4. Krallar 23

¹Ve kral haber gönderip Yahuda'nın ve Yeruşalim'in bütün ihtiyarlarını yanına topladı.

²Kral, yanındaki bütün Yahuda halkı, Yeruşalim'de oturanların hepsi, kâhinler, peygamberler ve küçükten büyüğe kadar bütün halkla birlikte RAB'bin evine çıktı ve RAB'bin evinde bulunmuş olan antlaşma kitabının bütün sözlerini onların kulaklarına okudu.

³Kral sütunun hizasında durdu; RAB'bin ardınca yürümek, O'nun buyruklarını, tanıklıklarını ve kurallarını bütün yüreğiyle ve bütün canıyla korumak, bu kitapta yazılı olan bu antlaşmanın sözlerini yerine getirmek üzere RAB'bin huzurunda bir antlaşma kesti; ve bütün halk antlaşmada sebat etti.

⁴Sonra kral, Başkâhin Helkias'a, ikinci sıranın kâhinlerine ve eşik nöbetçilerine, Baal, kutsal koruluk ve bütün gökler ordusu için yapılmış olan tüm kapları RAB'bin tapınağından dışarı çıkarmalarını buyurdu; bunları Yeruşalim'in dışında, Kidron'un Sademoth kırlarında yaktı ve küllerini Beytel'e götürdü.

⁵Yahuda krallarının atadığı ve Yahuda kentlerindeki yüksek yerlerde, Yeruşalim'in çevresinde buhur yakan homarimleri, ayrıca Baal'e, güneşe, aya, burçlara ve bütün gökler ordusuna buhur yakanları görevden uzaklaştırdı.

⁶Kutsal koruluğu RAB'bin evinden çıkarıp Yeruşalim'in dışına, Kidron Vadisi'ne götürdü; onu Kidron Vadisi'nde yakıp toz haline getirdi ve tozunu halkın oğullarının mezarlarına saçtı.

⁷RAB'bin evinde bulunan ve kadınların kutsal koruluk için örtüler dokuduğu tapınak fahişelerinin evini yıktı.

⁸Yahuda kentlerindeki bütün kâhinleri Yeruşalim'e getirdi; kâhinlerin buhur yaktığı yüksek yerleri Gabaa'dan Bersabee'ye kadar kirletti; kent kapısının solunda, kent yöneticisi Yeşu'nun kapısının girişinde bulunan kapıların evlerini yıktı.

⁹Ancak yüksek yerlerin kâhinleri Yeruşalim'de RAB'bin sunağına çıkmadılar; sadece kardeşlerinin arasında mayasız ekmek yiyebildiler.

¹⁰Bir adam kendi oğlunu ya da kendi kızını ateşte Moloh'a kurban etmesin diye, Ennom oğlunun vadisindeki Tapheth'i kirletti.

¹¹Yahuda krallarının güneşe adadığı atları, RAB'bin evinin girişinden, Farurim'deki hadım kral Nathan'ın hazine odasının yanından kaldırdı ve güneş arabalarını ateşte yaktı.

¹²Ahaz'ın üst odasının çatısı üzerinde bulunan, Yahuda krallarının yaptığı sunakları ve Manasses'in RAB'bin evinin iki avlusunda yaptığı sunakları kral yıktı; onları oradan aşağı çekip parçaladı ve tozlarını Kidron Vadisi'ne attı.

¹³Yeruşalim'in doğusunda, Mosoath Dağı'nın sağında bulunan, İsrail Kralı Süleyman'ın Saydalıların iğrençliği Astarte, Moavlıların iğrençliği Hamos ve Ammon oğullarının iğrenç şeyi Molhol için yaptırdığı yüksek yerleri kral kirletti.

¹⁴Dikili taşları parçaladı, kutsal korulukları tamamen yok etti ve yerlerini insan kemikleriyle doldurdu.

¹⁵Beytel'deki sunağı, İsrail'i günaha sürükleyen Nabat oğlu Yeroboam'ın yaptırdığı o yüksek yeri de yıktı; o sunağı ve yüksek yeri aşağı çekip taşlarını parçaladı, toz haline getirdi ve kutsal koruluğu yaktı.

¹⁶Yosias başını çevirip kentteki mezarları gördü; adam gönderip mezarlardaki kemikleri çıkarttı, sunağın üzerinde yakarak sunağı kirletti; böylece Yeroboam'ın bayram sırasında sunağın yanında durduğu vakit Tanrı adamının önceden bildirdiği RAB'bin sözü yerine geldi; Yosias dönüp bu sözleri söyleyen Tanrı adamının mezarına baktı.

¹⁷"Şu gördüğüm anıt kimindir?" diye sordu; kent halkı ona, "Yahuda'dan gelen ve Beytel'deki sunağa karşı yaptığın bu şeyleri, bu sözleri önceden bildiren Tanrı adamının mezarıdır" dedi.

¹⁸Yosias, "Onu rahat bırakın, kimse kemiklerine dokunmasın" dedi; böylece onun kemikleri ve Samiriye'den gelen peygamberin kemikleri korunmuş oldu.

¹⁹Yosias, İsrail krallarının RAB'bi öfkelendirmek için Samiriye kentlerinde yaptırdığı yüksek yerlerdeki bütün evleri de kaldırdı; Beytel'de yaptıklarının aynısını onlara da yaptı.

²⁰Oradaki yüksek yerlerin bütün kâhinlerini sunakların üzerinde kurban etti, üzerlerinde insan kemikleri yaktı; sonra Yeruşalim'e döndü.

²¹Kral bütün halka, "Bu antlaşma kitabında yazıldığı gibi, Tanrımız RAB'be Fısıh bayramını kutlayın" diye buyurdu.

²²İsrail'i yöneten hâkimlerin döneminden beri, gerek İsrail krallarının gerekse Yahuda krallarının dönemi boyunca böyle bir Fısıh bayramı hiç yapılmamıştı.

²³Ancak Kral Yosias'ın krallığının on sekizinci yılında, Yeruşalim'de RAB'be bu Fısıh bayramı yapıldı.

²⁴Ayrıca Yosias, Kâhin Helkias'ın RAB'bin evinde bulduğu kitapta yazılı olan yasanın sözlerini yerine getirmek amacıyla, Yahuda ülkesinde ve Yeruşalim'de bulunan medyumları, bilicileri, Terafimleri, putları ve bütün iğrenç şeyleri ortadan kaldırdı.

²⁵Musa'nın bütün yasasına uyarak, tüm yüreğiyle, tüm canıyla ve tüm gücüyle RAB'be dönen, onun gibi bir kral ne ondan önce vardı, ne de ondan sonra onun gibisi ortaya çıktı.

²⁶Buna rağmen RAB, Manasses'in kendisini öfkelendirdiği bütün o kışkırtmalar yüzünden Yahuda'ya karşı alevlenen büyük ve şiddetli öfkesinden dönmedi.

²⁷RAB şöyle dedi: "İsrail'i uzaklaştırdığım gibi Yahuda'yı da yüzümden uzaklaştıracağım; seçtiğim bu kenti, Yeruşalim'i ve 'Adım orada olacak' dediğim bu evi reddedeceğim."

²⁸Yosias'ın yaptığı diğer işler ve bütün yaptıkları Yahuda Krallarının Günlerinin Sözleri Kitabı'nda yazılı değil midir?

²⁹Onun döneminde Mısır Kralı Firavun Nehao, Asurluların kralına karşı Fırat Irmağı'na doğru yola çıktı; Kral Yosias onunla savaşmaya gitti; ancak Nehao onu Mageddo'da görünce öldürdü.

³⁰Hizmetkârları onun cesedini Mageddo'dan ölü olarak arabayla Yeruşalim'e getirip kendi mezarına gömdüler; ülke halkı Yosias oğlu İoahaz'ı alıp meshetti ve babasının yerine kral yaptı.

³¹İoahaz kral olduğunda yirmi üç yaşındaydı ve Yeruşalim'de üç ay krallık yaptı; annesinin adı Lobnalı Yeremya'nın kızı Amital'dı.

³²Babalarının yaptığı gibi, o da RAB'bin gözünde kötü olanı yaptı.

³³Firavun Nehao, Yeruşalim'de krallık yapmasın diye onu Aimath ülkesindeki Deblatha'da görevden aldı ve ülkeyi yüz talant gümüş ve yüz talant altın vergi ödemekle yükümlü kıldı.

³⁴Firavun Nehao, Yosias oğlu Eliakim'i babası Yosias'ın yerine kral yaptı ve adını İoakim olarak değiştirdi; İoahaz'ı ise yanına alıp Mısır'a götürdü ve İoahaz orada öldü.

³⁵İoakim gümüşü ve altını Firavun'a verdi; ancak Firavun'un istediği parayı ödeyebilmek için ülkeye vergi koydu; Firavun Nehao'ya vermek üzere, ülke halkından herkesin takdir edilen gücüne göre gümüş ve altın topladı.

³⁶İoakim kral olduğunda yirmi beş yaşındaydı ve Yeruşalim'de on bir yıl krallık yaptı; annesinin adı Rumalı Phadael'in kızı Ieldaph'tı.

³⁷Babalarının yaptığı gibi, o da RAB'bin gözünde kötü olanı yaptı.

¹ΚΑΙ ἀπέστειλεν ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ συνήγαγε πρὸς ἑαυτὸν πάντας τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους ᾿Ιούδα καὶ ῾Ιερουσαλήμ.

²καὶ ἀνέβη ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰς οἶκον Κυρίου καὶ πᾶς ἀνὴρ ᾿Ιούδα καὶ πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ καὶ οἱ ἱερεῖς καὶ οἱ προφῆται καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ἀπὸ μικροῦ καὶ ἕως μεγάλου, καὶ ἀνέγνω ἐν ὠσὶν αὐτῶν πάντας τοὺς λόγους τοῦ βιβλίου τῆς διαθήκης τοῦ εὑρεθέντος ἐν οἴκῳ Κυρίου.

³καὶ ἔστη ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς τὸν στύλον καὶ διέθετο διαθήκην ἐνώπιον Κυρίου τοῦ πορεύεσθαι ὀπίσω Κυρίου καὶ τοῦ φυλάσσειν τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ μαρτύρια αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ δικαιώματα αὐτοῦ ἐν πάσῃ καρδίᾳ καὶ ἐν πάσῃ ψυχῇ τοῦ ἀναστῆσαι τοὺς λόγους τῆς διαθήκης ταύτης, τὰ γεγραμμένα ἐπὶ τὸ βιβλίον τοῦτο· καὶ ἔστη πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ἐν τῇ διαθήκῃ.

⁴καὶ ἐνετείλατο ὁ βασιλεὺς τῷ Χελκίᾳ τῷ ἱερεῖ τῷ μεγάλῳ καὶ τοῖς ἱερεῦσι τῆς δευτερώσεως καὶ τοῖς φυλάσσουσιν τὸν σταθμὸν τοῦ ἐξαγαγεῖν ἐκ τοῦ ναοῦ Κυρίου πάντα τὰ σκεύη τὰ πεποιημένα τῷ Βάαλ καὶ τῷ ἄλσει καὶ πάσῃ τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ κατέκαυσεν αὐτὰ ἔξω ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ ἐν σαδημὼθ Κέδρων καὶ ἔβαλε τὸν χοῦν αὐτῶν εἰς Βαιθήλ.

⁵καὶ κατέκαυσε τοὺς χωμαρίμ, οὓς ἔδωκαν βασιλεῖς ᾿Ιούδα καὶ ἐθυμίων ἐν τοῖς ὑψηλοῖς καὶ ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν ᾿Ιούδα καὶ τοῖς περικύκλῳ ῾Ιερουσαλήμ, καὶ τοὺς θυμιῶντας τῷ Βάαλ καὶ τῷ ἡλίῳ καὶ τῇ σελήνῃ καὶ τοῖς μαζουρὼθ καὶ πάσῃ τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ οὐρανοῦ.

⁶καὶ ἐξήνεγκε τὸ ἄλσος ἐξ οἴκου Κυρίου ἔξωθεν ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ εἰς τὸν χειμάρρουν Κέδρων καὶ κατέκαυσεν αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ χειμάρρῳ Κέδρων καὶ ἐλέπτυνεν εἰς χοῦν καὶ ἔρριψεν τὸν χοῦν αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν τάφον τῶν υἱῶν τοῦ λαοῦ.

⁷καὶ καθεῖλε τὸν οἶκον τῶν καδησὶμ τῶν ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ Κυρίου, οὗ αἱ γυναῖκες ὕφαινον ἐκεῖ Χεττιΐμ τῷ ἄλσει.

⁸καὶ ἀνήγαγε πάντας τοὺς ἱερεῖς ἐκ πόλεων ᾿Ιούδα καὶ ἐμίανε τὰ ὑψηλά, οὗ ἐθυμίασαν ἐκεῖ οἱ ἱερεῖς ἀπὸ Γαβαὰ καὶ ἕως Βηρσαβεέ. καὶ καθεῖλε τὸν οἶκον τῶν πυλῶν τὸν παρὰ τὴν θύραν τῆς πύλης ᾿Ιησοῦ ἄρχοντος τῆς πόλεως, τῶν ἐξ ἀριστερῶν ἀνδρὸς ἐν τῇ πύλῃ τῆς πόλεως.

⁹πλὴν οὐκ ἀνέβησαν οἱ ἱερεῖς τῶν ὑψηλῶν πρὸς τὸ θυσιαστήριον Κυρίου ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ, ὅτι εἰ μὴ ἔφαγον ἄζυμα ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτῶν.

¹⁰καὶ ἐμίανε τὸν Ταφὲθ τὸν ἐν φάραγγι υἱοῦ ᾿Εννὸμ τοῦ διαγαγεῖν ἄνδρα τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἄνδρα τὴν θυγατέρα αὐτοῦ τῷ Μολὸχ ἐν πυρί.

¹¹καὶ κατέκαυσε τοὺς ἵππους, οὓς ἔδωκαν βασιλεῖς ᾿Ιούδα τῷ ἡλίῳ ἐν τῇ εἰσόδῳ οἴκου Κυρίου εἰς τὸ γαζοφυλάκιον Νάθαν βασιλέως τοῦ εὐνούχου ἐν φαρουρίμ, καὶ τὸ ἅρμα τοῦ ἡλίου κατέκαυσε πυρί.

¹²καὶ τὰ θυσιαστήρια τὰ ἐπὶ τοῦ δώματος τοῦ ὑπερῴου ῎Αχαζ, ἃ ἐποίησαν βασιλεῖς ᾿Ιούδα, καὶ τὰ θυσιαστήρια, ἃ ἐποίησε Μανασσῆς ἐν ταῖς δυσὶν αὐλαῖς οἴκου Κυρίου, καθεῖλεν ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ κατέσπασεν ἐκεῖθεν καὶ ἔρριψε τὸν χοῦν αὐτῶν εἰς τὸν χειμάρρουν Κέδρων.

¹³καὶ τὸν οἶκον τὸν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ τὸν ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ ὄρους τοῦ Μοσοάθ, ὃν ᾠκοδόμησε Σαλωμὼν βασιλεὺς ᾿Ισραὴλ τῇ ᾿Αστάρτῃ προσοχθίσματι Σιδωνίων καὶ τῷ Χαμὼς προσοχθίσματι Μωὰβ καὶ τῷ Μολχὸλ βδελύγματι υἱῶν ᾿Αμών, ἐμίανεν ὁ βασιλεύς.

¹⁴καὶ συνέτριψε τὰς στήλας καὶ ἐξωλόθρευσε τὰ ἄλση καὶ ἔπλησε τοὺς τόπους αὐτῶν ὀστέων ἀνθρώπων.

¹⁵καί γε τὸ θυσιαστήριον τὸ ἐν Βαιθὴλ τὸ ὑψηλόν, ὃ ἐποίησεν ῾Ιεροβοὰμ υἱὸς Ναβάτ, ὃς ἐξήμαρτε τὸν ᾿Ισραήλ, καί γε τὸ θυσιαστήριον ἐκεῖνο τὸ ὑψηλὸν κατέσπασε καὶ συνέτριψε τοὺς λίθους αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐλέπτυνεν εἰς χοῦν καὶ κατέκαυσε τὸ ἄλσος.

¹⁶καὶ ἐξένευσεν ᾿Ιωσίας καὶ εἶδε τοὺς τάφους τοὺς ἐκεῖ ἐν τῇ πόλει καὶ ἀπέστειλε καὶ ἔλαβε τὰ ὀστᾶ ἐκ τῶν τάφων καὶ κατέκαυσεν ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον καὶ ἐμίανεν αὐτὸ κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμα Κυρίου, ὃ ἐλάλησεν ὁ ἄνθρωπος τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν τῷ ἑστάναι ῾Ιεροβοὰμ ἐν τῇ ἑορτῇ ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον. καὶ ἐπιστρέψας ᾖρε τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸν τάφον τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ λαλήσαντος τοὺς λόγους τούτους

¹⁷καὶ εἶπε· τί τὸ σκόπελον ἐκεῖνο, ὃ ἐγὼ ὁρῶ; καὶ εἶπον αὐτῷ οἱ ἄνδρες τῆς πόλεως· ὁ ἄνθρωπος τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ ἐξεληλυθὼς ἐξ ᾿Ιούδα καὶ ἐπικαλεσάμενος τοὺς λόγους τούτους, οὓς ἐπεκαλέσατο ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον Βαιθήλ.

¹⁸καὶ εἶπεν· ἄφετε αὐτόν, ἀνὴρ μὴ κινησάτωσαν τὰ ὀστᾶ αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐρρύσθησαν τὰ ὀστᾶ αὐτοῦ μετὰ τῶν ὀστῶν τοῦ προφήτου τοῦ ἥκοντος ἐκ Σαμαρείας.

¹⁹καί γε πάντας τοὺς οἴκους τῶν ὑψηλῶν τοὺς ἐν ταῖς πόλεσι Σαμαρείας, οὓς ἐποίησαν βασιλεῖς ᾿Ισραὴλ παροργίζειν Κύριον, ἀπέστησεν ᾿Ιωσίας καὶ ἐποίησεν ἐν αὐτοῖς πάντα τὰ ἔργα, ἃ ἐποίησεν ἐν Βαιθήλ.

²⁰καὶ ἐθυσίασε πάντας τοὺς ἱερεῖς τῶν ὑψηλῶν τοὺς ὄντας ἐκεῖ ἐπὶ τῶν θυσιαστηρίων καὶ κατέκαυσε τὰ ὀστᾶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐπ᾿ αὐτά, καὶ ἐπεστράφη εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλήμ.

²¹Καὶ ἐνετείλατο ὁ βασιλεὺς παντὶ τῷ λαῷ λέγων· ποιήσατε πάσχα τῷ Κυρίῳ Θεῷ ἡμῶν, καθὼς γέγραπται ἐπὶ βιβλίου τῆς διαθήκης ταύτης·

²²ὅτι οὐκ ἐγενήθη τὸ πάσχα τοῦτο ἀφ᾿ ἡμερῶν τῶν κριτῶν, οἳ ἔκρινον τὸν ᾿Ισραήλ, καὶ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας βασιλέων ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ βασιλέων ᾿Ιούδα,

²³ὅτι ἀλλ᾿ ἢ τῷ ὀκτωκαιδεκάτῳ ἔτει τοῦ βασιλέως ᾿Ιωσίου ἐγενήθη τὸ πάσχα τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ.

²⁴καί γε τοὺς θελητὰς καὶ τοὺς γνωριστὰς καὶ τὰ Θεραφὶν καὶ τὰ εἴδωλα καὶ πάντα τὰ προσοχθίσματα τὰ γεγονότα ἐν τῇ γῇ ᾿Ιούδα καὶ ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ ἐξῇρεν ᾿Ιωσίας, ἵνα στήσῃ τοὺς λόγους τοῦ νόμου τοὺς γεγραμμένους ἐπὶ τοῦ βιβλίου, οὗ εὗρε Χελκίας ὁ ἱερεὺς ἐν οἴκῳ Κυρίου.

²⁵ὅμοιος αὐτῷ οὐκ ἐγενήθη ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ βασιλεύς, ὃς ἐπέστρεψε πρὸς Κύριον ἐν ὅλῃ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν ὅλῃ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν ὅλῃ ἰσχύϊ αὐτοῦ κατὰ πάντα τὸν νόμον Μωυσῆ, καὶ μετ᾿ αὐτὸν οὐκ ἀνέστη ὅμοιος αὐτῷ.

²⁶πλὴν οὐκ ἀπεστράφη Κύριος ἀπὸ θυμοῦ τῆς ὀργῆς αὐτοῦ τῆς μεγάλης, οὗ ἐθυμώθη ὀργῇ αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ ᾿Ιούδᾳ ἐπὶ τοὺς παροργισμούς, οὓς παρώργισεν αὐτὸν Μανασσῆς.

²⁷καὶ εἶπε Κύριος· καί γε τὸν ᾿Ιούδαν ἀποστήσω ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου μου, καθὼς ἀπέστησα τὸν ᾿Ισραήλ, καὶ ἀπώσομαι τὴν πόλιν ταύτην, ἣν ἐξελεξάμην τὴν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ, καὶ τὸν οἶκον οὗ εἶπον· ἔσται τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐκεῖ.

²⁸καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ τῶν λόγων ᾿Ιωσίου καὶ πάντα, ὅσα ἐποίησεν, οὐχὶ ταῦτα γεγραμμένα ἐπὶ βιβλίῳ λόγων ἡμερῶν τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν ᾿Ιούδα;

²⁹ἐν δὲ ταῖς ἡμέραις αὐτοῦ ἀνέβη φαραὼ Νεχαὼ βασιλεὺς Αἰγύπτου ἐπὶ βασιλέα ᾿Ασσυρίων ἐπὶ ποταμὸν Εὐφράτην· καὶ ἐπορεύθη ᾿Ιωσίας εἰς ἀπαντὴν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐθανάτωσεν αὐτὸν Νεχαὼ ἐν Μαγεδδὼ ἐν τῷ ἰδεῖν αὐτόν.

³⁰καὶ ἐπεβίβασαν αὐτὸν οἱ παῖδες αὐτοῦ νεκρὸν ἐκ Μαγεδδὼ καὶ ἤγαγον αὐτὸν εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ καὶ ἔθαψαν αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ τάφῳ αὐτοῦ. καὶ ἔλαβεν ὁ λαὸς τῆς γῆς τὸν ᾿Ιωάχαζ υἱὸν ᾿Ιωσίου καὶ ἔχρισαν αὐτὸν καὶ ἐβασίλευσαν αὐτὸν ἀντὶ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ.

³¹Υἱὸς εἴκοσι καὶ τριῶν ἐτῶν ἦν ᾿Ιωάχαζ ἐν τῷ βασιλεύειν αὐτὸν καὶ τρίμηνον ἐβασίλευσεν ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ, καὶ ὄνομα τῇ μητρὶ αὐτοῦ ᾿Αμιτὰλ θυγάτηρ ῾Ιερεμίου ἐκ Λοβνά.

³²καὶ ἐποίησε τὸ πονηρὸν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς Κυρίου κατὰ πάντα, ὅσα ἐποίησαν οἱ πατέρες αὐτοῦ.

³³καὶ μετέστησεν αὐτὸν φαραὼ Νεχαὼ ἐν Δεβλαθὰ ἐν γῇ Αἰμὰθ τοῦ μὴ βασιλεύειν ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ καὶ ἔδωκε ζημίαν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἑκατὸν τάλαντα ἀργυρίου καὶ ἑκατὸν τάλαντα χρυσίου.

³⁴καὶ ἐβασίλευσε φαραὼ Νεχαὼ ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς τὸν ᾿Ελιακὶμ υἱὸν ᾿Ιωσίου βασιλέως ᾿Ιούδα ἀντὶ ᾿Ιωσίου τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπέστρεψε τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ᾿Ιωακίμ· καὶ τὸν ᾿Ιωάχαζ ἔλαβε καὶ εἰσήνεγκεν εἰς Αἴγυπτον, καὶ ἀπέθανεν ἐκεῖ.

³⁵καὶ τὸ ἀργύριον καὶ τὸ χρυσίον ἔδωκεν ᾿Ιωακὶμ τῷ φαραώ· πλὴν ἐτιμογράφησε τὴν γῆν τοῦ δοῦναι τὸ ἀργύριον ἐπὶ στόματος φαραώ, ἀνὴρ κατὰ τὴν συντίμησιν αὐτοῦ ἔδωκαν τὸ ἀργύριον καὶ τὸ χρυσίον μετὰ τοῦ λαοῦ τῆς γῆς τοῦ δοῦναι τῷ φαραὼ Νεχαώ.

³⁶υἱὸς εἴκοσι καὶ πέντε ἐτῶν ᾿Ιωακὶμ ἐν τῷ βασιλεύειν αὐτὸν καὶ ἕνδεκα ἔτη ἐβασίλευσεν ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ, καὶ ὄνομα τῇ μητρὶ αὐτοῦ ᾿Ιελδὰφ θυγάτηρ Φαδαὴλ ἐκ Ῥουμά.

³⁷καὶ ἐποίησε τὸ πονηρὸν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς Κυρίου κατὰ πάντα, ὅσα ἐποίησαν οἱ πατέρες αὐτοῦ.

¹And the king sent and gathered all the elders of Juda and Jerusalem to himself.

²And the king went up to the house of the Lord, and every man of Juda and all who dwelt in Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people small and great; and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the Lord.

³And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his ordinances with all the heart and with all the soul, to confirm the words of this covenant; [even] the things written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.

⁴And the king commanded Chelcias the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and them that kept the door, to bring out of the temple of the Lord all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and all the host of heaven, and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kedron, and took the ashes of them to Baethel.

⁵And he burned the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Juda [had] appointed, (and they burned incense in the high places and in the cities of Juda, and the places around about Jerusalem); and them that burned incense to Baal, and to the sun, and to the moon, and to Mazuroth, and to all the host of heaven.

⁶And he carried out the grove from the house of the Lord to the brook Kedron, and burned it at the brook Kedron, and reduced it to powder, and cast its powder on the sepulchres of the sons of the people.

⁷And he pulled down the house of the sodomites that were by the house of the Lord, where the women wove tents for the grove.

⁸And he brought up all the priest from the cities of Juda, and defiled the high places where the priests burned incense, from Gaebal even to Bersabee; and he pulled down the house of the gates that was by the door of the gate of Joshua the ruler of the city, on a man’s left hand at the gate of the city.

⁹Only the priests of the high places went not up to the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem, for they only ate leavened bread in the midst of their brethren.

¹⁰And he defiled Tapheth which is in the valley of the son of Ennom, [constructed] for a man to cause his son or his daughter to pass through fire to Moloch.

¹¹And he burned the horses which the king of Juda had given to the sun in the entrance of the house of the Lord, by the treasury of Nathan the king’s eunuch, in the suburbs; and he burned the chariot of the sun with fire.

¹²And the altars that were on the roof of the upper chamber of Achaz, which the kings of Juda had made, and the altars which Manasses had made in the two courts of the house of the Lord, did the king pull down and forcibly remove from thence, and cast their dust into the brook of Kedron.

¹³And the king defiled the house that was before Jerusalem, on the right hand of the mount of Mosthath, which Solomon king of Israel built to Astarte the abomination of the Sidonians, and to Chamos the abomination of Moab, and to Moloch the abomination of the children of Ammon.

¹⁴And he broke in pieces the pillars, and utterly destroyed the groves, and filled their places with the bones of men.

¹⁵Also the high altar in Baethel, which Jeroboam the son of Nabat, who made Israel to sin, had made, even that high altar he tore down, and broke in pieces the stones of it, and reduced it to powder, and burnt the grove.

¹⁶And Josias turned aside, and saw the tombs that were there in the city, and sent, and took the bones out of the tombs, and burnt them on the altar, and defiled it, according to the word of the Lord which the man of God spoke, when Jeroboam stood by the altar at the feast: and he turned and raised his eyes to the tomb of the man of God that spoke these words.

¹⁷And he said, What [is] that mound which I see? And the men of the city said to him, [It is the grave of] the man of God that came out of Juda, and uttered these imprecations which he imprecated upon the altar of Baethel.

¹⁸And he said, Let him alone; let no one disturb his bones. So his bones were spared, together with the bones of the prophet that came out of Samaria.

¹⁹Moreover Josias removed all the houses of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel made to provoke the Lord, and did to them all that he did in Baethel.

²⁰And he sacrificed all the priests of the high places that were there on the altars, and burnt the bones of men upon them, and returned to Jerusalem.

²¹And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover to the Lord your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant.

²²For a passover [such as] this had not been kept from the days of the judges who judged Israel, even all the days of the kings of Israel, and of the kings of Juda.

²³But in the eighteenth year of king Josias, was the passover kept to the Lord in Jerusalem.

²⁴Moreover Josias removed the sorcerers, and the wizards, and the theraphin, and the idols, and all the abominations that had been set up in the land of Juda and in Jerusalem, that he might keep the words of the law that were written in the book, which Chelcias the priest found in the house of the Lord.

²⁵There was no king like him before him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his strength, according to all the law of Moses; and after him there rose not one like him.

²⁶Nevertheless the Lord turned not from the fierceness of his great anger, wherewith he was wroth in his anger against Juda, because of the provocations, wherewith Manasses provoked him.

²⁷And the Lord said, I will also remove Juda from my presence, as I removed Israel, and will reject this city which I have chosen [even] Jerusalem, and the house [of] which I said, My name shall be there.

²⁸And the rest of the acts of Josias, and all that he did, [are] not these things written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Juda?

²⁹And in his days went up Pharao Nechao king of Egypt against the king of the Assyrians to the river Euphrates: and Josias went out to meet him: and Nechao slew him in Mageddo when he saw him.

³⁰And his servants carried him dead from Mageddo, and brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his sepulchre: and the people of the land took Joachaz the son of Josias, and anointed him, and made him king in the room of his father.

³¹Twenty and three years old was Joachaz when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name [was] Amital, daughter of Jeremias of Lobna.

³²And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers did.

³³And Pharao Nechao removed him to Rablaam in the land of Emath, so that he should not reign in Jerusalem; and imposed a tribute on the land, a hundred talents of silver, and a hundred talents of gold.

³⁴And Pharao Nechao made Eliakim son of Josias king of Juda king over them in the place of his father Josias, and he changed his name [to] Joakim, and he took Joachaz and brought him to Egypt, and he died there.

³⁵And Joakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharao; but he assessed the land to give the money at the command of Pharao: they gave the silver and the gold [each] man according to his assessment together with the people of the land to give to Pharao Nechao.

³⁶Twenty-five years old [was] Joakim when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name [was] Jeldaph, daughter of Phadail of Ruma.

³⁷And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the lord, according to all that his fathers had done.