1 The king sent messengers, and they gathered to him all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.

And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem.

2 The king went up to the house of the Lord, along with all the men of Judah, all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the prophets, and all the people, from the youngest to the oldest. There, he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the house of the Lord.

And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the LORD.

3 The king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the Lord to follow the Lord, to keep His commandments, His testimonies, and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul, and to uphold the words of the covenant written in this book. All the people joined in the covenant.

And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.

4 The king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the priests of the second rank, and the gatekeepers to bring out of the temple of the Lord all the objects made for Baal, Asherah, and all the host of heaven. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron and scattered their ashes on the graves of the people.

And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel.

5 He also removed the idolatrous priests appointed by the kings of Judah, those who burned incense at the high places in the cities of Judah and in the areas around Jerusalem. He removed those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and the moon, the constellations, and all the host of heaven.

And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.

6 He brought out the Asherah pole from the house of the Lord to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem, burned it in the Kidron Valley, ground it to ashes, and threw the ashes on the graves of the common people.

And he brought out the grove from the house of the LORD, without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and stamped it small to powder, and cast the powder thereof upon the graves of the children of the people.

7 He tore down the houses of the male cult prostitutes that were in the temple of the Lord, where the women wove coverings for Asherah.

And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the grove.

8 He brought all the priests from the cities of Judah and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba. He also destroyed the high places at the gates—the one at the entrance of the Gate of Joshua, the governor of the city, which was on the left of the city gate.

And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba, 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.

9 However, the priests of the high places did not go up to the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem but ate unleavened bread among their fellow priests.

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.

10 He defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, so no one could make his son or daughter pass through the fire to Molech.

And he defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech.

11 He removed the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun at the entrance to the house of the Lord, near the room of Nathan-Melech, the eunuch, which was in the colonnades. He also burned the chariots of the sun with fire.

And he took away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entering in of the house of the LORD, by the chamber of Nathanmelech the chamberlain, which was in the suburbs, and burned the chariots of the sun with fire.

12 The king tore down the altars that were on the roof of Ahaz's upper chamber, the ones the kings of Judah had made. He also destroyed the altars that Manasseh had made in the two courtyards of the house of the Lord. He removed them from there, ground them to dust, and threw their dust into the Kidron Valley.

And the altars that were on the top of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the LORD, did the king beat down, and brake them down from thence, and cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron.

13 The king also defiled the high places east of Jerusalem, on the south of the Mount of Corruption, which Solomon, the king of Israel, had built for Ashtoreth, the detestable idol of the Sidonians, for Chemosh, the detestable idol of Moab, and for Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites.

And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile.

14 He smashed the sacred pillars to pieces, cut down the Asherah poles, and filled their places with human bones.

And he brake in pieces the images, and cut down the groves, and filled their places with the bones of men.

15 Even the altar at Bethel, the high place that Jeroboam son of Nebat had made, the one who caused Israel to sin—even that altar and the high place he tore down. He burned the high place, crushed it to dust, and burned the Asherah pole that was there.

Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he brake down, and burned the high place, and stamped it small to powder, and burned the grove.

16 Josiah turned, saw the graves that were on the hill, and sent men to take the bones from the graves. He burned them on the altar and defiled it according to the word of the LORD, as the man of God had proclaimed, who had foretold these things.

And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount, and sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned them upon the altar, and polluted it, according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words.

17 He asked, 'What is this monument that I see?’ The men of the city replied, 'It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things that you have done to the altar at Bethel.'

Then he said, What title is that that I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the sepulchre of the man of God, which came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of Bethel.

18 He said, 'Leave it alone; let no one disturb his bones.' So they spared his bones, along with the bones of the prophet who had come from Samaria.

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 Josiah also removed all the shrines on the high places in the towns of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke the LORD to anger. He did to them just as he had done at Bethel.

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 Bethel.

20 He slaughtered all the priests of those high places on the altars and burned human bones on them. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

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

21 The king commanded all the people, 'Celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God as it is written in the Book of the Covenant.'

And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover unto the LORD your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant.

22 For no Passover like it had been observed since the days of the judges who ruled Israel, or throughout all the days of the kings of Israel and Judah.

Surely there was not holden such a passover from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah;

23 But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was celebrated to the LORD in Jerusalem.

But in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, wherein this passover was holden to the LORD in Jerusalem.

24 Josiah also removed the mediums, spiritists, household idols, images, and all the detestable things that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem. He did this to fulfill the words of the law written in the book that Hilkiah the priest had found in the house of the LORD.

Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD.

25 There was no king like him before, who turned to the LORD with all his heart, soul, and strength, according to all the Law of Moses, nor did any like him arise after him.

And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the LORD with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.

26 However, the LORD did not turn from the fierce anger that burned against Judah because of all that Manasseh had done to provoke Him to anger.

Notwithstanding the LORD turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal.

27 The LORD said, 'I will also remove Judah from my presence as I removed Israel. I will reject this city, Jerusalem, which I chose, and the temple about which I said, ‘My name shall be there.’'

And the LORD said, I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there.

28 The rest of the acts of Josiah, all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

29 During his reign, Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt went to fight against the king of Assyria at the Euphrates River. King Josiah marched out to meet him, but Necho killed him at Megiddo when they faced each other.

In his days Pharaohnechoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates: and king Josiah went against him; and he slew him at Megiddo, when he had seen him.

30 His servants brought his body by chariot from Megiddo to Jerusalem and buried him in his own tomb. Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah, anointed him, and made him king in place of his father.

And his servants carried him in a chariot dead from Megiddo, and brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own sepulchre. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made him king in his father's stead.

31 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah.

Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

32 He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, just as his ancestors had done.

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

33 Pharaoh Necho imprisoned him at Riblah in the land of Hamath to keep him from reigning in Jerusalem and imposed a tribute on the land of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.

And Pharaohnechoh put him in bands at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and put the land to a tribute of an hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold.

34 Pharaoh Necho made Eliakim son of Josiah king in place of his father Josiah and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz and brought him to Egypt, where he died.

And Pharaohnechoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah his father, and turned his name to Jehoiakim, and took Jehoahaz away: and he came to Egypt, and died there.

35 Jehoiakim paid Pharaoh the silver and gold, but he taxed the land to meet Pharaoh’s demands. He exacted the silver and the gold from the people of the land, each according to his assessment, to pay Pharaoh Necho.

And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh; but he taxed the land to give the money according to the commandment of Pharaoh: he exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, of every one according to his taxation, to give it unto Pharaohnechoh.

36 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah; she was from Rumah.

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 He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, just as his ancestors had done.

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