Verse 24

Josiah also got rid of the ritual pits used to conjure up spirits, the magicians, personal idols, disgusting images, and all the detestable idols that had appeared in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem. In this way he carried out the terms of the law recorded on the scroll that Hilkiah the priest had discovered in the LORD’s temple.

Referenced Verses

  • Lev 19:31 : 31 Do not turn to the spirits of the dead and do not seek familiar spirits to become unclean by them. I am the LORD your God.
  • Gen 31:19 : 19 While Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole the household idols that belonged to her father.
  • 2 Kgs 21:6 : 6 He passed his son through the fire and practiced divination and omen reading. He set up a ritual pit to conjure up underworld spirits, and appointed magicians to supervise it. He did a great amount of evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger.
  • Lev 20:27 : 27 Prohibition against Spiritists and Mediums“‘A man or woman who has in them a spirit of the dead or a familiar spirit must be put to death. They must pelt them with stones; their blood guilt is on themselves.’”
  • Deut 18:10-12 : 10 There must never be found among you anyone who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, anyone who practices divination, an omen reader, a soothsayer, a sorcerer, 11 one who casts spells, one who conjures up spirits, a practitioner of the occult, or a necromancer. 12 Whoever does these things is abhorrent to the LORD and because of these detestable things the LORD your God is about to drive them out from before you.
  • Judg 17:5 : 5 Now this man Micah owned a shrine. He made an ephod and some personal idols and hired one of his sons to serve as a priest.
  • Judg 18:17-18 : 17 The five men who had gone to spy out the land broke in and stole the carved image, the ephod, the personal idols, and the metal image, while the priest was standing at the entrance to the gate with the six hundred fully armed men. 18 When these men broke into Micah’s house and stole the carved image, the ephod, the personal idols, and the metal image, the priest said to them,“What are you doing?”
  • 1 Sam 28:3-7 : 3 Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had lamented over him and had buried him in Ramah, his hometown. In the meantime Saul had removed the mediums and magicians from the land. 4 The Philistines assembled; they came and camped at Shunem. Saul mustered all Israel and camped at Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the camp of the Philistines, he was absolutely terrified. 6 So Saul inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him– not by dreams nor by Urim nor by the prophets. 7 So Saul instructed his servants,“Find me a woman who is a medium, so that I may go to her and inquire of her.” His servants replied to him,“There is a woman who is a medium in En Dor.”
  • 2 Kgs 21:3 : 3 He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he set up altars for Baal and made an Asherah pole just like King Ahab of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the stars in the sky and worshiped them.
  • 2 Kgs 21:11 : 11 “King Manasseh of Judah has committed horrible sins. He has sinned more than the Amorites before him and has encouraged Judah to sin by worshiping his disgusting idols.
  • 2 Kgs 21:21 : 21 He followed in the footsteps of his father and worshiped and bowed down to the disgusting idols which his father had worshiped.
  • 2 Kgs 22:8-9 : 8 Hilkiah the high priest informed Shaphan the scribe,“I found the law scroll in the LORD’s temple.” Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan and he read it. 9 Shaphan the scribe went to the king and reported,“Your servants melted down the silver in the temple and handed it over to the construction foremen assigned to the LORD’s temple.” 10 Then Shaphan the scribe told the king,“Hilkiah the priest has given me a scroll.” Shaphan read it out loud before the king. 11 When the king heard the words of the law scroll, he tore his clothes. 12 The king ordered Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Achbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, 13 “Go, seek an oracle from the LORD for me and the people– for all Judah. Find out about the words of this scroll that has been discovered. For the LORD’s great fury has been ignited against us, because our ancestors have not obeyed the words of this scroll by doing all that it instructs us to do.”
  • 2 Chr 34:14-19 : 14 When they took out the silver that had been brought to the LORD’s temple, Hilkiah the priest found the law scroll the LORD had given to Moses. 15 Hilkiah informed Shaphan the scribe,“I found the law scroll in the LORD’s temple.” Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan. 16 Shaphan brought the scroll to the king and reported,“Your servants are doing everything assigned to them. 17 They melted down the silver in the LORD’s temple and handed it over to the supervisors and the construction foremen.” 18 Then Shaphan the scribe told the king,“Hilkiah the priest has given me a scroll.” Shaphan read it out loud before the king. 19 When the king heard the words of the law, he tore his clothes.
  • Isa 8:19-20 : 19 Darkness Turns to Light as an Ideal King Arrives They will say to you,“Seek oracles at the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits, from the magicians who chirp and mutter incantations. Should people not seek oracles from their gods, by asking the dead about the destiny of the living?” 20 Then you must recall the LORD’s instructions and the prophetic testimony of what would happen. Certainly they say such things because their minds are spiritually darkened.
  • Isa 19:3 : 3 The Egyptians will panic, and I will confuse their strategy. They will seek guidance from the idols and from the spirits of the dead, from the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits, and from the magicians.
  • Hos 3:4 : 4 For the Israelites must live many days without a king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred fertility pillar, without ephod or idols.
  • Acts 16:16-18 : 16 Paul and Silas Are Thrown Into Prison Now as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit that enabled her to foretell the future by supernatural means. She brought her owners a great profit by fortune-telling. 17 She followed behind Paul and us and kept crying out,“These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.” 18 She continued to do this for many days. But Paul became greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit,“I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out of her at once.
  • Rom 3:20 : 20 For no one is declared righteous before him by the works of the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.
  • Jas 1:25 : 25 But the one who peers into the perfect law of liberty and fixes his attention there, and does not become a forgetful listener but one who lives it out– he will be blessed in what he does.
  • Rev 22:15 : 15 Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the sexually immoral, and the murderers, and the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood!