Josiah’s Reforms
1 jThen the king sent, and all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem were gathered to him. 2 And the king went up to the house of the Lord, and with him all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and the prophets, all the people, both small and great. And he kread in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the Lord. 3 And the king lstood by the pillar and mmade a covenant before the Lord, to nwalk after the Lord and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people joined in the covenant.
4 And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest and the priests of the osecond order and the pkeepers of the threshold to bring out of the temple of the Lord all the vessels made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven. He qburned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron and carried their ashes to rBethel. 5 And he deposed the spriests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to make offerings in the high places at the cities of Judah and around Jerusalem; those also who tburned incense to Baal, to the usun and the moon and the constellations and all the host of the heavens. 6 And he brought out the Asherah vfrom the house of the Lord, outside Jerusalem, to the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron and beat it to dust and cast the dust of it upon the graves of the common people. 7 And he broke down the houses of the wmale cult prostitutes who were in the house of the Lord, where the women wove hangings for the Asherah. 8 And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had made offerings, from Geba to Beersheba. And he broke down the high places of the gates that were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on one’s left at the gate of the city. 9 However, the priests of the high places did not come up to the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened bread among their brothers. 10 And he defiled xTopheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, that no one might yburn his son or his daughter as an offering zto Molech.1 11 And he removed the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the asun, at the entrance to the house of the Lord, by the chamber of Nathan-melech the chamberlain, which was in the precincts.2 And he burned the chariots of the sun with fire. 12 And the altars bon the roof of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and cthe altars that Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the Lord, he pulled down and broke in pieces3 and cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron. 13 And the king defiled dthe high places that were east of Jerusalem, to the south of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 14 And he broke in pieces the pillars and cut down the Asherim and filled their places with the bones of men.
15 Moreover, the ealtar at Bethel, the high place erected by Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, that altar with the high place he pulled down and burned,4 reducing it to dust. He also burned the Asherah. 16 And as Josiah turned, he saw the tombs there on the mount. And he sent and took the bones out of the tombs and burned them on the altar and defiled it, faccording to the word of the Lord that the man of God proclaimed, who had predicted these things. 17 Then he said, “What is that monument that I see?” And the men of the city told him, “It is the tomb of the gman of God who came from Judah and predicted5 these things that you have done against the altar at Bethel.” 18 And he said, “Let him be; let no man move his bones.” So they let his bones alone, hwith the bones of the iprophet who came out of Samaria. 19 And Josiah removed all the jshrines also of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which kings of Israel had made, provoking the Lord to anger. He did to them according to all that he had done at Bethel. 20 And he ksacrificed all the priests of the high places who were there, on the altars, and burned human bones on them. Then he returned to Jerusalem.
Josiah Restores the Passover
21 lAnd the king commanded all the people, “Keep the mPassover to the Lord your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.” 22 For no such Passover had been kept since the days of the judges who njudged Israel, or during all the days of the kings of Israel or of the kings of Judah. 23 But in the oeighteenth year of King Josiah this Passover was kept to the Lord in Jerusalem.
24 Moreover, Josiah put away the pmediums and the necromancers and the household gods and the idols and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might establish the words of the law that were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the Lord. 25 qBefore him there was no king like him, rwho sturned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses, nor did any like him arise after him.
26 Still the Lord did not turn from the burning of his great wrath, by which his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations with which tManasseh had provoked him. 27 And the Lord said, “I will uremove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and I will cast off this city that I have vchosen, Jerusalem, and the house of which I said, wMy name shall be there.”
Josiah’s Death in Battle
28 xNow the rest of the acts of Josiah and all that he did, are they not written in the yBook of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 29 In his days Pharaoh zNeco king of Egypt went up to the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates. King Josiah went to meet him, and Pharaoh Neco killed him at Megiddo, as soon as he saw him. 30 And his servants acarried him dead in a chariot from Megiddo and brought him to Jerusalem and bburied him in his own tomb. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made him king in his father’s place.
Jehoahaz’s Reign and Captivity
31 cJehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was dHamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 32 And he edid what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done. 33 And Pharaoh Neco put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and laid on the land a tribute of a hundred talents6 of silver and a talent of gold. 34 fAnd Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But he gtook Jehoahaz away, and he came hto Egypt and died there. 35 And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land to give the money according to the command of Pharaoh. He exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, from everyone according to his assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Neco.
Jehoiakim Reigns in Judah
36 iJehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zebidah the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. 37 And he jdid what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done.
1 For uevery high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices vfor sins. 2 He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, wsince he himself is beset with xweakness. 3 Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice yfor his own sins just as he does for those of the people. 4 And zno one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was.
5 So also Christ adid not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him,
b“You are my Son,
today I have begotten you”;
6 as he says also in another place,
c“You are a priest forever,
after the order of dMelchizedek.”
7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus1 offered up eprayers and supplications, with floud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was a gson, he learned hobedience through what he suffered. 9 And ibeing made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.
Warning Against Apostasy
11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become jdull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the kbasic principles of the oracles of God. You need lmilk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a mchild. 14 But solid food is for the nmature, for those who have their powers of discernment otrained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
You Are My Refuge
A Maskil1 of David, nwhen he was oin the cave. A Prayer.
1 pWith my voice I cry out to the Lord;
with my voice I qplead for mercy to the Lord.
2 I rpour out my complaint before him;
I tell my trouble before him.
3 When smy spirit faints within me,
you know my way!
In the path where I walk
they have hidden a trap for me.
4 Look to the right and see:
there is none who takes notice of me;
tno refuge remains to me;
no one cares for my soul.
5 I cry to you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my refuge,
umy portion in the land of the living.”
6 vAttend to my cry,
for I am brought very low!
wDeliver me from my persecutors,
for they are too strong for me!
7 xBring me out of prison,
that I may give thanks to your name!
The righteous will surround me,
for you will deal bountifully with me.
The Day of the Lord
1 qBlow a trumpet in Zion;
sound an alarm on rmy holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
for the day of the Lord is coming; sit is near,
2 a day of tdarkness and gloom,
ua day of clouds and thick darkness!
Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains
a vgreat and powerful people;
wtheir like has never been before,
nor will be again after them
through the years of all generations.
3 Fire devours before them,
and behind them a flame burns.
The land is like the garden of xEden before them,
but behind them a desolate wilderness,
and nothing escapes them.
4 yTheir appearance is like the appearance of horses,
and like war horses they run.
5 zAs with the rumbling of chariots,
they leap on the tops of the mountains,
like the crackling of a flame of fire
devouring the stubble,
like a powerful army
drawn up for battle.
6 Before them peoples are in anguish;
aall faces grow pale.
7 bLike warriors they charge;
like soldiers they scale the wall.
They march each on his way;
they do not swerve from their paths.
8 They do not jostle one another;
each marches in his path;
they burst through the weapons
and are not halted.
9 They leap upon the city,
they run upon the walls,
they climb up into the houses,
they enter through the windows like a thief.
10 The earth quakes before them;
the heavens tremble.
cThe sun and the moon are ddarkened,
and the stars withdraw their shining.
11 The Lord utters his voice
before his army,
for his camp is exceedingly great;
he who executes his word is powerful.
For the day of the Lord is egreat and very awesome;
fwho can endure it?
Return to the Lord
12 “Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
g“return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
13 and rend your hearts and not your garments.”
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is hgracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
and ihe relents over disaster.
14 jWho knows whether he will not turn and relent,
and leave a kblessing behind him,
a lgrain offering and a drink offering
for the Lord your God?
15 mBlow the trumpet in Zion;
nconsecrate a fast;
call a solemn assembly;
16 gather the people.
Consecrate the congregation;
assemble the oelders;
gather the children,
even nursing infants.
Let the bridegroom leave his room,
and the bride her chamber.
17 pBetween the vestibule and the altar
qlet the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep
and say, “Spare your people, O Lord,
and make not your heritage a rreproach,
a byword among the nations.1
Why should they say among the peoples,
s‘Where is their God?’”
The Lord Had Pity
18 Then the Lord became tjealous for his land
and had pity on his people.
19 The Lord answered and said to his people,
“Behold, I am sending to you
ugrain, wine, and oil,
and you will be satisfied;
and I will no more make you
a reproach among the nations.
20 “I will remove the northerner far from you,
and drive him into a parched and desolate land,
his vanguard2 into the veastern sea,
and his rear guard3 into the wwestern sea;
the xstench and foul smell of him will rise,
for he has done great things.
21 “Fear not, O land;
be glad and rejoice,
for ythe Lord has done great things!
22 Fear not, you zbeasts of the field,
for the apastures of the wilderness are green;
the tree bears its fruit;
the bfig tree and vine give their full yield.
23 “Be glad, O children of Zion,
and rejoice in the Lord your God,
for he has given the early rain for your vindication;
he has poured down for you abundant rain,
cthe early and the latter rain, as before.
24 “The threshing floors shall be full of grain;
the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
25 I will restore4 to you the years
that the dswarming locust has eaten,
the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,
emy great army, which I sent among you.
26 “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
and praise the name of the Lord your God,
who has dealt wondrously with you.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.
27 You shall know that I am fin the midst of Israel,
and gthat I am the Lord your God and there is none else.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.
The Lord Will Pour Out His Spirit
28 5 h“And it shall come to pass afterward,
that iI will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;
jyour sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.
29 Even on the male and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit.
30 “And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 kThe sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the lgreat and awesome day of the Lord comes. 32 And it shall come to pass that meveryone who ncalls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For oin Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be pthose whom the Lord calls.
