Josiah destroys idolatry.

CHAP. XXIII.

His zeal for reformation.

unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at I see? And the men of the city told him, the brook Kidron, and stamped it small to It is the sepulchre of the man of God, powder, and cast the powder thereof upon which came from Judah, and proclaimed the graves of the children of the people. these things that thou hast done against 7 And he brake down the houses of the the altar of Beth-el. sodomites that were by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the grove.

8 And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burnt incense, from Geba to Beer-sheba, and brake down the high places of the gates that were in the entering in of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on a man's left hand at the gate of the city.

18 And he said, Let him alone; let no man move his bones. So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet that came out of Samaria.

19 And all the houses also of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke the LORD to anger, Josiah took away, and did to them according to all the acts that he had done in Beth-el.

20 And he slew all the priests of the high places that were there upon the altars, and burnt men's bones upon them, and returned to Jerusalem.

9 Nevertheless, the priests of the high places came not up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but they did eat of the unleavened bread among their brethren. 21 T And the king commanded all the 10 And he defiled Topheth, which is people, saying, Keep the passover unto in the valley of the children of Hinnom, the LORD your God, as it is written in the that no man might make his son or his book of this covenant.

daughter to pass through the fire to Molech. 22 Surely there was not holden such a 11 And he took away the horses that passover from the days of the judges that the kings of Judah had given to the sun, judged Israel, nor in all the days of the at the entering in of the house of the LORD, kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah; by the chamber of Nathan-melech the 23 But in the eighteenth year of king chamberlain, which was in the suburbs, Josiah, wherein this passover was holden and burned the chariots of the sun with fire. to the LORD in Jerusalem. 12 And the altars that were on the top 24 T Moreover, the workers with fa of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the miliar spirits, and the wizards, and the kings of Judah had made, and the altars images, and the idols, and all the abomiwhich Manasseh had made in the two nations that were spied in the land of Jucourts of the house of the LORD, did the dah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put king beat down, and brake them down away, that he might perform the words of from thence, and cast the dust of them into the law which were written in the book the brook Kidron. that Hilkiah the priest found in the house

13 And the high places that were before of the LORD. Jerusalem, which were on the right hand 25 And like unto him was there no king of the mount of Corruption, which Solo- before him, that turned to the LORD with mon the king of Israel had builded for all his heart, and with all his soul, and Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidoni- with all his might, according to all the law ans, and for Chemosh the abomination of of Moses; neither after him arose there the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomi- any like him. nation of the children of Ammon, did the king defile,

26 ¶ Notwithstanding, the LORD turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath, 14 And he brake in pieces the images, wherewith his anger was kindled against and cut down the groves, and filled their Judah, because of all the provocations that places with the bones of men. Manasseh had provoked him withal.

15 Moreover, the altar that was at 27 And the LORD said, I will remove Beth-el, and the high place which Jero-Judah also out of my sight, as I have reboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel moved Israel, and will cast off this city to sin, had made, both that altar and the Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the high place he brake down, and burned the house of which I said, My name shall be high place, and stamped it small to pow-there. der, and burned the grove.

28 Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, 16 And as Josiah turned himself, he and all that he did, are they not written in spied the sepulchres that were there in the the book of the Chronicles of the kings of mount, and sent, and took the bones out Judah?

of the sepulchres, and burned them upon 29 In his days Pharaoh-nechoh king the altar, and polluted it, according to the of Egypt went up against the king of Asword of the LORD which the man of God syria to the river Euphrates: and king proclaimed, who proclaimed these words. Josiah went against him; and he slew him 17 Then he said, What title is that that at Megiddo, when he had seen him.

Rebellion of Jehoiakim.

II KINGS. Jerusalem taken and spoiled. 30 And his servants carried him in a and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his chariot dead from Megiddo, and brought|stead. him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his 7 And the king of Egypt came not again own sepulchre. And the people of the any more out of his land: for the king of land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and Babylon had taken from the river of Egypt anointed him, and made him king in his unto the river Euphrates all that pertainfather's stead. ed to the king of Egypt.

31 Jehoahaz was twenty and three 8 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old years old when he began to reign; and he when he began to reign, and he reigned in reigned three months in Jerusalem. And Jerusalem three months. And his mo his mother's name was Hamutal, the ther's name was Nehushta, the daughter of daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. Elnathan of Jerusalem.

32 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done.

9 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done.

33 And Pharaoh-nechoh put him in 10 At that time the servants of Ne bands at Riblah in the land of Hamath, buchadnezzar king of Babylon came up that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and against Jerusalem, and the city was be put the land to a tribute of a hundred sieged. talents of silver, and a talent of gold.

11 And Nebuchadnezzar king of Baby

34 And Pharaoh-nechoh made Eliakim lon came against the city, and his servants the son of Josiah king in the room of Jo- did besiege it.

siah his father, and turned his name to 12 And Jehoiachin the king of Judah Jehoiakim, and took Jehoahaz away: and went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his he came to Egypt, and died there.

mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign.

35 And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh; but he taxed the land to give the money according to the com- 13 And he carried out thence all the mandment of Pharaoh: he exacted the treasures of the house of the LORD, and silver and the gold of the people of the the treasures of the king's house, and cut land, of every one according to his taxa- in pieces all the vessels of gold which So tion, to give it unto Pharaoh-nechoh.

36 Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Zebudah, the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah.

37 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done.

IN

CHAP. XXIV.

N his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him.

lomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said.

14 And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen, and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land.

15 And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king's mother, and the king's wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.. 16 And all the men of might, even seven 2 And the LORD sent against him bands thousand, and craftsmen and smiths a of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, thousand, all that were strong and apt for and bands of the Moabites, and bands of war, even them the king of Babylon the children of Ammon, and sent them brought captive to Babylon. against Judah to destroy it, according to 17 And the king of Babylon made the word of the LORD, which he spake by Mattaniah his father's brother king in his his servants the prophets. stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah 3 Surely at the commandment of the 18 Zedekiah was twenty and one years LORD came this upon Judah, to remove old when he began to reign, and he reignthem out of his sight, for the sins of Ma- ed eleven years in Jerusalem. And his nasseh, according to all that he did; mother's name was Hamutal, the daughter

4 And also for the innocent blood that of Jeremiah of Libnah. he shed, (for he filled Jerusalem with in- 19 And he did that which was evil in nocent blood,) which the LORD would not the sight of the LORD, according to all that pardon. Jehoiakim had done.

5 T Now the rest of the acts of Jehoia- 20 For through the anger of the LORD kim, and all that he did, are they not it came to pass in Jerusalem, and Judab, written in the book of the Chronicles of the until he had cast them out from his prekings of Judah? sence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the 6 So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers: king of Babylon.