovah’s Temple. Josiah read everything written in the Book of the Promise found in Jehovah’s Temple so they could all hear it. ³ The king stood beside the pillar and made a promise to Jehovah that he would follow Jehovah and obey his commands, instructions, and laws with all his heart and mind. He confirmed the terms of the promise written in this book. All the people joined in the promise. ⁴ Then the king ordered the high priest Hilkiah, the priests who served under Hilkiah, and the doorkeepers to remove from Jehovah’s Temple all utensils that had been made for Baal, Asherah, and the entire army of heaven. Josiah burned the utensils outside Jerusalem. It was in an open field near the Kidron Brook. Then he carried their ashes to Bethel. ⁵ He got rid of the pagan priests. The kings of Judah appointed them to sacrifice at the illegal places of worship in the cities of Judah and all around Jerusalem. They had been sacrificing to Baal, the sun god, the moon god, the constellations of the zodiac (Mazzalohth Constellation-Job 38:32), and the entire army of heaven. ⁶ He removed the pole dedicated to the goddess Asherah from the temple. He took it to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem. There he burned it in the Kidron Valley, ground it to dust, and threw its ashes on the tombs of the common people. ⁷ He tore down the houses of the male temple (cult) prostitutes who were in Jehovah’s Temple. This is where women did weaving for Asherah. ⁸ He brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah from Geba to Beersheba and made the places where those priests sacrificed unclean. He tore down the worship site at the entrance of the Gate of Joshua, the gate named after the mayor of the city. The worship site was to the left of anyone going through the city gate. ⁹ The priests of the illegal worship sites had never gone to Jehovah’s altar in Jerusalem. Instead, they ate their unleavened bread among the other worshipers. ¹⁰ Josiah also made Topheth in the valley of Ben Hinnom unclean so that people would never again sacrifice their sons or daughters by burning them to the god Molech. ¹¹ He also removed the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the worship of the sun. He burned the chariots used in this worship. ¹² The altars the kings of Judah built on the palace roof above King Ahaz' quarters, King Josiah tore down, along with the altars put up by King Manasseh in the two courtyards of the Temple. He smashed the altars to bits and threw them into Kidron Valley. ¹³ The king made the illegal places of worship east of Jerusalem unclean. They were on the southern part of the Hill of Destruction. King Solomon of Israel built them for Astarte the disgusting goddess of the Sidonians. Also made unclean were references to Chemosh the disgusting god of Moab, and Milcom the disgusting god of the Ammonites. ¹⁴ Josiah crushed the sacred stones. He cut down the poles dedicated to Asherah. And he filled their places with human bones. ¹⁵ He also tore down the altar at Bethel the place of worship made by Jeroboam, who had made Israel sin. He tore down both the altar and the place of worship. They burned the worship site. They crushed it into powder and burned the pole dedicated to Asherah. ¹⁶ Josiah turned and saw the tombs on the hill. He sent men to take the bones out of the tombs and burn them on the altar to make it unclean. This fulfilled the word of Jehovah announced by the man of God. ¹⁷ »What is that headstone I see over there?« Josiah asked. The men of the town said: »It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah. The one who foretold all these things you have done to the altar of Bethel.« ¹⁸ He said: »Let him be. Do not move his bones.« So they let his bones be with the bones of the prophet who came from Samaria. ¹⁹ Josiah removed all the houses of the high places the kings of Israel built in the towns of Samaria. This provoked Jehovah to anger and he did with them as he had done in Bethel. ²⁰ He killed all the priests of the high places on the altars. Their bones were burned on the altars. Then the king went back to Jerusalem. ²¹ The king gave orders to all the people. He said: »Keep the Passover to Jehovah 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 Jehovah in Jerusalem. ²⁴ Josiah removed all the spirit mediums, the foretellers, the images, and the false gods, and all the disgusting things seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem. That way he could establish the words of the agreement recorded in the book Hilkiah the priest discovered in the Temple of Jehovah. ²⁵ Never before had there been a king like him. He turned to Jehovah with all his heart and his entire mind and all his power. As the Law of Moses says: and after him there was no king like him. ²⁶ Still the heat of Jehovah’s anger was not turned back from Judah. This is because of all Manasseh had done in moving him to anger. ²⁷ Jehovah 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. It is Jerusalem my town. 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 recorded in the book of the History of the Kings of Judah. ²⁹ In his days, Pharaoh Necho, king of Egypt, sent his armies against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates. King Josiah went out against him. Josiah was killed when he saw him at Megiddo. ³⁰ His servants took his body in a carriage from Megiddo to Jerusalem. They buried him there. The people of the land took Jehoahaz 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. He ruled 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 Jehovah, as his fathers had done. ³³ And Pharaoh Necho put him in chains at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So that he was not king in Jerusalem. Pharaoh Necho extracted from the land a tax of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. ³⁴ Then Pharaoh Necho made Eliakim son of Josiah king in place of Josiah his father. He changed his name to Jehoiakim. He took Jehoahaz away to Egypt, where he remained till he died. ³⁵ Jehoiakim gave the silver and gold to Pharaoh. He ordered that the land be taxed to get the money. All the people of the land had to give silver and gold in order to make the payment to Pharaoh Necho. ³⁶ Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for eleven years. His mother's name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. ³⁷ He did evil in the eyes of Jehovah as his fathers had done.

⁴ They prepared to retire for the night when suddenly all the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city and surrounded the house. ⁵ They shouted to Lot: »Where are the men who came to spend the night with you? Bring them out so we can have sex with them!«

¹¹ Then they blinded the men of Sodom so they could not find the doorway.

³¹ Therefore he called that place Beer-sheba, because there the two of them took an oath.

²³ He went from there to Beer-sheba.

¹⁹ When Laban went to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols.

⁴⁵ Pharaoh named Joseph, Zaphenath-paneah. He gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, as his wife. And Joseph went forth over the land of Egypt.

³ »Tell the whole community of Israel: ‘On the tenth day of this month each man must take a sheep for his family, one animal per household. ⁴ »‘A household may be too small to eat a whole animal. That household and the one next-door can share one animal. Choose your animal based on the number of people and what each person can eat. ⁵ »‘Your animal must be a one-year-old male that has no defects. You may choose a lamb or a young goat. ⁶ »‘Take care of it until the fourteenth day of this month. Then at dusk, all the assembled people from the community of Israel must slaughter their animals. ⁷ »‘Some of the blood must be put on the two doorposts and above the door of each house where the animals are to be eaten. ⁸ »‘That night the animals are to be roasted and eaten, together with bitter herbs (greens) and unleavened bread made without yeast. ⁹ »‘Do not eat the meat raw or boiled. The entire animal, including its head, legs, and insides, must be roasted. ¹⁰ »‘Eat what you want that night, and the next morning burn whatever is left. ¹¹ »‘Eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste. It is Jehovah’s Passover.’« ¹² Jehovah said: »That night I will go through the land of Egypt. I will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast. I will execute judgments against all the gods of Egypt! I am Jehovah! ¹³ »The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you live. When I see the blood I will pass over you. No plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. ¹⁴ »This day will be a memorial to you. You shall celebrate it as a feast to Jehovah. You are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance throughout your generations. ¹⁵ »You will eat unleavened bread for seven days. The first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. Whoever eats anything leavened from the first day until the seventh day will be cut off from Israel. ¹⁶ »You shall have a holy assembly on the first day. There should be another holy assembly on the seventh day. No work at all will be done on them, except what must be eaten by every person that alone may be prepared by you. ¹⁷ »You shall also observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread. That was the day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt. Observe this day throughout your generations as a long lasting ordinance. ¹⁸ »In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. ¹⁹ »There shall be no leaven found in your houses for seven days. Whoever eats what is leavened shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is an alien or a native of the land. ²⁰ »You shall not eat anything leavened. Eat unleavened bread in all your dwellings.«

²² »When a pregnant woman suffers a miscarriage as the result of an injury caused by someone who is fighting, if she is not badly hurt, the one who injured her must pay whatever fine her husband demands and the judges approve.

²⁰ »The person who sacrifices to any god except Jehovah must be condemned and destroyed.

²⁴ »Do not worship or serve their gods or follow their practices. You must destroy their gods and crush their sacred stones.

³ Moses told the people all Jehovah’s words and legal decisions. Then all the people answered with one voice: »We will do everything Jehovah told us to do.«

⁷ He took the book of the covenant, in which Jehovah’s commandments were written, and read it aloud to the people. They said: »We will obey Jehovah. We will do everything that he has commanded.« ⁸ Moses took the blood from the bowls and sprinkled it on the people. Next, he told them: With this blood Jehovah makes his agreement with you.

²⁰ He took the bull-calf that they had made, melted it, ground it into fine powder, and mixed it with water. Then he made the people of Israel drink it.

²⁵ All the skilled women brought fine linen thread and thread of blue, purple, and red wool, which they made. ²⁶ They also made thread of goats’ hair.

²¹ »‘Never give your children as sacrifices to the god Molech by burning them alive. If you do, you are dishonoring the name of your God. I am Jehovah!

³¹ »‘Do not turn to psychics or mediums to get help. That will make you unclean. I am Jehovah your God.

²⁷ »‘If you claim to receive messages from the dead, you will be put to death by stoning, just as you deserve.

⁵ »‘The Passover, celebrated to honor Jehovah, begins at sunset on the fourteenth day of the first month. ⁶ »‘The fifteenth day of the same month the Festival of Unleavened Bread begins. You must not eat any bread made with yeast for seven days. ⁷ »‘Gather to worship on the first of these days. Do none of your daily work. ⁸ »‘Bring a sacrifice to Jehovah for seven days. On the seventh day there will be a holy assembly. Do not do any regular work.’«

² »The Israelites should celebrate the Passover at the same time every year. ³ »You must celebrate it on the fourteenth day of this month at dusk. Follow all the rules and regulations for the celebration of the Passover.« ⁴ So Moses told the Israelites to celebrate the Passover. ⁵ They celebrated it on the fourteenth day of the first month at dusk while they were in the Desert of Sinai. The Israelites did everything as Jehovah commanded Moses.

¹⁶ »‘Whoever is outdoors and touches someone who was killed or has died naturally or anyone who touches a human bone or a grave will be unclean for seven days.

¹⁸ »‘A person who is clean will take a sprig of hyssop, dip it in the water, and sprinkle the tent, all the furnishings, and all the people who were in the tent with the dead body. He must also sprinkle any person who has touched a human bone or a grave and any person who has touched someone who has been killed or who has died naturally.

²⁹ »You Moabites are done for! Your god Chemosh deserted your people. They were captured, taken away by King Sihon the Amorite.

¹⁶ »‘Jehovah’s Passover is the fourteenth day of the first month. ¹⁷ »‘The feast of unleavened bread in the fifteenth of this same month. For seven days you must eat only unleavened bread. ¹⁸ »‘There will be a holy assembly on the first day. Do not do any regular work. ¹⁹ »‘Instead, bring Jehovah an offering by fire, a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year-old lambs, all of them without defects. ²⁰ »‘In addition to them bring grain offerings of flour mixed with olive oil. Bring twenty-four cups for each bull, sixteen cups for each ram, ²¹ and eight cups for each of the seven lambs. ²² »‘Also bring one male goat as an offering for sin to pay compensation for wrongdoing and make peace with Jehovah. ²³ »‘Offer these in addition to the morning burnt offering. ²⁴ »‘Bring all these offerings on each of the seven days. They are food. They are offerings by fire, a soothing aroma to Jehovah. They will be offered in addition to the daily burnt offering and the wine offering that goes with it. ²⁵ »‘On the seventh day you must have a holy assembly. You must not do any regular work.

⁵² »As you advance, force out all the people who live there. Get rid of all their stone and metal idols, and destroy all their places of worship.

¹¹ »It will then go south to Harbel, east of Ain, and on to the hills on the eastern shore of Lake Galilee,

²¹ So they spied on the land from the wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob, at Lebo-hamath.

¹⁹ »Do not be tempted to bow down and worship the sun or moon or stars (the host or army of the heavens). Jehovah put them there a heritage for all the people under the heavens.

⁵ »Deal with them in this way: Destroy their altars and break down their sacred pillars. Cut down their idols and burn them with fire.

²⁵ »Burn the carved images of their gods with fire. Do not covet the silver or the gold that is on them. Do not take it for yourselves, or you will be snared by it. It is an abomination to Jehovah your God.

²⁵ »Burn the carved images of their gods with fire. Do not covet the silver or the gold that is on them. Do not take it for yourselves, or you will be snared by it. It is an abomination to Jehovah your God. ²⁶ »Do not bring an abomination into your house. You must utterly detest it and you must utterly abhor it, for it is something banned.«

¹⁹ »I warn you: ‘If you forget Jehovah your God and worship other gods, you will perish.’«

²¹ »I took your sinful thing, the calf that you had made, and burned it with fire and crushed it. I ground it very small until it was as fine as dust. I threw its dust into the brook that flowed down the mountain.

¹² »Now, O Israel, what does Jehovah your God require from you? You are to respect Jehovah your God. Walk in all his ways and love him! Serve Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your being.

¹³ »If you faithfully obey my commandments that I give you today, love Jehovah your God, and serve him with all your heart and with all your being,

⁴ »Follow Jehovah and respect him. Obey him and keep his commandments. Worship him and be faithful to him (stick to him) (stay close to him) (cleave, cling to him). ⁵ »Put to death any interpreters of dreams or prophets that tell you to rebel against Jehovah. For he (Jehovah) rescued you from Egypt, where you were slaves. Such people are evil and are trying to lead you away from the life that Jehovah has commanded you to live. They must be put to death, in order to get rid of this evil.

²⁹ »From there you will seek Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your being. And you will find him!

⁴⁵ After they came out of Egypt they were in the valley east of the Jordan River he gave them the laws.

¹ Moses called all the people of Israel, and said: »Hear, O Israel, the regulations and laws I declare to you today. Learn them and obey them! ² »Jehovah our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. ³ »Jehovah did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, all of us here alive today.

¹ »These are the commands, decrees and laws Jehovah your God commanded me to teach you. Obey them after you enter the land and take possession of it.

⁵ »You must love Jehovah your God with all your heart and with your entire mind and with all your strength.

¹ »Observe the month of Abib and celebrate the Passover to Jehovah your God. It was in the month of Abib that Jehovah your God brought you out of Egypt by night. ² »Sacrifice the Passover to Jehovah your God from the flock and the herd, in the place where Jehovah chooses to establish his name. ³ »Do not eat leavened bread with it. Eat unleavened bread for seven days. It is the bread of affliction. You should remember all the days of your life the day when you came out of the land of Egypt in haste. ⁴ »No leaven should be seen with you in all your territory for seven days. None of the flesh you sacrifice on the evening of the first day shall remain overnight until morning. ⁵ »You are not allowed to sacrifice the Passover in any of your towns Jehovah your God is giving you. ⁶ »It must be at the place where Jehovah your God chooses to establish his name. Sacrifice the Passover in the evening at sunset, at the time that you came out of Egypt. ⁷ »Cook and eat it in the place Jehovah your God chooses. In the morning you are to return to your tents. ⁸ »Eat unleavened bread for six days. On the seventh day there shall be a solemn assembly to Jehovah your God. Do not do work on it.

⁸ »When you build a new house make a parapet (wall) for your roof. This way you will not bring bloodguilt on your house if anyone falls from it.

¹ These are the terms of the covenant that Jehovah commanded Moses to make with the people of Israel in the land of Moab. All this was in addition to the covenant Jehovah made with them at Mount Sinai.

¹⁰ »You stand today, all of you, before Jehovah your God: your leaders, your tribes, your elders and your officers, even all the men of Israel. ¹¹ »Your little ones, your wives, and the alien who is within your camps, from the one who chops your wood to the one who draws your water, ¹² that you may enter into the covenant with Jehovah your God, and into His oath that Jehovah your God is making with you today. ¹³ »Jehovah will confirm today with this promise that you are his people and that he is your God. This is what he told you. This is what he promised your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with an oath. ¹⁴ »You are not the only people to receive this promise and its conditions. ¹⁵ »It is for those of you who are standing here with us today in the presence of Jehovah our God and also for those who are not here today.

²⁷ »‘Jehovah became angry against this land and brought on it all the curses described in this book. ²⁸ »‘His fierce anger and fury caused Jehovah to uproot these people from their land and deported them to another country. This is where they still are today.’

¹⁰ Moses commanded them: »At the end of every seven years, at the time of the year of remission of debts, at the Feast of Booths, ¹¹ when all Israel comes to appear before Jehovah your God at the place he will choose, you shall read this Law in front of all Israel in their hearing. ¹² »Assemble the people, the men and the women and children and the alien who is in your town. Assemble them that they may hear and learn and respect Jehovah your God, and be careful to observe all the words of this Law. ¹³ »Their children, who have not known, will hear and learn to respect Jehovah your God, as long as you live on the land you will possess when you cross the Jordan River.

²⁶ »Take this Book of the Law, and put it next to the Ark of the Covenant of Jehovah your God, where it will be a witness against you.

²⁸ »Assemble all the elders of your tribes and your officers in front of me. As they listen, I will speak these words and call on heaven and earth to testify against them.

¹⁰ »Do not sacrifice your children in the fires on your altars. Do not let your people practice divination or look for omens or use spells or charms.

¹⁰ »Do not sacrifice your children in the fires on your altars. Do not let your people practice divination or look for omens or use spells or charms. ¹¹ »Do not allow them to consult the spirits of the dead. ¹² »Jehovah your God hates people who do these disgusting things. That is why he is driving those nations out of the land as you advance.

⁸ The border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom to the south side of the Jebusite; the same is Jerusalem: and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lies before the Valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the Valley of the Giants northward:

¹¹ Manasseh had in Issachar and in Asher Beth-shean and her towns, and Ibleam and her towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, and the inhabitants of Endor and her towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach and her towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns, even three countries.

¹⁸ It passed along toward the side over against Arabah northward, and went down to Arabah:

¹⁷ From the territory of Benjamin they were given four cities: Gibeon, Geba,

²⁴ The people said to Joshua: »We will serve Jehovah our God. We will obey his commands.« ²⁵ Joshua made a covenant for the people that day at Shechem. He gave them laws and rules to follow.

²⁷ Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and her towns, nor Taanach and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns: but the Canaanites wanted to live in that land.

¹³ They forsook Jehovah and served Baal and Ashtaroth.

⁷ The people of Israel forgot Jehovah their God. They sinned against him and worshiped the idols of Baal and Asherah.

⁶ Once again the Israelites did evil against Jehovah by worshiping the Baals and the Astartes. They also worshiped the gods of Syria, of Sidon, of Moab, of Ammon, and of the Philistines. They abandoned Jehovah and stopped worshiping him.

²⁴ »‘Are you going to try to take it back? You can keep whatever your god Chemosh has given you. But we are going to keep everything Jehovah, our God, has taken for us.

¹⁹ »The kings fought at Taanach, by the stream of Megiddo. The kings of Canaan fought, but they took no silver away.

⁵ Micah had his own place of worship. He made some idols and an ephod, and appointed one of his sons as his priest.

¹⁷ The five spies went straight into the house. They took the wooden idol covered with silver, the other idols, and the ephod. The priest stayed at the gate with the six hundred armed men. ¹⁸ The men went into Micah’s house and took the sacred objects. The priest asked them: »What are you doing?«

¹ The people of Israel came from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, as well as from the land of Gilead in the east. They were united in Jehovah’s presence at Mizpah.

⁹ After they had moved it, Jehovah threw the city into a great panic. He struck all the people in the city and they were covered with tumors.

⁴ So the Israelites got rid of their idols of Baal and Astarte. They worshiped only Jehovah.

³⁶ »‘Your descendants who survive will have to go to that priest and ask him for money and food, and beg to be allowed to help the priests, in order to have something to eat.’«

¹⁰ »Again they cried to Jehovah for help! They said: ‘We have sinned, because we turned away from you, Jehovah. We worshiped the idols of the Baals and the Ashtoreth (Greek: Astarte). Rescue us from our enemies. We will worship you!’«

³ After Samuel died all the Israelites mourned for him. They buried him in his hometown of Ramah. Saul forced all the fortunetellers and mediums to leave Israel. ⁴ The Philistine troops assembled and camped near the town of Shunem. Saul gathered the Israelites and camped at Mount Gilboa. ⁵ Saul was terrified when he saw the Philistine army. ⁶ So he asked Jehovah what to do. But Jehovah did not answer him. He did not answer by dreams or by the use of Urim and Thummim or by prophets. ⁷ Saul ordered his officials: »Find me a woman who is a medium. I will go and consult her.« »There is one in Endor,« they answered.

² They captured the women young and old. However they killed no one. Instead, they took the women as prisoners.

¹ Once again David called together the best soldiers in Israel, a total of thirty thousand men.

²³ The people cried loudly as David’s followers left. The king crossed Kidron Brook. His men followed him. They went to the wilderness.

⁴ »‘If you obey Jehovah he will keep the promise he made when he told me, ‘Your descendants will rule Israel as long as they are careful to obey my commands faithfully with all their heart and being.’

⁹ There was nothing inside the Ark of the Covenant except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed there at Mount Sinai, when Jehovah made a covenant with the people of Israel as they were coming from Egypt.

²⁹ »Watch over this Temple day and night. For this is the place where you have chosen to be worshiped. Hear me when I face this Temple and pray.

⁴⁸ »If they change their attitude toward you in the land of their enemies where they are captives, if they pray to you toward the land that you gave their ancestors, and the city you have chosen, and the temple I have built for your name,

¹² Baana son of Ahilud: the cities of Taanach, Megiddo, and all the region near Beth Shan, near the town of Zarethan, south of the town of Jezreel, as far as the city of Abel Meholah and the city of Jokmeam.

⁶⁵ At that time Solomon and all Israel celebrated the festival. A large crowd had come from the territory between the border of Hamath and the River of Egypt to be near Jehovah our God for seven days.

³ Jehovah said: »I have heard your prayers and your supplication you made. I have made this house holy. I put my name there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there at all times.

⁵ Solomon went after Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Zidonians, and Milcom, the disgusting god of the Ammonites.

⁷ Then Solomon put up a high place for Chemosh, the disgusting god of Moab, in the mountain near Jerusalem. And for Molech, the disgusting god worshipped by the children of Ammon.

³³ »‘I am going to do this because Solomon has rejected me and has worshiped foreign gods. Astarte, the goddess of Sidon; Chemosh, the god of Moab; and Molech, the god of Ammon. Solomon disobeyed me. He has done wrong! He has not obeyed my laws and commands as his father David did.

²⁸ After asking for advice, the king made two golden calves. He said: You have been worshiping in Jerusalem long enough. Israel, here are your gods who brought you out of Egypt. ²⁹ He placed one in Bethel and the other in Dan.

³¹ Jeroboam built worship sites on hilltops. He appointed men who were not descended from Levi to be priests.

¹ A man of God from Judah went to Bethel. He arrived there while Jeroboam was at the altar ready to offer a sacrifice.

¹ A man of God from Judah went to Bethel. He arrived there while Jeroboam was at the altar ready to offer a sacrifice.

¹ A man of God from Judah went to Bethel. He arrived there while Jeroboam was at the altar ready to offer a sacrifice. ² He actually spoke against the altar: »O altar, altar, this is what Jehovah says: ‘A child, whose name will be Josiah, will be born to the family of David. He will slaughter the priests serving at the pagan altars who offer sacrifices on you. He will burn human bones on you.’«

² He actually spoke against the altar: »O altar, altar, this is what Jehovah says: ‘A child, whose name will be Josiah, will be born to the family of David. He will slaughter the priests serving at the pagan altars who offer sacrifices on you. He will burn human bones on you.’«

² He actually spoke against the altar: »O altar, altar, this is what Jehovah says: ‘A child, whose name will be Josiah, will be born to the family of David. He will slaughter the priests serving at the pagan altars who offer sacrifices on you. He will burn human bones on you.’« ³ The prophet went on to say: »This altar will fall apart. The ashes on it will be scattered. Then you will know that Jehovah has spoken through me.« ⁴ King Jeroboam heard this. He pointed his outstretched hand at him and ordered: »Seize that man!« At once the king's arm became paralyzed so that he could not pull it back. ⁵ The altar suddenly fell apart and the ashes spilled to the ground. This is what the prophet predicted in the name of Jehovah. ⁶ King Jeroboam said to the prophet: »Please pray to Jehovah your God for me, and ask him to heal my arm!« The prophet prayed to Jehovah and the king's arm was healed. ⁷ Then the king said to the prophet: »Come home with me and have something to eat. I will reward you for what you have done.« ⁸ The prophet answered: Even if you gave me half of your wealth, I would not go with you or eat or drink anything with you. ⁹ I was ordered by the word of Jehovah, he said: »You are not to take food or a drink of water, and you are not to go back the way you came.« ¹⁰ So he went another way, and not by the way he came to Bethel. ¹¹ There was an old prophet living in Bethel. His sons told him what the man of God had done that day in Bethel. They reported what he said to the king. ¹² Their father asked: »Which way did he go?« His sons saw which way the man of God went. ¹³ So the prophet said to his sons: »Saddle the donkey for me.« So they saddled the donkey and he mounted it. ¹⁴ He rode after the man of God. He found him sitting under an oak tree. »Are you the man of God who came from Judah?« He asked. »I am.« Came his reply. ¹⁵ He said: »Come back to the house with me and have a meal.« ¹⁶ But the man of God from Judah replied: »I may not go back with you or go into your house. I will not take food or a drink of water with you in this place. ¹⁷ »Jehovah said to me: ‘You are not to take food or water there, or go back again by the way you came.’« ¹⁸ Then he said: »I am a prophet like you. An angel said to me by the word of Jehovah, Take him back with you and give him food and water.« But he lied to him. ¹⁹ So he went back with him, and had a meal in his house and a drink of water. ²⁰ But while they were seated at the table, the word of Jehovah came to the old prophet who had brought him back. ²¹ Crying out to the man of God who came from Judah, he said: »Jehovah says, ‘because you have gone against the voice of Jehovah, and have not done as Jehovah ordered you, ²² but have come back, and have taken food and water in this place where he said you were to take no food or water; your dead body will not be put to rest with your fathers.’«

³⁰ He buried it in his own family grave. He and his sons mourned over it, saying: »Oh my brother, my brother!« ³¹ After the burial the prophet said to his sons: »When I die, bury me in this grave and lay my body next to his.

³¹ After the burial the prophet said to his sons: »When I die, bury me in this grave and lay my body next to his. ³² »The words that he spoke at Jehovah’s command against the altar in Bethel and against all the places of worship in the towns of Samaria will surely come true.«

¹⁶ »Jehovah will abandon Israel because Jeroboam sinned and led the people of Israel into sin.«

²³ They built places of worship for false gods. They put up stone pillars and symbols of Asherah to worship on the hills and under shady trees. ²⁴ There were also male (cult) prostitutes in the temples of idols throughout the land. The people of Judah practiced all the disgusting practices done by the nations that Jehovah forced out of the Israelites' way.

⁵ Jehovah did this because David had done what was right in Jehovah’s eyes. He obeyed his commandments, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.

¹² He banished perverted persons from the land. He removed those used for sex purposes in the worship of the gods. He removed all the idols his fathers had made.

²² Then King Asa issued an order to all Judah. Every man came to carry away the stone and the timber Baasha used to fortify Ramah. King Asa used them for building Geba in the land of Benjamin, and Mizpah.

³⁰ This happened because Jeroboam aroused the anger of Jehovah, the God of Israel, by the sins he committed and that he caused Israel to commit.

⁴⁰ Elijah said to them: »Take the prophets of Baal. Do not let one of them get away.« So they took them, and Elijah made them go down to the stream Kishon, and executed them there.

³ Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He took his servant and went to Beersheba in Judah. He left the servant there.

¹⁸ »I will leave seven thousand people alive in Israel; all those who are loyal to me and have not bowed to Baal or kissed his idol.«

³⁴ A stray arrow wounded the king of Israel a wound where his breastplate was joined to his clothing. He said to the chariot driver: »Go to the side. Take me away from the fight for I am badly wounded.« ³⁵ The fight grew more violent as the day went on. The king was propped up in his chariot facing the Syrians (Aramaeans). The floor of the chariot was covered with the blood from his wound. By evening he died. ³⁶ About sundown a cry went up from all parts of the army, saying: »Let every man go back to his town and his country, for the king is dead.« ³⁷ They traveled to Samaria and buried the king there. ³⁸ The chariot was washed at the pool of Samaria the bathing-place of the loose women. Dogs were drinking his blood there, as Jehovah said.

⁴⁶ He banished all the male and female prostitutes serving at the pagan altars who were still left from the days of his father Asa.

³¹ It was as if he copied the evil ways of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. He took as his wife Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal, king of Zidon, and became a servant and worshipper of Baal.

³³ Ahab made an image of Asherah. He did more than all the kings of Israel before him to make Jehovah, the God of Israel, angry.

¹⁹ »Now gather all Israel together before me at Mount Carmel. Also gather the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal who get their food at Jezebel's table.«

²⁶ So they took the bull that was given them, and made it ready. They cried out to Baal from morning till the middle of the day. They said: »O Baal, give ear to us.« But there was no voice and no answer. They jumped up and down before the altar they had made.

²² »Your family will become like the family of King Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the family of King Baasha son of Ahijah. This is because you have stirred up my anger by leading Israel into sin.

³³ When the captains of the chariots saw that he was not the king of Israel they withdrew from him.

¹⁸ His wife was Ahab's daughter. Like the family of Ahab he followed the evil ways of the kings of Israel. He sinned against Jehovah.

²⁷ When King Ahaziah of Judah saw this, he fled on the road leading to Beth Haggan. Jehu pursued him and ordered: »Shoot him down in his chariot.« They shot him at Gur Pass, near Ibleam. Ahaziah continued to flee until he got to Megiddo, where he died. ²⁸ His servants brought him in a chariot to Jerusalem. They buried him in a tomb with his ancestors in the City of David.

²⁵ As soon as he finished offering the burned offering Jehu said to the armed men and the captains: »Go in and put them to death! Do not let one come out!« So they put them to the sword. Pulling the images to the ground, they went into the holy place of the house of Baal.

²⁷ The altar of Baal was pulled down and the house of Baal was broken up and made an unclean place, as it is to this day.

³¹ But Jehu did not take care to keep the law of Jehovah with all his heart. He did not keep himself from the sin that Jeroboam did and made Israel do.

¹⁴ There she saw the new king standing by the column at the entrance of the Temple, as was the custom. The officers and the trumpeters surrounded him, and the people were all shouting joyfully and blowing trumpets. Athaliah tore her clothes in distress and shouted: »Treason! Treason!«

¹⁷ The priest Jehoiada had King Jehoash and the people make a covenant with Jehovah that they would be Jehovah’s people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people. ¹⁸ The people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and the idols, and killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, in front of the altars. Jehoiada put guards on duty at the Temple,

²¹ Then all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah.

¹⁹ Pul king of Assyria came against the land. Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver to let him keep the kingdom. ²⁰ Menahem extracted the money from men of wealth in Israel. Every man gave fifty silver shekels to give to the king of Assyria. The king of Assyria turned back and did not stop in the land.

³ He walked in ways of the kings of Israel. He even offered his son to walk through the fire. He copied the disgusting ways of the nations. Jehovah sent the people of the nations out of the land before the children of Israel.

⁹ The children of Israel secretly did things that were not right according to Jehovah their God. They built high places for themselves in all their towns, from the watchtower to the walled towns.

¹⁶ They broke all the laws of Jehovah their God. They made two metal bull-calves to worship. They also made an image of the goddess Asherah. Also they worshiped the stars and served the god Baal.

¹⁶ They broke all the laws of Jehovah their God. They made two metal bull-calves to worship. They also made an image of the goddess Asherah. Also they worshiped the stars and served the god Baal. ¹⁷ They caused their sons and their daughters to go through the fire to be sacrificed. They made use of secret arts and unnatural powers, and gave themselves up to doing evil in the eyes of Jehovah, till they provoked him to anger.

¹⁷ They caused their sons and their daughters to go through the fire to be sacrificed. They made use of secret arts and unnatural powers, and gave themselves up to doing evil in the eyes of Jehovah, till they provoked him to anger. ¹⁸ Jehovah was very angry with Israel. He removed them from his sight. Only the tribe of Judah kept its place.

¹⁸ Jehovah was very angry with Israel. He removed them from his sight. Only the tribe of Judah kept its place.

²⁰ So Jehovah would have nothing to do with all the offspring of Israel. He caused trouble for them. He gave them up into the hands of their attackers, till he had sent them away from before his face.

⁵ Hezekiah had faith in Jehovah, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah who were before him.

¹¹ The king of Assyria took Israel away as prisoners into Assyria. They placed them in Halah and in Habor on the river Gozan, and in towns of the Medes.

¹⁴ Hezekiah sent a message to Sennacherib at Lachish: »I have done wrong. Stop your attack and I will pay whatever you demand.« The emperor's answer was that Hezekiah should send him ten tons of silver and one ton of gold.

²⁰ Everything else about Hezekiah, all his heroic acts and how he made the pool and tunnel to bring water into the city is written in the official records of the Kings of Judah.

² He did evil in the eyes of Jehovah. He copied the disgusting ways of those nations Jehovah sent out before the children of Israel. ³ He built the high places that Hezekiah his father destroyed. He made altars for Baal. Then he made an Asherah as Ahab, king of Israel, had done. Manasseh was a worshipper and servant of all the stars of heaven.

³ He built the high places that Hezekiah his father destroyed. He made altars for Baal. Then he made an Asherah as Ahab, king of Israel, had done. Manasseh was a worshipper and servant of all the stars of heaven.

³ He built the high places that Hezekiah his father destroyed. He made altars for Baal. Then he made an Asherah as Ahab, king of Israel, had done. Manasseh was a worshipper and servant of all the stars of heaven. ⁴ He built heathen altars in the Temple of Jehovah. The same Temple that Jehovah spoke of when he said: »In Jerusalem will I put my name.«

⁴ He built heathen altars in the Temple of Jehovah. The same Temple that Jehovah spoke of when he said: »In Jerusalem will I put my name.«

⁴ He built heathen altars in the Temple of Jehovah. The same Temple that Jehovah spoke of when he said: »In Jerusalem will I put my name.« ⁵ And he built altars for all the stars of heaven in the two outer courts of the Temple of Jehovah.

⁵ And he built altars for all the stars of heaven in the two outer courts of the Temple of Jehovah. ⁶ He made his own son pass through fire. He burned him as an offering to Molech. He practiced reading the future; gave positions to those who had control of spirits and to wonder-workers. He did much evil in the eyes of Jehovah and provoked him to anger.

⁶ He made his own son pass through fire. He burned him as an offering to Molech. He practiced reading the future; gave positions to those who had control of spirits and to wonder-workers. He did much evil in the eyes of Jehovah and provoked him to anger. ⁷ He made an image of the goddess Asherah and set it in the Temple of Jehovah. This is the same Temple that Jehovah said to David and to Solomon his son: »In this house, and in Jerusalem, the town which I have made mine out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever (for a very long time).

⁷ He made an image of the goddess Asherah and set it in the Temple of Jehovah. This is the same Temple that Jehovah said to David and to Solomon his son: »In this house, and in Jerusalem, the town which I have made mine out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever (for a very long time).

¹¹ »Manasseh king of Judah committed detestable sins. He did more evil than all the Amorites before him. He enticed Judah to do evil with his false gods.

¹¹ »Manasseh king of Judah committed detestable sins. He did more evil than all the Amorites before him. He enticed Judah to do evil with his false gods. ¹² »‘Because of this,’ says Jehovah the God of Israel: ‘I will send such evil on Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of all who hear of it will burn. ¹³ »‘The line of Samaria and the weight of Ahab will be stretched over Jerusalem. Jerusalem will be washed clean as a plate is washed, and turned over on its face.

¹³ »‘The line of Samaria and the weight of Ahab will be stretched over Jerusalem. Jerusalem will be washed clean as a plate is washed, and turned over on its face.

²¹ He followed all the practices of his father. He was a servant and worshipper of the false gods to which his father had been a servant.

²¹ He followed all the practices of his father. He was a servant and worshipper of the false gods to which his father had been a servant. ²² Amon turned away from Jehovah the God of his fathers. He did not walk in his ways.

²⁴ But the people of the land put to death all those who had taken part in the design against the king. Then they made Josiah his son king in his place.

⁴ »Go to Hilkiah the high priest. Let him count the money brought into the Temple of Jehovah that the keepers of the door gathered from the people.

⁸ The chief priest Hilkiah told the scribe Shaphan: »I found the Book of the Law in Jehovah’s House.« Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, who then read it.

⁸ The chief priest Hilkiah told the scribe Shaphan: »I found the Book of the Law in Jehovah’s House.« Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, who then read it. ⁹ The scribe Shaphan reported to the king: »We have taken the money donated in the temple and have given it to the workmen who are in charge of Jehovah’s House.« ¹⁰ Then the scribe Shaphan told the king: The priest Hilkiah has given me a book. Shaphan read it to the king. ¹¹ When the king heard what the book of the Law said, he tore his clothes in distress. ¹² The king gave an order to the priest Hilkiah, to Ahikam son of Shaphan, Achbor son of Micaiah, the scribe Shaphan, and the royal official Asaiah. He said: ¹³ »Go inquire of Jehovah on my behalf and for the people. This is concerning the words in this book that has been found. Jehovah’s fierce anger is directed towards us because our ancestors did not obey the things in this book or do everything written in it.«

¹⁶ ‘This is what Jehovah says: »I am going to bring disaster on this place and on the people living here. This is according to everything written in the book that the king of Judah has read. ¹⁷ »‘I will do this because they abandoned me. They sacrificed to other gods in order to make me furious. Therefore, my burning anger against this place will never be extinguished.«’«

²⁰ »That is why I will bring you to your ancestors. I will bring you to your grave in peace. Your eyes will not see any of the disaster I will bring on this place.«’« They reported this to the king.

³ The king stood beside the pillar and made a promise to Jehovah that he would follow Jehovah and obey his commands, instructions, and laws with all his heart and mind. He confirmed the terms of the promise written in this book. All the people joined in the promise. ⁴ Then the king ordered the high priest Hilkiah, the priests who served under Hilkiah, and the doorkeepers to remove from Jehovah’s Temple all utensils that had been made for Baal, Asherah, and the entire army of heaven. Josiah burned the utensils outside Jerusalem. It was in an open field near the Kidron Brook. Then he carried their ashes to Bethel. ⁵ He got rid of the pagan priests. The kings of Judah appointed them to sacrifice at the illegal places of worship in the cities of Judah and all around Jerusalem. They had been sacrificing to Baal, the sun god, the moon god, the constellations of the zodiac (Mazzalohth Constellation-Job 38:32), and the entire army of heaven. ⁶ He removed the pole dedicated to the goddess Asherah from the temple. He took it to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem. There he burned it in the Kidron Valley, ground it to dust, and threw its ashes on the tombs of the common people.

¹⁵ He also tore down the altar at Bethel the place of worship made by Jeroboam, who had made Israel sin. He tore down both the altar and the place of worship. They burned the worship site. They crushed it into powder and burned the pole dedicated to Asherah. ¹⁶ Josiah turned and saw the tombs on the hill. He sent men to take the bones out of the tombs and burn them on the altar to make it unclean. This fulfilled the word of Jehovah announced by the man of God.

⁸ Then Amaziah sent representatives to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying: »Come let us have a meeting face to face.«

¹¹ But Amaziah paid no attention. So Jehoash king of Israel went to Amaziah king of Judah to meet face to face at Bethshemesh in Judah.

²⁹ In his days, Pharaoh Necho, king of Egypt, sent his armies against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates. King Josiah went out against him. Josiah was killed when he saw him at Megiddo.

³² He did evil in the eyes of Jehovah, as his fathers had done. ³³ And Pharaoh Necho put him in chains at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So that he was not king in Jerusalem. Pharaoh Necho extracted from the land a tax of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.

³³ And Pharaoh Necho put him in chains at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So that he was not king in Jerusalem. Pharaoh Necho extracted from the land a tax of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. ³⁴ Then Pharaoh Necho made Eliakim son of Josiah king in place of Josiah his father. He changed his name to Jehoiakim. He took Jehoahaz away to Egypt, where he remained till he died. ³⁵ Jehoiakim gave the silver and gold to Pharaoh. He ordered that the land be taxed to get the money. All the people of the land had to give silver and gold in order to make the payment to Pharaoh Necho.

² Jehovah sent raiding parties of Babylonians, Arameans, Moabites, and Ammonites against Jehoiakim to destroy Judah as Jehovah predicted through his servants the prophets. ³ This happened to Judah because Jehovah commanded it to happen. He wanted to remove the people of Judah from his sight because of Manasseh's sins and everything he had done, ⁴ and especially because of all the innocent people he killed. Jehovah would not forgive Manasseh for that.

⁷ The king of Egypt did not leave his own country again because the king of Babylon captured all the territory from the River of Egypt to the Euphrates River. This territory belonged to the king of Egypt.

¹⁷ The king of Babylon installed Mattaniah, his father's brother, king in place of Jehoiachin. He changed his name to Zedekiah. ¹⁸ Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king. He was king in Jerusalem for eleven years. His mother's name was Hamutal, daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

⁶ They made the king a prisoner and took him to the king of Babylon at Riblah to be judged.

¹¹ The rest of the people still in the town, and all those who had given themselves up to the king of Babylon, and all the rest of the workmen were taken away as prisoners by Nebuzaradan, the captain of the army.

¹⁸ The captain of the guard took the high priest Seraiah, the second priest Zephaniah, and the three doorkeepers.

¹⁵ The sons of Josiah: Johanan the firstborn, Jehoiakim the second son, Zedekiah the third, Shallum the fourth.

⁶⁰ And from the tribe of Benjamin they were given Gibeon, Geba, Alemeth and Anathoth, together with their pasturelands. These towns, which were distributed among the Kohathite clans, were thirteen in all.

¹ The divisions of the gatekeepers: From the Korahites: Meshelemiah son of Kore, one of the sons of Asaph. ² Meshelemiah had sons: Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth, ³ Elam the fifth, Jehohanan the sixth and Eliehoenai the seventh. ⁴ Obed-Edom also had sons: Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, Sacar the fourth, Nethanel the fifth, ⁵ Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh and Peullethai the eighth. For God had blessed Obed-Edom. ⁶ His son Shemaiah also had sons, who were leaders in their father’s family because they were very capable men. ⁷ The sons of Shemaiah: Othni, Rephael, Obed and Elzabad; his relatives Elihu and Semakiah were also able men. ⁸ All these were descendants of Obed-Edom; they and their sons and their relatives were capable men with the strength to do the work, descendants of Obed-Edom, sixty-two in all. ⁹ Meshelemiah had sons and relatives, who were able men, eighteen in all. ¹⁰ Hosah the Merarite had sons: Shimri the first although he was not the firstborn, his father had appointed him the first, ¹¹ Hilkiah the second, Tabaliah the third and Zechariah the fourth. The sons and relatives of Hosah were thirteen in all. ¹² These divisions of the gatekeepers, through their chief men, had duties for ministering in the Temple of Jehovah, just as their relatives had. ¹³ Lots were cast for each gate, according to their families, young and old alike. ¹⁴ The lot for the East Gate fell to Shelemiah. Then lots were cast for his son Zechariah, a wise counselor, and the lot for the North Gate fell to him. ¹⁵ The lot for the South Gate fell to Obed-Edom, and the lot for the storehouse fell to his sons. ¹⁶ The lots for the West Gate and the Shalleketh Gate on the upper road fell to Shuppim and Hosah. Guard was alongside of guard: ¹⁷ There were six Levites a day on the east, four a day on the north, four a day on the south and two at a time at the storehouse. ¹⁸ As for the court to the west, there were four at the road and two at the court itself. ¹⁹ These were the divisions of the gatekeepers who were descendants of Korah and Merari.

⁴ Since Eleazar’s descendants had more men who were family heads than Ithamar’s descendants, they were divided so that Eleazar’s descendants had sixteen family leaders and Ithamar’s descendants had eight family leaders. ⁵ Both groups were divided impartially by drawing lots so that there were officers for the holy place and officers for God among both Eleazar’s and Ithamar’s descendants. ⁶ The scribe Shemaiah was a son of Nethanel and a descendant of Levi. Shemaiah recorded their names in the presence of the king, the princes, the priest Zadok, Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and the family leaders of the priests and Levites. One family was chosen for Eleazar, another for Ithamar. ⁷ The first lot drawn was for Jehoiarib, the second for Jedaiah, ⁸ the third for Harim, the fourth for Seorim, ⁹ the fifth for Malchiah, the sixth for Mijamin, ¹⁰ the seventh for Hakkoz, the eighth for Abijah, ¹¹ the ninth for Jeshua, the tenth for Shecaniah, ¹² the eleventh for Eliashib, the twelfth for Jakim, ¹³ the thirteenth for Huppah, the fourteenth for Jeshebeab, ¹⁴ the fifteenth for Bilgah, the sixteenth for Immer, ¹⁵ the seventeenth for Hezir, the eighteenth for Happizzez, ¹⁶ the nineteenth for Pethahiah, the twentieth for Jehezkel, ¹⁷ the twenty-first for Jachin, the twenty-second for Gamul, ¹⁸ the twenty-third for Delaiah, the twenty-fourth for Maaziah. ¹⁹ These were their priestly groups when they went to serve at Jehovah’s temple. Their ancestor Aaron made these rules for them, as Jehovah God of Israel had commanded him.

⁵ He got rid of the illegal places of worship and destroyed the altars for incense in all the cities of Judah. The kingdom was at peace during his reign.

¹² They made an agreement with one another to dedicate their lives to serve the true God Jehovah, the God of their ancestors with all their heart and all their being. ¹³ All people, young and old, male and female, who refused to dedicate their lives to the true God Jehovah the God of Israel were to be killed.

¹³ All people, young and old, male and female, who refused to dedicate their lives to the true God Jehovah the God of Israel were to be killed. ¹⁴ Asa and the people swore their oath to Jehovah with shouts, singing, and the blowing of trumpets and rams’ horns.

⁹ They taught in Judah. They had the Book of Torah (the Law) (Jehovah’s Teachings) with them when they taught the people in all the cities of Judah.

¹³ She saw the king was standing by his pillar at the entrance. The captains and the trumpeters were beside the king. All the people of the land rejoiced and blew trumpets. The singers with their musical instruments lead the praise. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and said: »This is treason! Treason!«

¹⁶ The priest Jehoiada had King Joash and the people join him. They made a covenant that they would be Jehovah’s people.

³ He burned sacrifices in the valley of Ben Hinnom. He sacrificed his son by burning him alive. This was one of the disgusting things done by the nations that Jehovah had driven out from the land Israel possessed.

²² When he had this trouble, King Ahaz became more unfaithful to Jehovah! ²³ He sacrificed to the gods of Damascus. These were the gods who had defeated him. He thought: »The gods of the kings of Aram are helping them. I will sacrifice to them so that they will help me. But they ruined him and all Israel.« ²⁴ Ahaz collected the utensils in God’s Temple. He cut them up and closed the doors to Jehovah’s Temple. He made altars for himself on every corner in Jerusalem. ²⁵ And in each city of Judah, he made places of worship to sacrifice to other gods. He angered Jehovah the God of his ancestors.

¹⁰ »Now I intend to make a pledge to Jehovah the God of Israel so that he may turn his burning anger away from us.

²⁰ Early in the morning Hezekiah assembled the leaders of the city and went to Jehovah’s Temple.

¹ Hezekiah sent a message to all Israel and Judah. He wrote letters to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. He invited them to come to Jehovah’s Temple in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover of Jehovah the God of Israel. ² The king, his officials, and the whole assembly in Jerusalem decided to celebrate the Passover in the second month.

² The king, his officials, and the whole assembly in Jerusalem decided to celebrate the Passover in the second month. ³ They could not celebrate it at the regular time because not enough priests had performed the ceremonies to make themselves holy and the people had not gathered in Jerusalem.

⁶ Messengers carried letters from the king and his officials throughout Israel and Judah. The king’s order said: »Israelites should return to Jehovah the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. Then he will return to the few of you who escaped from the power of the kings of Assyria. ⁷ »Do not be like your ancestors and your relatives who were unfaithful to Jehovah the God of their ancestors. He made them something that shocks people, as you have seen. ⁸ »Do not stiffen your neck like your fathers, but yield to Jehovah and enter his sanctuary that he has consecrated from generation to generation. Serve Jehovah your God that His burning anger may turn away from you. ⁹ »If you return to Jehovah, your brothers and your sons will find compassion before those who led them captive and will return to this land. Jehovah your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face away from you if you return to him.« ¹⁰ So the couriers passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them. ¹¹ Nevertheless some men of Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.

¹³ Many people were gathered at Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month. It was a very large assembly. ¹⁴ They arose and removed the altars in Jerusalem. They also removed all the incense altars and cast them into the Kidron Brook. ¹⁵ They slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth of the second month. The priests and Levites were ashamed of themselves. They consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the house of Jehovah. ¹⁶ They stood in their regular places as instructed by the law of Moses. Moses was a man of God. The priests sprinkled the blood they received from the Levites. ¹⁷ Many people in the assembly had not made themselves holy. So the Levites had to kill the Passover lambs for all who were not clean and could not make their lambs holy for Jehovah. ¹⁸ Many people from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun had not made themselves clean. So they ate the Passover, but not in the way the written instructions said they should. Hezekiah prayed for them: »May Jehovah forgive everyone ¹⁹ who have their hearts set on dedicating their lives to serve God. May Jehovah the God of their ancestors do this for those who are not clean as required for the holy place.« ²⁰ Jehovah listened to Hezekiah and healed the people.

¹ When this ended, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah, broke the pillars in pieces, cut down the Asherim and pulled down the high places and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, Ephraim and Manasseh. They destroyed them all. Then all the sons of Israel returned to their cities, each to his possession.

²² He did what Jehovah considered evil, as his father Manasseh had done. Amon sacrificed to all the idols his father Manasseh had made, and he worshiped them. ²³ He did not humble himself in front of Jehovah as his father Manasseh had humbled himself. Instead, Amon continued to sin.

³ It was the eighth year of his reign. He was still a boy when he dedicated his life to service of the God of his ancestor David. In his twelfth year as king he purged Judah and Jerusalem by destroying the illegal places of worship, poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah, carved idols, and metal idols. ⁴ He tore down the altars of the Baal gods. He cut down the incense altars that were above them. He destroyed the Asherah poles, carved idols, and metal idols. He ground them into powder and scattered the powder over the tombs of those who had sacrificed to them.

⁴ He tore down the altars of the Baal gods. He cut down the incense altars that were above them. He destroyed the Asherah poles, carved idols, and metal idols. He ground them into powder and scattered the powder over the tombs of those who had sacrificed to them. ⁵ He burned the bones of the priests on their altars. Thus he made Judah and Jerusalem clean. ⁶ In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, and as far as Naphtali, he removed all their temples. ⁷ Then he tore down the altars, beat the Asherah poles and idols into powder, and cut down all the incense altars everywhere in Israel. Then he went back to Jerusalem.

¹⁴ At the time they brought out the money that had been deposited in Jehovah’s Temple, the priest Hilkiah found the book of Jehovah’s Law written by Moses. ¹⁵ Hilkiah told the scribe Shaphan: »I have found the book of the Law in Jehovah’s Temple.« Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan. ¹⁶ Shaphan took the book to the king and reported: »We are doing everything you told us to do. ¹⁷ »We took the money that was donated in Jehovah’s Temple and gave it to the supervisors and the workmen.« ¹⁸ The scribe Shaphan told the king: »The priest Hilkiah has given me a book.« Shaphan read it to the king. ¹⁹ As soon as the king heard what the Law said, he tore his clothes in distress.

²⁹ The king sent for all the respected leaders of Judah and Jerusalem to join him. ³⁰ The king, everyone in Judah, everyone living in Jerusalem, the priests, the Levites, and all the people, young and old, went up to Jehovah’s Temple. He read everything written in the Book of the Covenant found in Jehovah’s Temple so that they could hear it. ³¹ The king stood in his place and made a promise to Jehovah that he would follow Jehovah and obey his commandments, instructions, and laws with his entire heart and being. He said he would live by the terms of the covenant (promise) written in this book. ³² He also made all those found in Jerusalem and Benjamin join with him in the covenant. Then the people of Jerusalem lived according to the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors. ³³ Josiah got rid of all the disgusting idols throughout Israelite territory. He required all people in Israel to serve Jehovah their God. As long as he lived, they did not stop following Jehovah the God of their ancestors.

³³ Josiah got rid of all the disgusting idols throughout Israelite territory. He required all people in Israel to serve Jehovah their God. As long as he lived, they did not stop following Jehovah the God of their ancestors.

¹ Josiah celebrated the Passover to Jehovah in Jerusalem. The Passover lamb was slaughtered on the fourteenth day of the first month. ² Josiah appointed the priests to their duties and encouraged them to serve in Jehovah’s Temple. ³ He told the Levites, who instructed all Israel and performed ceremonies to make themselves holy to Jehovah: Put the Holy Ark in the Temple that Solomon, son of David and king of Israel, built. It should not be carried on your shoulders any longer. Serve Jehovah your God and his people Israel. ⁴ Get yourselves ready with the family groups of your divisions, which are listed in the records of King David of Israel and the records of his son Solomon. ⁵ »Divide yourselves into groups. Then spread out throughout the Temple so that each family of worshipers will be able to get help from one of you. ⁶ »When the people bring you their Passover lamb, you must slaughter it and prepare it to be sacrificed to Jehovah. Make sure the people celebrate according to the instructions Jehovah gave Moses. Do not do anything to become unclean and unacceptable.« ⁷ Josiah donated thirty thousand sheep and goats, and three thousand bulls from his own flocks and herds for the people to offer as sacrifices. ⁸ Josiah’s officials also voluntarily gave some of their animals to the people, the priests, and the Levites as sacrifices. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, who were the officials in charge of the Temple, gave the priests twenty-six hundred sheep and lambs and three hundred bulls to sacrifice during the Passover celebration. ⁹ Conaniah and his brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel, and Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad, the leaders of the Levites, gave the Levites five thousand sheep and goats and five hundred bulls as Passover sacrifices. ¹⁰ Thus the service was prepared. The priests took their positions with the Levites according to their divisions, as the king had ordered. ¹¹ They slaughtered the Passover lambs. The priests sprinkled the blood with their hands while the Levites skinned the lambs. ¹² They set aside the burnt offerings to give them to the people according to their family divisions. The people could then present them to Jehovah as is written in the Book of Moses. The Levites did the same with the bulls. ¹³ The Levites roasted the Passover sacrifices over the fire, according to the regulations. They boiled the sacred offerings in pots, kettles, and pans, and quickly distributed the meat to the people. ¹⁴ After this was done, the Levites provided meat for themselves and for the priests descended from Aaron. Since the priests were kept busy until night, burning the animals that were burned whole and the fat of the sacrifices. ¹⁵ The following musicians of the Levite clan of Asaph were in the places assigned to them by King David’s instructions: Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, the king’s prophet. The guards at the Temple gates did not need to leave their posts, because the other Levites prepared the Passover for them. ¹⁶ Everything was done that day as King Josiah commanded for the worship of Jehovah. This included the keeping of the Passover Festival, and the offering of burnt offerings on the altar. ¹⁷ All the people of Israel who were present celebrated the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days. ¹⁸ The Passover had not been celebrated like this since the days of the prophet Samuel. None of the former kings had ever celebrated a Passover like this one celebrated by King Josiah, the priests, the Levites, and the people of Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem ¹⁹ This was the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign. ²⁰ Later, when Josiah had repaired the Temple, King Necho of Egypt came to fight a battle at Carchemish at the Euphrates River. Josiah went to attack him. ²¹ Neco sent messengers to Josiah. He said: »What is your quarrel with me, king of Judah? I am not attacking you. I have come to fight those who are at war with me. God told me to hurry. God is with me, so stop now or he will destroy you.« ²² But Josiah would not stop his attack. He disguised himself as he went into battle. He refused to listen to Necho’s words, which came from God. He went to fight in the valley of Megiddo. ²³ Some archers shot King Josiah. The king told his officers: »Take me away because I am badly wounded.« ²⁴ His officers took him out of the chariot and brought him to Jerusalem in his other chariot. He died and was buried in the tombs of his ancestors. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.

²⁴ His officers took him out of the chariot and brought him to Jerusalem in his other chariot. He died and was buried in the tombs of his ancestors. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.

¹ The people of the land crowned Josiah’s son Jehoahaz as their new king in Jerusalem in place of his father. ² Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king. He was king in Jerusalem for three months. ³ The king of Egypt removed him from office in Jerusalem and fined the country seven thousand five hundred pounds of silver and seventy-five pounds of gold. ⁴ The king of Egypt made Jehoahaz’s brother Eliakim king of Judah and Jerusalem and changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. Necho took Jehoahaz away to Egypt. ⁵ Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king. He ruled for eleven years in Jerusalem. He did what Jehovah his God considered evil.

¹⁶ They mocked God’s messengers. They despised his words, and made fun of his prophets until Jehovah became angry with his people. He could no longer heal them.

³ He rebuilt the illegal places of worship that his father Hezekiah had torn down. He set up altars dedicated to other gods such as the Baals. He erected a pole dedicated to the goddess Asherah as King Ahab of Israel had done. Manasseh, like Ahab, worshiped and served the entire army of heaven. ⁴ He built altars in Jehovah’s Temple, of which Jehovah said: »My name will be in Jerusalem from generation to generation.« ⁵ He built altars for the entire army of heaven in the two courtyards of Jehovah’s Temple.

⁵ He built altars for the entire army of heaven in the two courtyards of Jehovah’s Temple. ⁶ He burned his son as a sacrifice in the valley of Ben Hinnom, he consulted fortunetellers, and he cast evil spells. He also practiced witchcraft, and appointed royal mediums and psychics. He did many things that made Jehovah furious.

⁶ He burned his son as a sacrifice in the valley of Ben Hinnom, he consulted fortunetellers, and he cast evil spells. He also practiced witchcraft, and appointed royal mediums and psychics. He did many things that made Jehovah furious. ⁷ Manasseh had a carved idol made. Then he set it up in God’s Temple, where God had said to David and his son Solomon: »I have chosen this temple and Jerusalem from all the tribes of Israel. I will put my name here from generation to generation.

⁷ Manasseh had a carved idol made. Then he set it up in God’s Temple, where God had said to David and his son Solomon: »I have chosen this temple and Jerusalem from all the tribes of Israel. I will put my name here from generation to generation. ⁸ »I will never again remove Israel from the land that I set aside for their ancestors if they will obey all the commandments, all the teachings, the ordinances, and the regulations I gave through Moses.« ⁹ Manasseh misled Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem so that they did more evil things than the nations that Jehovah destroyed when the Israelites arrived in the land. ¹⁰ Jehovah spoke to Manasseh and his people. But they would not pay attention.

¹⁵ Manasseh also removed the foreign gods and the idol in Jehovah’s Temple. He eliminated the altars he had built in the Temple on Jehovah’s mountain and in Jerusalem.

³ »Let us make an agreement with our God to put away all the wives and all their children, if it seems right to my lord and to those who go in fear of the words of our God. Let it be done in keeping with the law.

³⁸ »And because of all this we are making an agreement in good faith, and putting it in writing. Our rulers, our Levites, and our priests are putting their names to it.«

²⁸ And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gate keepers, the music-makers, the Nethinim, and all those who made themselves separate from the peoples of the lands, to keep the Law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, everyone who had knowledge and wisdom; ²⁹ They were united with their brothers, their rulers, and put themselves under a curse and an oath, to keep their steps in the way of God's law, which was given by Moses, the servant of God, and to keep and do all the orders of the Jehovah, our Lord, and his decisions and his rules.

²⁹ They were united with their brothers, their rulers, and put themselves under a curse and an oath, to keep their steps in the way of God's law, which was given by Moses, the servant of God, and to keep and do all the orders of the Jehovah, our Lord, and his decisions and his rules. ³⁰ That way we would not give our daughters to the peoples of the lands, or take their daughters for our sons; ³¹ If the peoples of the lands come to do trade in goods or food on the Sabbath day, that we would do no trade with them on the Sabbath or on a holy day. In the seventh year we would take no payment from any debtor. ³² We made rules for ourselves, taxing ourselves a third of a shekel every year for the upkeep of the House of our God. ³³ For the holy bread, and for the regular meal offering and the regular burned offering on the Sabbaths and at the new moon and the fixed feasts, and for the sin-offerings to take away the sin of Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God. ³⁴ And we, the priests and the Levites and the people, made selection, by the decision of Jehovah, of those who were to take the wood offering into the house of God, by families at the regular times, year by year, to be burned on the altar of Jehovah our God, as it is recorded in the law; ³⁵ To take the first fruits of our land, and the first fruits of every sort of tree, year by year, into the house of Jehovah. ³⁶ As well as the first of our sons and of our cattle, as it is recorded in the law. The first lambs of our herds and of our flocks, which are to be taken to the house of our God, to the priests who are servants in the house of our God: ³⁷ That we would take the first of our rough meal, and our lifted offerings, and the fruit of every sort of tree, and wine and oil, to the priests, to the rooms of the house of our God. The tenth of the produce of our land to the Levites for the Levites, take a tenth in all the towns of our ploughed land. ³⁸ The priest, the son of Aaron, is to be with the Levites, when the Levites take the tenths. The Levites are to take a tenth of the tenths into the house of our God, to the rooms, into the storehouse. ³⁹ The children of Israel and the children of Levi are to take the lifted offering of the grain and wine and oil into the rooms where the vessels of the holy place are. This is together with the priests and the gatekeepers and the makers of music. We will not give up caring for the House of our God.

¹ On that day there was a reading from the book of Moses while the people listened. They heard that it said in the book that no Ammonite or Moabite might ever come into the meeting of God at any time.

²⁶ »Was it not in these things that Solomon, king of Israel, did wrong? Among a number of nations there was no king like him. He was dear to his God, and God made him king over all Israel. But even he was made to do evil by strange women.

⁵ At the end of that time, the king gave a feast for all the people who were present in Shushan, the king's town, small as well as great, for seven days, in the outer square of the garden of the king's house.

¹ When the seventh month came, the children of Israel were in their towns. All the people came together like one man into the wide place in front of the Water Gate. They requested Ezra the scribe that he would bring them the book of the Law of Moses that Jehovah gave to Israel. ² Ezra the priest brought the law to the meeting of the people. They were all able to listen to it. It was the first day of the seventh month. ³ He read it in the wide place in front of the Water Gate from early morning till the middle of the day. Everyone who could understand it, men and women alike were able to listen to it. All the people got to hear the Book of the Law. ⁴ Ezra the scribe took his place on a tower (podium) of wood that they had made for the purpose. By his side were placed Mattithiah and Shema and Anaiah and Uriah and Hilkiah and Maaseiah on the right; and on the left, Pedaiah and Mishael and Malchijah and Hashum and Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam. ⁵ Ezra took the book and opened it before the eyes of all the people for he was higher than the people. When it was open, all the people stood on their feet. ⁶ Ezra praised Jehovah, the great God. And all the people said: »Amen!« With lifted hands and bent heads they worshiped Jehovah. They dropped to their faces on the earth. ⁷ And Jeshua and Bani and Sherebiah and Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites made the law clear to the people: and the people kept in their places. ⁸ They read from the book the Law of God making it clear (translating it), so that their minds were able to take it in.

³ For a fourth part of the day, upright in their places, they read from the book of the Law of their God. For a fourth part of the day they requested forgiveness and worshipped Jehovah their God.

¹⁹ »The small and the great are there. The slave is freed from his master.

⁷ The law of Jehovah is perfect. It gives new life. The testimony of Jehovah is dependable. It makes the simple wise. ⁸ The statutes of Jehovah are correct. They make the heart rejoice. The commandments of Jehovah are radiant. They make the eyes shine. ⁹ The reverence of Jehovah is pure. It endures forever. The decisions of Jehovah are true. They are completely fair.

¹¹ Do not force me away from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me.

⁵⁸ They provoked him to anger (indignation) because of their illegal worship sites. They made him furious because they worshiped idols.

¹³ He will bless those who reverence and respect Jehovah, from the least important to the most important.

¹⁹ A man of great anger will suffer punishment. Rescue him once and then do it again.

² I counsel you: »Keep the king's command because of the oath before God.«

¹⁴ There is a futility that is done upon the earth. There are righteous men who get along as though they were wicked and there are wicked men who get along as though they were righteous. I said that this also is vanity.

¹ I considered all this in my heart and declared that the righteous and their works are in the hand of God. No man knows if love or hatred awaits him in the future. ² The same thing comes to all. There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrifices and to him that does not sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; and he that swears, as he that fears and refrains from an oath.

³ »The Egyptians will become discouraged. I will bring their plans to nothing. They will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead, the mediums and the spiritists.

⁹ By this Jacob’s guilt will be atoned for, and this will be the full fruitage of the removal of his sin. When he makes all the altar stones to be like chalk stones crushed to pieces, no Asherah poles or incense altars will be left standing.

³³ Topheth was prepared long ago. It was made ready for the king. It was made deep and wide and piled high with plenty of burning logs. Jehovah’s breath will be like a flood of burning sulfur, setting it on fire.

¹⁹ People will say to you: »Ask for help from the mediums and the fortunetellers, who whisper and mutter.« Should people ask their God for help instead? Why should they ask the dead to help the living? ²⁰ They should go to the teachings and to the written instructions. If people do not speak these words, it is because there is no light (truth) in them.

²⁹ They go over the pass and make Geba their camping place for the night. Ramah trembles and Gibeah of Saul flees.

⁶ Jehovah’s sword is covered with blood. It is covered with fat, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of rams' kidneys. Jehovah will receive a sacrifice in Bozrah, a huge slaughter in the land of Edom.

¹ The righteous perishes and no man takes it to heart. Merciful men are taken away, while no one considers that the righteous is taken away from evil. ² He will enter into peace. The honorable and honest will rest in his bed.

³ Jehovah also spoke when Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, was king of Judah. It was during the eleven years that Zedekiah, another son of Josiah, was king of Judah. Jehovah continued to speak to Jeremiah until the people of Jerusalem were taken away into captivity in the fifth month of the year.

⁷ »I thought that after she had done all this she would come back to me. But she did not come back, and her treacherous (unstable) (unreliable) (false) sister Judah saw her. ⁸ »Judah saw that I sent unfaithful Israel away because of her adultery and that I gave Israel her divorce papers. But treacherous Judah, her sister, was not afraid. She also acted like a prostitute. ⁹ »Because she was not concerned about her prostitution. She polluted the land and committed adultery with stone and wood. ¹⁰ »Even after all this, Israel's treacherous sister Judah did not return to me with all her heart. She was deceitful,« says Jehovah.

² if you take the oath, as Jehovah lives in an honest, fair, and right way, then the nations will be blessed, and in him they will glory.«

⁹ »Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, offer sacrifices to Baal and walk after other gods that you have not known?

¹⁸ »The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire. The women knead dough to make cakes for the queen of heaven. They pour out drink offerings to other gods in order to spite me. ¹⁹ »Do they spite me?« Asks Jehovah. »Is it not themselves they spite, to their own shame?«

³¹ »They have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire. I did not command this. I would never think of such a thing. (It would not come from my heart.) ³² »Days are coming, says Jehovah, when it will no longer be called Topheth, or the valley of the son of Hinnom (Ben-hinnom), but the valley of the Slaughter. They will bury in Topheth because there is no other place.

¹ Jehovah says: »At that time the bones of the kings and the leaders of Judah, the bones of the priests and the prophets, and the bones of the others who lived in Jerusalem will be taken out of their graves. ² »They will be spread out and exposed to the sun, the moon, and all the stars in the sky. These are the things that they had loved, served, gone after, sought, and worshiped. Their bones will not be gathered or buried, but they will become manure on the ground.

¹ Jehovah said to me: »I would not feel sorry for these people, even if Moses and Samuel were standing in front of me. Send them away from my presence, and let them go. ² »When they ask you where they should go, say to them: This is what Jehovah says: Those who are to die will die. Those who are to die in wars will die in wars. Those who are to die in famines will die in famines. Those who are to die in captivity will die in captivity. ³ »I will appoint over them four kinds of punishment, declares Jehovah. I will send swords to kill, dogs to drag away, and birds of the air and animals of the earth to devour and destroy. ⁴ »I will make these people a horrifying (shocking) sight to all the kingdoms on the earth. This will happen because of what Judah's King Manasseh, son of Hezekiah, did in Jerusalem.

² Even their children remember their altars and their poles (images) dedicated to the goddess Asherah beside large trees on high hills

² Then go out to the valley of Ben-hinnom (Hinnom Valley), which is by the entrance of the potsherd gate, and proclaim there the words that I tell you.

⁶ »‘»Therefore days are coming, declares Jehovah, when this place will no longer be called Topheth or the valley of Ben-hinnom, but rather the valley of Slaughter.

¹¹ »‘Say to them: ‘Jehovah of Hosts says: »Like this I will break this people and this city. It is just like one breaks a potter's vessel that cannot again be repaired. They will bury in Topheth because there is no other place for burial.«’ ¹² »‘This is how I will treat this place and its inhabitants,’declares Jehovah, ‘I will make this city like Topheth. ¹³ »‘The houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah will be defiled like Topheth. They burned sacrifices to the heavenly hosts and poured out drink offerings to other gods on the rooftops of all of their houses.’«

¹³ »‘The houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah will be defiled like Topheth. They burned sacrifices to the heavenly hosts and poured out drink offerings to other gods on the rooftops of all of their houses.’«

¹³ ‘When you look for me, you will find me. When you wholeheartedly seek me,

³⁷ This is what Jehovah says: »‘If the heavens could be measured or the foundations of the earth could be searched, I would reject all of Israel's descendants because of everything that they have done,’ declares Jehovah.«

³⁵ In the valley of Ben Hinnom they built worship sites for Baal to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molech. I did not ask them to do this. It never entered my heart (mind). I did not make Judah sin.’

²⁴ »Have you not observed what this people have said. They say, ‘The two families Jehovah chose, he has rejected?’ Thus they despise my people, no longer are they as a nation in their sight.

¹¹ »‘This is what Jehovah says about King Josiah's son Shallum, who succeeded his father as king of Judah and left this place: ‘He will never come back here again.

¹¹ »‘This is what Jehovah says about King Josiah's son Shallum, who succeeded his father as king of Judah and left this place: ‘He will never come back here again. ¹² »‘He will die in the place where they led him captive. He will not see this land again.’ ¹³ »Woe to him who builds his house without righteousness and his upper rooms without justice. Woe to him who uses his neighbor's services without pay and does not give him his wages. ¹⁴ »‘Woe to him who says: ‘I will build myself a roomy house with spacious upper rooms, and cut out its windows. I will panel it with cedar and paint it bright red (vermilion).’ ¹⁵ Do you become a king because you are competing in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him. ¹⁶ He pled the cause of the afflicted and needy. Then it was well. »Is that not what it means to know me?« Says Jehovah. ¹⁷ »Your eyes and your heart are intent only upon your own dishonest gain. You are shedding innocent blood and on practicing oppression and extortion.«

¹ Shortly after Jehoiakim son of Josiah became king of Judah,

²⁰ »There was another man prophesying in the name of Jehovah. His name was Uriah, son of Shemaiah, from Kiriath Jearim. He prophesied against this city and this land as Jeremiah did. ²¹ »When King Jehoiakim and all his personal troops and officials heard what Uriah said the king wanted to put him to death. But Uriah heard about it and fled in fear to Egypt. ²² »King Jehoiakim sent soldiers to Egypt: Elnathan son of Achbor and other soldiers along with him. ²³ »They brought Uriah from Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim. The king executed Uriah and threw his body into the burial ground for the common people.«

²³ As Jehudi read three or four columns, the king would cut them off with a scribe's knife and throw them into the fire in the fireplace. He did this until the whole scroll was burned up. ²⁴ The king and all his attendants did not show any fear or tear their clothes in fear when they heard everything being read. ²⁵ Even when Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he refused to listen to them. ²⁶ The king commanded Jerahmeel the king's son, Seraiah son of Azriel, and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest the scribe Baruch and the prophet Jeremiah. But Jehovah had hidden Baruch and Jeremiah.

³¹ ‘»‘»I will punish him, his descendants, and his attendants for their wickedness. They refused to listen. So I will bring on them, on those who live in Jerusalem, and on the people of Judah all the disasters that I have threatened.’«’«

⁵ But the Babylonian army pursued them and captured Zedekiah in the plains near Jericho. Then they took him to King Nebuchadnezzar, who was in the city of Riblah in the territory of Hamath, and there Nebuchadnezzar passed sentence on him. ⁶ At Riblah he put Zedekiah's sons to death while Zedekiah was looking on, and he also had the officials of Judah executed.

² This is the message about [EGYPT], about the army of Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon defeated his army at Carchemish along the Euphrates River during the fourth year that Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, was king of Judah.

⁷ Moab, you trusted in your strength and your wealth, but now even you will be conquered. Your god Chemosh will go into exile, along with his princes and priests.

¹³ »Then the Moabites will be disillusioned with their god Chemosh. The same as the Israelites were disillusioned with Bethel, their trusted god.

¹⁶ »Moab's doom approaches. Its ruin is coming soon.

⁵ »They will ask for the way to Zion turning their faces in its direction. They will come to join themselves to Jehovah in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten.

⁹ The Babylonians captured the king and brought him to the king of Babylon at Riblah in Hamath. The king of Babylon passed sentence on him there. ¹⁰ The king of Babylon slaughtered Zedekiah's sons as Zedekiah watched. He also slaughtered all the officials of Judah at Riblah.

²⁴ The captain of the guard took the chief priest Seraiah, the second priest Zephaniah, and the three doorkeepers.

¹⁷ »We will do everything that we said we would. We will offer sacrifices to our goddess, the Queen of Heaven, and we will pour out wine offerings to her, just as our ancestors, our king and our leaders, and we used to do in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. Then we had plenty of food, we were prosperous, and had no troubles. ¹⁸ »Ever since we stopped sacrificing to the Queen of Heaven and stopped pouring out wine offerings to her, we have had nothing, and our people have died in war and of starvation. ¹⁹ »The women added: ‘When we baked cakes shaped like the Queen of Heaven, offered sacrifices to her, and poured out wine offerings to her, our husbands approved of what we were doing.’«

²⁶ Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. ²⁷ The king of Babylon executed them at Riblah in the territory of Hamath. So the people of Judah were captives as they left their land.

⁷ Jehovah rejected his altar and disowned his holy place. He gave up into the hands of the attacker the walls of her great houses. Their voices have been loud in the house of Jehovah as in the day of a holy meeting.

¹⁴ Then he brought me to the entrance of the gate of Jehovah’s house toward the north; and I saw women sitting there weeping for Tammuz (the god).

¹⁶ So he took me to the inner courtyard of the Temple. There near the entrance of the sanctuary, between the altar and the porch, were about twenty-five men. They turned their backs to the sanctuary and were bowing low toward the east, worshiping the rising sun. ¹⁷ Jehovah said to me: »Mortal man, do you see that? These people of Judah are not satisfied with merely doing all the disgusting things you have seen here and with spreading violence throughout the country. No, they must come and do them right here in the Temple and make me even angrier. Look how they insult me in the most offensive way possible by thrusting the shoot to my nose! (an obsene reference or jesture to Jehovah) ¹⁸ »They will feel all the force of my anger. I will not spare them or show them any mercy (my eye will not feel sorry). They will shout prayers to me as loud as they can. But I will not listen to them«

¹⁶ »‘You took some of your clothes and made your worship sites colorful. This is where you acted like a prostitute. Such things should not happen. They should not occur.

²¹ »‘You slaughtered my children and presented them as burnt offerings to idols.

³ ‘»She brought up one of her cubs, and he became a strong lion. He learned to tear the prey and he devoured men. ⁴ The nations heard about him. He was trapped in their pit. They led him with hooks to the land of Egypt. ⁵ ‘»When she saw her hope unfulfilled, her expectation gone, she took another of her cubs and made him a strong lion. ⁶ ‘»He prowled among the lions, for he was now a strong lion. He learned to tear the prey and he devoured men. ⁷ ‘»He broke down their strongholds and devastated their towns. His roaring terrified the residents of the land. ⁸ ‘»Then the nations came against him, those from regions round about. They spread their net for him, and he was trapped in their pit. ⁹ ‘»With hooks they pulled him into a cage and brought him to the king of Babylon. They put him in prison. Therefore his roar was heard no longer on the mountains of Israel.

²⁶ »I let them defile themselves with their own offerings, and I let them sacrifice their first-born sons. This was to punish them and show them that I am Jehovah.«’

³¹ ‘»You offer your children as sacrifices by burning them alive. You dishonor yourselves with all your disgusting idols to this day. Should you be allowed to ask me for help, nation of Israel? As I am alive, declares the Lord Jehovah, you will not be allowed to ask me for help.«’

³² »The Lord Jehovah says this: ‘You will drink your sister's cup, which is deep and wide. You will be laughed at and held in derision; it contains much. ³³ ‘»You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, the cup of horror and desolation, the cup of your sister Samaria. ³⁴ ‘»You will drink it and drain it. Then you will gnaw its fragments and tear your breasts. »I have spoken,« declares the Lord Jehovah.’ ³⁵ »Therefore, the Lord Jehovah says: ‘Because you have forgotten me and cast me behind your back, bear now the punishment of your lewdness and your acts of prostitution.’«

³⁷ »For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. Thus they have committed adultery with their idols and even caused their sons, whom they bore to me, to pass through the fire to them as food. ³⁸ »Again, they have done this to me: they have defiled my sanctuary on the same day and have profaned my Sabbaths. ³⁹ »For when they had slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered my sanctuary on the same day to profane it. Then they did within my house.

¹² »‘For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them in order to cleanse the land. ¹³ »‘Even all the people of the land will bury them. It will be to their renown on the day that I glorify myself,’ proclaims the Lord Jehovah. ¹⁴ »‘They will set apart men who will constantly pass through the land, burying those who were passing through, even those left on the surface of the ground, in order to cleanse it. At the end of seven months they will make a search. ¹⁵ »‘As those who pass through the land pass through and anyone sees a man's bone, then he will set up a marker by it until the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamon-gog. ¹⁶ »‘Even the name of the city will be Hamonah. In this way they will cleanse the land.’

¹⁰ »‘But the Levites, who went far from me when Israel went astray, who went astray from me after their idols, will bear the punishment for their iniquity. ¹¹ »‘They will be ministers in my sanctuary and having oversight at the gates of the house. They will slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they will stand before them to minister to them. ¹² »‘I have sworn against them because they ministered to them before their idols and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel,’ declares the Lord Jehovah. ‘They will bear the punishment for their iniquity.’ ¹³ »‘They will not serve as a priest to me, nor come near to any of my holy things, to the things that are most holy. They will bear their shame for their abominations that they have committed. ¹⁴ »‘Even so I will appoint them to keep charge of the house, of all its service and of all that will be done in it.’

²⁹ »‘They will eat grain offerings, offerings for sin, and guilt offerings. Everything in Israel that is devoted to Jehovah will belong to them. ³⁰ »‘The priests should have the best of all the first ripened fruits. The best of every gift from all your contributions must go to the priests. The best of your dough must go to the priests. This will cause a blessing to rest on your home. ³¹ »‘The priests must never eat any bird or animal that has died naturally or was killed by other wild animals.’

⁷ The officer in charge gave names to them: To Daniel he gave the name of Belteshazzar. Hananiah was called Shadrach. Mishael was called Meshach and Azariah was named Abednego.

¹³ »I will punish her for the days in which she burned incense to the Baals, when she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and went after her lovers, and forgot me,« said Jehovah.

⁴ For the children of Israel will live many days without king, without prince, without sacrifice, without pillar, and without ephod or teraphim.

¹⁵ Though you, Israel, play the harlot, do not let Judah become guilty! Do not go to Gilgal, neither go to Bethaven, nor swear, »As Jehovah lives.«

⁵ »The people who live in the city of Samaria will be afraid and will mourn the loss of the gold bull at Bethaven. They and the priests who serve the idol will weep over it. They will wail when it is stripped of its golden splendor.

⁴ »Come to Bethel and transgress! Come to Gilgal and multiply transgression! Bring your sacrifices every morning and your tithes every three days.

⁷ »All her images will be broken to pieces! All that she has earned will be burned with fire. I will destroy all her idols. She gathered them for the price of a prostitute and for the price of a prostitute they will return.«

¹⁶ »The statutes of Omri and the works of the house of Ahab are observed. You walk in their counsels. I will make you desolation! The inhabitants will be hissed. You will bear the reproach of my people.«

⁵ »I will remove those who bow down to worship the host of heaven on the housetops and those who bow down and swear to Jehovah and yet swear by Malcolm.

¹¹ »That day will be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the Valley of Megiddon (Megiddo).

² Jehovah of Hosts declared: »I will remove the names of the idols from the land! They will no longer be remembered. I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to leave the land. ³ »It will happen when any attempt to prophesy, the father and mother who gave birth to him will say to him: You will not live, for you speak lies in the name of Jehovah. They will stab him through when he prophesies.

¹⁰ »All the land will be made like the Arabah, from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. Jerusalem will be lifted up, and will dwell in her place, from Benjamin's gate to the place of the first gate, to the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananel to the king's winepresses.

⁸ »You priests have turned away from the right path. Your teaching has led many to do wrong. You have corrupted the covenant I made with Levi (you). ⁹ »I caused you to be despised and low before all the people. You are contemptible and do not keep my ways. You show partiality when applying the law.«

⁴ »You should remember the Law of Moses my servant. I commanded the statutes and ordinances (regulations and judgments) to him at Horeb for all Israel.

²² »Now I tell you that everyone who is angry with his brother [without cause] shall be guilty before the court. Whoever speaks to his brother with words of contempt shall receive condemnation before the Sanhedrin [Supreme Court]. Curse your brother and you will be guilty enough to be destroyed by fire, with the burning trash, at the Valley of Hinnom, outside of Jerusalem (Greek: Gehenna).

³⁶ »Teacher what is the greatest commandment in the law?« ³⁷ Jesus told him: »You shall love Jehovah your God with all your heart (Greek: kardia: feelings, emotions), and with all your being, and with your entire mind (Greek: dianoia: understanding). (Deuteronomy 6:5)

²⁷ »Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that appear beautiful on the outside. They are full of dead men’s bones and uncleanness on the inside. ²⁸ »You appear righteous to men. However, inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

³⁵ »Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

¹ It was morning. The chief priests and those in authority conspired to put Jesus to death.

³ The chief priest and the elders of the people assembled at the court of Caiaphas, the high priest.

¹⁷ The law came through Moses. Loving-kindness and truth came through Jesus Christ.

¹⁹ »Did Moses give you the law? Yet none of you obey the law! Why do you seek to kill me?«

³⁵ »So if he called them ‘god-like ones,’ those to whom the word of God came, and the Scriptures may not be annulled,

¹ When Jesus finished his prayer he and his disciples crossed the Kedron winter stream to a garden.

¹⁶ A young woman who had a spirit of divination met us as we were going to the place of prayer. She brought her masters much gain by soothsaying. ¹⁷ She followed Paul and cried out: »These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.« ¹⁸ She did this for many days. This troubled Paul. So he turned and said to the spirit, »I charge you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!« And it came out that very hour.

²² »Having obtained help from God, I continue to this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those that the prophets and Moses said should come.

²⁶ For this cause God gave them up to vile affections for even their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature. ²⁷ Also the men left the natural use of the woman and burned in their lust, one toward another; men with men working that which is obscene. They receive full recompense due for their error.

³³ O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments. His ways are beyond human understanding!

²⁰ No flesh will be justified before God by works of the law. Knowledge of sin comes from the law.

⁸ God finds fault with his people and said to them: »‘The time is coming,’ says Jehovah, ‘when I will draw up a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. (Jeremiah 31:31) ⁹ »‘It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand and led them out of Egypt. They were not faithful to the covenant I made with them, and so I paid no attention to them. ¹⁰ »‘This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,’ said Jehovah: ‘I will put my teachings (laws) in their mind, I will write them upon their hearts (deep thought) (understanding). I will be their God, and they will be my people. (Jeremiah 31:32) ¹¹ »‘They will not teach a neighbor or brother saying: »Know Jehovah.« All will know me from the little one among them to the great among them. (Hosea 2:20) ¹² »‘I will forgive their wickedness and I will remember their sins no more.’« ¹³ By calling this covenant »new,« he has made the first one old (obsolete). That which grows old and aged will soon disappear.

²⁴ You have come to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks in a better way than the blood of Abel.

²⁰ Now the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, even our Lord Jesus,

²⁵ But he who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and so continues, being not a hearer who forgets but a doer who works, this man will be blessed in what he does.

¹⁶ He gathered them together to a place called in the Hebrew tongue Har-Magedon.

¹² I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God. The books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged according to the things written in the books, according to their works.

¹⁵ »'Outside are the dogs (impure men) and those who practice spiritism, and fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and everyone who tells lies.'