Josiah causeth the book to be read in a solemn assembly.

1 ¶ And the kingº sent,ºª and they gatheredºª unto² him all² the eldersº of Judahº and of Jerusalem.º 2 And the kingº went upºª into the houseº of the LORD,º and all² the menº of Judahº and all² the inhabitantsºª of Jerusalemº with² him, and the priests,º and the prophets,º and all² the people,º both smallº² and great:º and he readºª in their earsº² all² the wordsº of the bookº of the covenantº which was foundºª in the houseº of the LORD.º

He reneweth the Covenant of the LORD.

3 ¶ And the kingº stoodºª by² a pillar,º and madeºª² a covenantº beforeº the LORD,º to walk¹ª² afterº the LORD,º and to keepºª his commandmentsº and his testimoniesº and his statutesº with all² [their] heartº and all² [their] soul,º to performºª² the wordsº of this² covenantº that were writtenºª in² this² book.º And all² the peopleº stoodºª to the covenant.º

He destroyeth idolatry.

4 And the kingº commandedºª² Hilkiahº the highº priest,º and the priestsº of the second order,º and the keepersºª of the door,º to bring forthºª out of the templeº² of the LORDº² all² the vesselsº that were madeºª for Baal,º and for the grove,º and for all² the hostº of heaven:º and he burnedºª them withoutº² Jerusalemº in the fieldsº of Kidron,º and carriedºª² the ashesº of them unto Bethel.º 5 And he put downºª² the idolatrous priests,º whom² the kingsº of Judahº had ordainedºª to burn incenseºª in the high placesº in the citiesº of Judah,º and in the places round aboutº Jerusalem;º them also that burned incenseºª unto Baal,º to the sun,º and to the moon,º and to the planets,º and to all² the hostº of heaven.º 6 And he brought outºª² the groveº from the houseº² of the LORD,º withoutº² Jerusalem,º unto² the brookº Kidron,º and burnedºª it at the brookº Kidron,º and stamped [it] smallºª to powder,º and castºª² the powderº thereof upon² the gravesº of the childrenº of the people.º 7 And he brake downºª² the housesº of the sodomites,º that² [were] by the houseº of the LORD,º where²² the womenº woveºª hangingsº for the grove.º 8 And he broughtºª² all² the priestsº out of the citiesº² of Judah,º and defiledºª² the high placesº where²² the priestsº had burned incense,ºª from Gebaº² to² Beersheba,º and brake downºª² the high placesº of the gatesº that² [were] in the entering inº of the gateº of Joshuaº the governorº of the city,º which² [were] on² a man'sº left handº at the gateº of the city.º 9 Nevertheless² the priestsº of the high placesº came not upºª² to² the altarº of the LORDº in Jerusalem,º but²² they did eatºª of the unleavened breadº amongº their brethren.º 10 And he defiledºª² Topheth,º which² [is] in the valleyº of the childrenºª of Hinnom,º that no² manº might make² his sonº or his daughterº to pass throughºª the fireº to Molech.º 11 And he took awayºª² the horsesº that² the kingsº of Judahº had givenºª to the sun,º at the entering inºª² of the houseº of the LORD,º by² the chamberº of Nathanmelechº the chamberlain,º which² [was] in the suburbs,º and burnedºª the chariotsº of the sunº with fire.º 12 And the altarsº that² [were] on² the topº of the upper chamberº of Ahaz,º which² the kingsº of Judahº had made,ºª and the altarsº which² Manassehº had madeºª in the twoº courtsº of the houseº of the LORD,º did the kingº beat down,ºª and brake [them] downºª from thence,²² and castºª² the dustº of them into² the brookº Kidron.º 13 And the high placesº that² [were] beforeº² Jerusalem,º which² [were] on the right handº² of the mountº of corruption,º which² Solomonº the kingº of Israelº had buildedºª for Ashtorethº the abominationº of the Zidonians,º and for Chemoshº the abominationº of the Moabites,º and for Milcomº the abominationº of the childrenº of Ammon,º did the kingº defile.ºª 14 And he brake in piecesºª² the images,º and cut downºª² the groves,º and filledºª² their placesº with the bonesº of men.º

He burneth dead men's bones upon the altar of Beth-el, as was foreprophesied.

15 ¶ Moreover²² the altarº that² [was] at Bethel,º [and] the high placeº which² Jeroboamº the sonº of Nebat,º who² made² Israelº to sin,ºª had made,ºª both²² that² altarº and the high placeº he brake down,ºª and burnedºª² the high place,º [and] stamped¹ª [it] small² to powder,º and burnedºª the grove.º 16 And as Josiahº turnedºª himself, he spiedºª² the sepulchresº that² [were] there² in the mount,º and sent,ºª and tookºª² the bonesº out of² the sepulchres,º and burnedºª [them] upon² the altar,º and pollutedºª it, according to the wordº of the LORDº which² the manº of Godº proclaimed,ºª who² proclaimedºª² these² words.º 17 Then he said,ºª What² titleº [is] thatº that² I² see?ºª And the men¹² of the cityº toldºª² him, [It is] the sepulchreº of the manº of God,º which² cameºª from Judah,º² and proclaimedºª² these² thingsº that² thou hast doneºª against² the altarº of Bethel.º 18 And he said,ºª Let him alone;¹ª² let no² manº moveºª his bones.º So they let his bones¹ alone,ºª² with² the bonesº of the prophetº that² came² out¹ª of Samaria.º² 19 And² all² the housesº also² of the high placesº that² [were] in the citiesº of Samaria,º which² the kingsº of Israelº had madeºª to provoke [the LORD] to anger,ºª Josiahº took away,ºª and didºª to them according to all² the actsº that² he had doneºª in Bethel.º 20 And he slewºª² all² the priestsº of the high placesº that² [were] there² upon² the altars,º and burnedºª² men'sº bonesº upon² them, and returnedºª to Jerusalem.º

He keepeth a most solemn Passover.

21 ¶ And the kingº commandedºª² all² the people,º saying,ºª Keepºª the passoverº unto the LORDº your God,º as [it is] writtenºª in² the bookº of this² covenant.º 22 Surely² there was not² holdenºª such² a passoverº from the daysº² of the judgesºª that² judgedºª² Israel,º nor in all² the daysº of the kingsº of Israel,º nor of the kingsº of Judah;º 23 But²² in the eighteenthºº yearº of kingº Josiah,º [wherein] this² passoverº was holdenºª to the LORDº in Jerusalem.º

He putteth away witches and all abomination.

24 ¶ Moreover²² the [workers with] familiar spirits,º and the wizards,º and the images,º and the idols,º and all² the abominationsº that² were spiedºª in the landº of Judahº and in Jerusalem,º did Josiahº put away,ºª that² he might performºª² the wordsº of the lawº which were writtenºª in² the bookº that² Hilkiahº the priestº foundºª in the houseº of the LORD.º 25 And like unto him² was² there no² kingº beforeº him, that² turnedºª to² the LORDº with all² his heart,º and with all² his soul,º and with all² his might,º according to all² the lawº of Moses;º neither² afterº him aroseºª there [any] like him.²

God's final wrath against Judah.

26 ¶ Notwithstanding² the LORDº turnedºª not² from the fiercenessº² of his greatº wrath,º wherewith² his angerº was kindledºª against Judah,º because² of all² the provocationsº that² Manassehº had provokedºª him withal. 27 And the LORDº said,ºª I will removeºª² Judahº also² out of²² my sight,º as² I have removedºª² Israel,º and will cast offºª² this² cityº² Jerusalemº which² I have chosen,ºª and the houseº of which² I said,ºª My nameº shall be² there.² 28 Now the restº of the actsº of Josiah,º and all² that² he did,ºª [are] they² not² writtenºª in² the bookº of the chroniclesºº of the kingsº of Judah?º

Josiah, provoking Pharaoh-nechoh, is slain at Megiddo.

29 ¶ In his daysº Pharaohnechohº kingº of Egyptº went upºª against² the kingº of Assyriaº to² the riverº Euphrates:º and kingº Josiahº went¹ª² against¹ª² him; and he slewºª him at Megiddo,º when he had seenºª him. 30 And his servantsº carried² him in a chariot¹ª deadºª from Megiddo,º² and broughtºª him to Jerusalem,º and buriedºª him in his own sepulchre.º And the peopleº of the landº tookºª² Jehoahazº the sonº of Josiah,º and anointedºª him, and made him kingºª² in his father's¹ stead.²²

Jehoahaz, succeeding him, is imprisoned by Pharaoh-nechoh, who maketh Jehoiakim king.

31 ¶ Jehoahazº [was] twentyº and threeº yearsº oldº when he began to reign;ºª and he reignedºª threeº monthsº in Jerusalem.º And his mother'sº nameº [was] Hamutal,º the daughterº of Jeremiahº of Libnah.º² 32 And he didºª [that which was] evilº in the sightº of the LORD,º according to all² that² his fathersº had done.ºª 33 And Pharaohnechohº put him in bandsºª at Riblahº in the landº of Hamath,º that he might not reignºª² in Jerusalem;º and putºª² the landº to a tributeº of an hundredº talentsº of silver,º and a talentº of gold.º 34 And Pharaohnechohº made²² Eliakimº the sonº of Josiahº kingºª in the room² of Josiahº his father,º and turnedºª² his nameº to Jehoiakim,º and tookºª Jehoahazº away:¹ª and he cameºª to Egypt,º and diedºª there.² 35 And Jehoiakimº gaveºª the silverº and the goldº to Pharaoh;º but² he taxedºª² the landº to giveºª² the moneyº according² to the commandmentº of Pharaoh:º he exactedºª² the silverº and the goldº of² the peopleº of the land,º of every oneº according to his taxation,º to giveºª [it] unto Pharaohnechoh.º

Jehoiakim's wicked reign.

36 ¶ Jehoiakimº [was] twentyº and fiveº yearsº oldº when he began to reign;ºª and he reignedºª elevenºº yearsº in Jerusalem.º And his mother'sº nameº [was] Zebudah,º the daughterº of Pedaiahº of² Rumah.º 37 And he didºª [that which was] evilº in the sightº of the LORD,º according to all² that² his fathersº had done.ºª