Josiah Renews the Covenant
(2 Chronicles 34:29–33)

1Then the king summoned all the elders of Judah (praised) and Jerusalem (city of peace). 2And he went up to the house of the LORD {YHWH} with all the people of Judah (praised) and Jerusalem (city of peace), as well as the priests and the prophets—all the people small and great—and in their hearing he read all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the LORD.

3So the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD {YHWH} to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments, decrees, and statutes with all his heart and all his soul, and to carry out the words of the covenant that were written in this book. And all the people entered into the covenant.

Josiah Destroys Idolatry
(1 Kings 13:1–10; 2 Chronicles 34:3–7)

4Then the king commanded Hilkiah (my portion is YHWH) the high priest, the priests second in rank, and the doorkeepers to remove from the temple of the LORD {YHWH} all the articles made for Baal (lord), Asherah (goddess), and all the host of heaven. And he burned them outside Jerusalem (city of peace) in the fields of Kidron (dark) and carried their ashes to Bethel (house of God).

5Josiah also did away with the idolatrous priests ordained by the kings of Judah (praised) to burn incense on the high places of the cities of Judah and in the places all around Jerusalem (city of peace)—those who had burned incense to Baal (lord), to the sun and moon, to the constellations, and to all the host of heaven.

6He brought the Asherah pole (goddess) from the house of the LORD {YHWH} to the Kidron (dark) Valley outside Jerusalem (city of peace), and there he burned it, ground it to powder, and threw its dust on the graves of the common people. 7He also tore down the quarters of the male shrine prostitutes that were in the house of the LORD {YHWH}, where the women had woven tapestries for Asherah (goddess).

8Then Josiah brought all the priests from the cities of Judah (praised) and desecrated the high places, from Geba (hill) to Beersheba (well of seven), where the priests had burned incense. He tore down the high places of the gates at the entrance of the gate of Joshua (YHWH saves) the governor of the city, which was to the left of the city gate. 9Although the priests of the high places did not come up to the altar of the LORD {YHWH} in Jerusalem (city of peace), they ate unleavened bread with their fellow priests.

10He also desecrated Topheth (place of fire) in the Valley of Ben-hinnom (the Valley of the Son of Hinnom)a so that no one could sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire \could pass his son or daughter through the fire/b to Molech (king). 11And he removed from the entrance to the house of the LORD {YHWH} the horses that the kings of Judah (praised) had dedicated to the sun. They were in the court {parbarim}c near the chamber of an official named Nathan-melech (the gift of the king). And Josiah burned up the chariots of the sun.

12He pulled down the altars that the kings of Judah (praised) had set up on the roof near the upper chamber of Ahaz (he has grasped), and the altars that Manasseh (causing to forget) had set up in the two courtyards of the house of the LORD {YHWH}. The king pulverized them there (quickly removed them from there)d and threw their dust into the Kidron (dark) Valley.

13The king also desecrated the high places east of Jerusalem (city of peace), to the south of the Mount of Corruption, which King Solomon (peace) of Israel (he wrestles with God) had built for Ashtoreth (star) the abomination of the Sidonians, for Chemosh (subduer) the abomination of the Moabites (of his father), and for Milcom (Molech)e the abomination of the Ammonites (tribal). 14He smashed the sacred pillars to pieces, cut down the Asherah poles (goddess), and covered the sites with human bones.

15He even pulled down the altar at Bethel (house of God), the high place set up by Jeroboam (the people will contend) son of Nebat (aspect), who had caused Israel (he wrestles with God) to sin. Then he burned [broke into pieces]f the high place, ground it to powder, and burned the Asherah pole (goddess). 16And as Josiah (whom YHWH heals) turned, he saw the tombs there on the hillside, and he sent someone to take the bones out of the tombs, and he burned them on the altar to defile it, according to the word of the LORD {YHWH} proclaimed by the man of God {Elohim} who had foretold these things [when Jeroboam stood by the altar at the feast. And he turned and lifted his eyes to the tomb of the man of God].g

17Then the king asked, “What is this monument I see?”

And the men of the city replied, “It is the tomb of the man of God {Elohim} who came from Judah (praised) and proclaimed these things that you have done to the altar of Bethel (house of God).”

18“Let him rest,” said Josiah. “Do not let anyone disturb his bones.”

So they left his bones undisturbed, along with those of the prophet who had come from Samaria (watch mountain).

19Just as Josiah had done at Bethel (house of God), so also in the cities of Samaria (watch mountain) he (whom YHWH heals) removed all the shrines of the high places set up by the kings of Israel (he wrestles with God) who had provoked the LORD to anger. 20On the altars he slaughtered all the priests of the high places, and he burned human bones on them. Then he returned to Jerusalem (city of peace).

Josiah Restores the Passover
(2 Chronicles 35:1–19)

21The king commanded all the people, “Keep the Passover of the LORD your⁺ God {YHWH Eloheikem}, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.”

22No such Passover had been observed from the days of the judges who had governed Israel (he wrestles with God) through all the days of the kings of Israel and Judah (praised). 23But in the eighteenth year of Josiah’s (whom YHWH heals) reign, this Passover was observed to the LORD {YHWH} in Jerusalem (city of peace).

24Furthermore, Josiah (whom YHWH heals) removed the mediums and spiritists, the household gods and idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah (praised) and in Jerusalem (city of peace). He did this to carry out the words of the law written in the book that Hilkiah (my portion is YHWH) the priest had found in the house of the LORD {YHWH}.

25Neither before nor after Josiah was there any king like him, who turned to the LORD {YHWH} with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, according to all the Law of Moses (drawn out).

26Nevertheless, the LORD {YHWH} did not turn away from the fury of His burning anger, which was kindled against Judah (praised) because of all that Manasseh (causing to forget) had done to provoke Him to anger. 27For the LORD {YHWH} had said, “I will remove Judah (praised) from My sight, just as I removed Israel (he wrestles with God). I will reject this city Jerusalem (city of peace), which I chose, and the temple of which I said, ‘My Name shall be there.’”

The Death of Josiah
(2 Chronicles 35:20–24)

28As for the rest of the acts of Josiah (whom YHWH heals) and all his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah (praised)?

29During Josiah’s reign, Pharaoh (great house) Neco (lame) king of Egypt (land of bondage) marched up to help the king of Assyria (a step) at the Euphrates (fruitfulness) River. King Josiah (whom YHWH heals) went out to confront him, but Neco faced him and killed him at Megiddo (place of crowds).

30From Megiddo (place of crowds) his servants carried his body in a chariot, brought him to Jerusalem (city of peace), and buried him in his own tomb. Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz (YHWH has seized) son of Josiah (whom YHWH heals), anointed him, and made him king in place of his father.

Jehoahaz Succeeds Josiah
(2 Chronicles 36:1–4)

31Jehoahaz (YHWH has seized) was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem (city of peace) three months. His mother’s name was Hamutal (father-in-law is protection) daughter of Jeremiah (whom YHWH has appointed); she was from Libnah (pavement). 32And he did evil in the sight of the LORD {YHWH}, just as his fathers had done.

33And Pharaoh (great house) Neco (lame) imprisoned Jehoahaz at Riblah (fertility) in the land of Hamath (fortress) so that he could not reign in Jerusalem (city of peace), and he imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents of silver <3.77 t / 3.42 mt>h and a talent of gold <75.4 lb / 34.2 kg>.i 34Then Pharaoh (great house) Neco (lame) made Eliakim (GGod sets up) son of Josiah (whom YHWH heals) king in place of his father Josiah, and he changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim (YHWH raises up). But Neco took Jehoahaz (YHWH has seized) and carried him off to Egypt (land of bondage), where he died.

35So Jehoiakim (YHWH raises up) paid the silver and gold to Pharaoh Neco (great house), but to meet Pharaoh’s demand he taxed the land and exacted the silver and the gold from the people, each according to his wealth. (lame)

Jehoiakim Reigns in Judah
(2 Chronicles 36:5–8)

36Jehoiakim (YHWH raises up) was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem (city of peace) eleven years. His mother’s name was Zebidah (given) daughter of Pedaiah (YHWH has ransomed); she was from Rumah (height). 37And he did evil in the sight of the LORD {YHWH}, just as his fathers had done.