2 Kings 23:4-14

Josiah's Reforms

⁴ And the king commandeth Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the threshold, to bring out from the temple of Jehovah all the vessels that are made for Baal, and for the shrine, and for all the host of the heavens, and he burneth them at the outside of Jerusalem, in the fields of Kidron, and hath borne their ashes to Beth-El. ⁵ And he hath caused to cease the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah have appointed, (and they make perfume in high places, in cities of Judah and suburbs of Jerusalem,) and those making perfume to Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of the heavens. ⁶ And he bringeth out the shrine from the house of Jehovah to the outside of Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burneth it at the brook Kidron, and beateth it small to dust, and casteth its dust on the grave of the sons of the people. ⁷ And he breaketh down the houses of the whoremongers that 'are' in the house of Jehovah, where the women are weaving houses for the shrine. ⁸ And he bringeth in all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defileth the high places where the priests have made perfume, from Geba unto Beer-Sheba, and hath broken down the high places of the gates that 'are' at the opening of the gate of Joshua, head of the city, that 'is' on a man's left hand at the gate of the city; ⁹ only, the priests of the high places come not up unto the altar of Jehovah in Jerusalem, but they have eaten unleavened things in the midst of their brethren. ¹⁰ And he hath defiled Topheth, that 'is' in the valley of the son of Hinnom, so that no man doth cause his son and his daughter to pass over through fire to Molech. ¹¹ And he causeth to cease the horses that the kings of Judah have given to the sun from the entering in of the house of Jehovah, by the chamber of Nathan-Melech the eunuch, that 'is' in the suburbs, and the chariots of the sun he hath burnt with fire. ¹² And the altars that 'are' on the top of the upper chamber of Ahaz, that the kings of Judah made, and the altars that Manasseh made in the two courts of the house of Jehovah, hath the king broken down, and removeth thence, and hath cast their dust unto the brook Kidron. ¹³ And the high places that 'are' on the front of Jerusalem, that 'are' on the right of the mount of corruption, that Solomon king of Israel had built to Ashtoreth abomination of the Zidonians, and Chemosh abomination of Moab, and to Milcom abomination of the sons of Ammon, hath the king defiled. ¹⁴ And he hath broken in pieces the standing-pillars, and cutteth down the shrines, and filleth their place with bones of men;