Josiah's Reforms

2 Kings 23

1 Now a the king sent them to gather all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem to him. 2 The king went up to the house of the LORD with all the men of Judah, and with him all the inhabitants of Jerusalem - the priests and the prophets and all the people, both small and great. And he b read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant c which had been found in the house of the LORD. 3 Then the king d stood by a pillar and made a e covenant before the LORD, to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people took a stand for the covenant.

4 And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, the f priests of the second order, and the doorkeepers, to bring g out of the temple of the LORD all the articles that were made for Baal, for 1 Asherah, 1 and for all 3 the host of heaven; 3 and he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel. 5 Then he removed the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense on the high places in the cities of Judah and in the places all around Jerusalem, and those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun, to the moon, to the 5 constellations, and to h all the host of heaven. 6 And he brought out the i wooden 6 image 7 from the house of the LORD, to the Brook Kidron outside Jerusalem, burned it at the Brook Kidron and ground it to j ashes, and threw its ashes on k the graves of the common people. 7 Then he tore down the ritual 8 booths l of the 9 perverted persons 10 that were in the house of the LORD, m where the n women wove hangings for the wooden image. 8 And he brought all the priests from the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from o Geba to Beersheba; also he broke down the high places at the gates which were at the entrance of the Gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were to the left of the city gate. 9 p Nevertheless the priests of the high places did not come up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, q but they ate unleavened bread among their brethren. 10 And he defiled r Topheth, which is in s the Valley of the 11 Son of Hinnom, t that no man might make his son or his daughter u pass through the fire to Molech. 11 Then he removed the horses that the kings of Judah had 12 dedicated to the sun, at the entrance to the house of the LORD, by the chamber of NathanMe'lech, the officer who was in the court; and he burned the chariots of the sun with fire. 12 The altars that were v on the roof, the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which w Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the LORD, the king broke down and pulverized there, and threw their dust into the Brook Kidron. 13 Then the king defiled the 13 high places that were east of Jerusalem, which were on the 14 south of 15 the Mount of Corruption, which x Solomon king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the people of Ammon. 14 And he y broke in pieces the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images, and filled their places with the bones of men.

15 Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and the 16 high place z which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he broke down; and he burned the high place and crushed it to powder, and burned the wooden image. 16 As Josiah turned, he saw the tombs that were there on the mountain. And he sent and took the bones out of the tombs and burned them on the altar, and defiled it according to the a word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words. 17 Then he said, "What gravestone is this that I see?" So the men of the city told him, "It is b the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things which you have done against the altar of Bethel." 18 And he said, "Let him alone; let no one move his bones." So they let his bones alone, with the bones of c the prophet who came from Samaria. 19 Now Josiah also took away all the 17 shrines of the 18 high places that were d in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke 19 the LORD to anger; and he did to them according to all the deeds he had done in Bethel. 20 e He f executed all the priests of the 20 high places who were there, on the altars, and g burned men's bones on them; and he returned to Jerusalem.

  1. Cross References
    2 Samuel 19:11
    So King David sent to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, saying, "Speak to the elders of Judah, saying, 'Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house, since the words of all Israel have come to the king, to his very house?
    2 Chronicles 34:29
    Then the king sent and gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.
    2 Chronicles 34:30
    The king went up to the house of the LORD, with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem - the priests and the Levites, and all the people, great and small. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant which had been found in the house of the LORD.
  2. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 31:10 - 13
    And Moses commanded them, saying: "At the end of every seven years, at the appointed time in the year of release, at the Feast of Tabernacles.
  3. Cross References
    2 Kings 22:8
    Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, "I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD." And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.
  4. Cross References
    2 Kings 11:14
    When she looked, there was the king standing by a pillar according to custom; and the leaders and the trumpeters were by the king. All the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. So Athaliah tore her clothes and cried out, "Treason! Treason!
  5. Cross References
    2 Kings 11:17
    Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD, the king, and the people, that they should be the LORD's people, and also between the king and the people.
  6. Cross References
    2 Kings 25:18
    And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the second priest, and the three doorkeepers.
    Jeremiah 52:24
    The captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the second priest, and the three doorkeepers.
  7. Cross References
    2 Kings 21:3 - 7
    For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; he raised up altars for Baal, and made a wooden image, as Ahab king of Israel had done; and he worshiped all the host of heaven and served them.
  8. Cross References
    2 Kings 21:3
    For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; he raised up altars for Baal, and made a wooden image, as Ahab king of Israel had done; and he worshiped all the host of heaven and served them.
  9. Cross References
    2 Kings 21:7
    He even set a carved image of Asherah that he had made, in the house of which the LORD had said to David and to Solomon his son, "In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever.
  10. Cross References
    Exodus 32:20
    Then he took the calf which they had made, burned it in the fire, and ground it to powder; and he scattered it on the water and made the children of Israel drink it.
  11. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 34:4
    They broke down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and the incense altars which were above them he cut down; and the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images he broke in pieces, and made dust of them and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
  12. Cross References
    1 Kings 14:24
    And there were also perverted persons in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.
    1 Kings 15:12
    And he banished the perverted persons from the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.
  13. Cross References
    Exodus 35:25
    All the women who were gifted artisans spun yarn with their hands, and brought what they had spun, of blue, purple, and scarlet, and fine linen.
    Exodus 35:26
    And all the women whose hearts stirred with wisdom spun yarn of goats' hair.
    Ezekiel 16:16
    You took some of your garments and adorned multicolored high places for yourself, and played the harlot on them. Such things should not happen, nor be.
  14. Cross References
    Exodus 38:8
    He made the laver of bronze and its base of bronze, from the bronze mirrors of the serving women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.
  15. Cross References
    Joshua 21:17
    And from the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with its common-land, Geba with its common-land.
    1 Kings 15:22
    Then King Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah; none was exempted. And they took away the stones and timber of Ramah, which Baasha had used for building; and with them King Asa built Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah.
  16. Cross References
    Ezekiel 44:10 - 14
    And the Levites who went far from Me, when Israel went astray, who strayed away from Me after their idols, they shall bear their iniquity.
  17. Cross References
    1 Samuel 2:36
    'And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and say, "Please, put me in one of the priestly positions, that I may eat a piece of bread." '"
  18. Cross References
    Isaiah 30:33
    For Tophet was established of old, Yes, for the king it is prepared. He has made it deep and large; Its pyre is fire with much wood; The breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, Kindles it.
    Jeremiah 7:31
    And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into My heart.
    Jeremiah 7:32
    Therefore behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, "when it will no more be called Tophet, or the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter; for they will bury in Tophet until there is no room.
  19. Cross References
    Joshua 15:8
    And the border went up by the Valley of the Son of Hinnom to the southern slope of the Jebusite city (which is Jerusalem). 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 Rephaim northward.
  20. Cross References
    Leviticus 18:21
    And you shall not let any of your descendants pass through the fire to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.
    Deuteronomy 18:10
    There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer.
    Ezekiel 23:37 - 39
    For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols, and even sacrificed their sons whom they bore to Me, passing them through the fire, to devour them.
  21. Cross References
    2 Kings 21:6
    Also he made his son pass through the fire, practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft, and consulted spiritists and mediums. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger.
  22. Cross References
    Jeremiah 19:13
    "And the houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah shall be defiled like the place of Tophet, because of all the houses on whose roofs they have burned incense to all the host of heaven, and poured out drink offerings to other gods." '"
    Zephaniah 1:5
    Those who worship the host of heaven on the housetops; Those who worship and swear oaths by the LORD, But who also swear by Milcom.
  23. Cross References
    2 Kings 21:5
    And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.
    2 Chronicles 33:5
    And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.
  24. Cross References
    1 Kings 11:5 - 7
    For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
  25. Cross References
    Exodus 23:24
    You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their works; but you shall utterly overthrow them and completely break down their sacred pillars.
    Deuteronomy 7:5 - 25
    But thus you shall deal with them: you shall destroy their altars, and break down their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images, and burn their carved images with fire.
  26. Cross References
    1 Kings 12:28 - 33
    Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, and said to the people, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!
  27. Cross References
    1 Kings 13:2
    Then he cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD, and said, "O altar, altar! Thus says the LORD: 'Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men's bones shall be burned on you.'
  28. Cross References
    1 Kings 13:1
    And behold, a man of God went from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD, and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.
    1 Kings 13:30
    Then he laid the corpse in his own tomb; and they mourned over him, saying, "Alas, my brother!
    1 Kings 13:31
    So it was, after he had buried him, that he spoke to his sons, saying, "When I am dead, then bury me in the tomb where the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones.
  29. Cross References
    1 Kings 13:11
    Now an old prophet dwelt in Bethel, and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel; they also told their father the words which he had spoken to the king.
    1 Kings 13:31
    So it was, after he had buried him, that he spoke to his sons, saying, "When I am dead, then bury me in the tomb where the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones.
  30. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 34:6
    And so he did in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as Naphtali and all around, with axes.
    2 Chronicles 34:7
    When he had broken down the altars and the wooden images, had beaten the carved images into powder, and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.
  31. Cross References
    1 Kings 13:2
    Then he cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD, and said, "O altar, altar! Thus says the LORD: 'Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men's bones shall be burned on you.
  32. Cross References
    Exodus 22:20
    He who sacrifices to any god, except to the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed.
    1 Kings 18:40
    And Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!" So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and executed them there.
    2 Kings 10:25
    Now it happened, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, "Go in and kill them; let no one come out!" And they killed them with the edge of the sword; then the guards and the officers threw them out, and went into the inner room of the temple of Baal.
    2 Kings 11:18
    And all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal, and tore it down. They thoroughly broke in pieces its altars and images, and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the house of the LORD.
  33. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 34:5
    He also burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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