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Journey Through the Bible

2 Kings 23:4-20

4 The king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the priests next in rank and the doorkeepers to remove from the temple of the Lord all the articles made for Baal and Asherah and all the starry hosts. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron Valley and took the ashes to Bethel.

5 He did away with the pagan priests appointed by the kings of Judah to burn incense on the high places of the towns of Judah and on those around Jerusalem—those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations and to all the starry hosts.

6 He took the Asherah pole from the temple of the Lord to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem and burned it there. He ground it to powder and scattered the dust over the graves of the common people.

7 He also tore down the quarters of the male shrine prostitutes, which were in the temple of the Lord and where women did weaving for Asherah.

8 Josiah brought all the priests from the towns of Judah and desecrated the high places, from Geba to Beersheba, where the priests had burned incense. He broke down the shrines at the gates—at the entrance to the Gate of Joshua, the city governor, which is on the left of the city gate.

9 Although the priests of the high places did not serve at the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem, they ate unleavened bread with their fellow priests.

10 He desecrated Topheth, which was in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, so no one could use it to sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire to Molech.

11 He removed from the entrance to the temple of the Lord the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun. They were in the court near the room of an official named Nathan-Melech. Josiah then burned the chariots dedicated to the sun.

12 He pulled down the altars the kings of Judah had erected on the roof near the upper room of Ahaz, and the altars Manasseh had built in the two courts of the temple of the Lord. He removed them from there, smashed them to pieces and threw the rubble into the Kidron Valley.

13 The king also desecrated the high places that were east of Jerusalem on the south of the Hill of Corruption—the ones Solomon king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the vile goddess of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the vile god of Moab, and for Molech the detestable god of the people of Ammon.

14 Josiah smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles and covered the sites with human bones.

15 Even the altar at Bethel, the high place made by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin—even that altar and high place he demolished. He burned the high place and ground it to powder, and burned the Asherah pole also.

16 Then Josiah looked around, and when he saw the tombs that were there on the hillside, he had the bones removed from them and burned on the altar to defile it, in accordance with the word of the Lord proclaimed by the man of God who foretold these things.

17 The king asked, “What is that tombstone I see?”
The men of the city said, “It marks the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and pronounced against the altar of Bethel the very things you have done to it.”

18 “Leave it alone,” he said. “Don’t let anyone disturb his bones.” So they spared his bones and those of the prophet who had come from Samaria.

19 Just as he had done at Bethel, Josiah removed and defiled all the shrines at the high places that the kings of Israel had built in the towns of Samaria that had provoked the Lord to anger.

20 Josiah slaughtered all the priests of those high places on the altars and burned human bones on them. Then he went back to Jerusalem.

Cross References for 2 Kings 23:4-20

Nehemiah 13:22 - Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and go and guard the gates in order to keep t... Click to read the verse Nehemiah 13:22 Click to read the verse Nehemiah 13:22

Amos 4:4 - “Go to Bethel and sin; go to Gilgal and sin yet more. Bring your sacrifices every morning, your... Click to read the verse Amos 4:4 Click to read the verse Amos 4:4

Hosea 4:15 - “Though you commit adultery, O Israel, let not Judah become guilty. “Do not go to Gilgal; do no... Click to read the verse Hosea 4:15 Click to read the verse Hosea 4:15

1 Kings 12:29 - One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. Click to read the verse 1 Kings 12:29 Click to read the verse 1 Kings 12:29

Matthew 27:1 - Judas Hangs Himself Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people ca... Click to read the verse Matthew 27:1 Click to read the verse Matthew 27:1

Isaiah 27:9 - By this, then, will Jacob’s guilt be atoned for, and this will be the full fruitage of the remo... Click to read the verse Isaiah 27:9 Click to read the verse Isaiah 27:9

Matthew 26:3 - Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest,... Click to read the verse Matthew 26:3 Click to read the verse Matthew 26:3

2 Chronicles 33:7 - He took the carved image he had made and put it in God’s temple, of which God had said to David... Click to read the verse 2 Chronicles 33:7 Click to read the verse 2 Chronicles 33:7

2 Kings 23:15 - Even the altar at Bethel, the high place made by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused Israel t... Click to read the verse 2 Kings 23:15 Click to read the verse 2 Kings 23:15

2 Kings 18:4 - He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke ... Click to read the verse 2 Kings 18:4 Click to read the verse 2 Kings 18:4

2 Chronicles 34:3-4 - In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his fath... Click to read the verse 2 Chronicles 34:3-4 Click to read the verse 2 Chronicles 34:3-4

Jeremiah 7:9 - “‘Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other... Click to read the verse Jeremiah 7:9 Click to read the verse Jeremiah 7:9

2 Kings 25:18 - The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest nex... Click to read the verse 2 Kings 25:18 Click to read the verse 2 Kings 25:18

1 Kings 19:18 - Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whos... Click to read the verse 1 Kings 19:18 Click to read the verse 1 Kings 19:18

1 Kings 18:40 - Then Elijah commanded them, “Seize the prophets of Baal. Don’t let anyone get away!” They seize... Click to read the verse 1 Kings 18:40 Click to read the verse 1 Kings 18:40

2 Kings 17:16 - They forsook all the commands of the Lord their God and made for themselves two idols cast in t... Click to read the verse 2 Kings 17:16 Click to read the verse 2 Kings 17:16

2 Kings 21:3 - He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal an... Click to read the verse 2 Kings 21:3 Click to read the verse 2 Kings 21:3

2 Chronicles 34:3 - In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his fath... Click to read the verse 2 Chronicles 34:3 Click to read the verse 2 Chronicles 34:3

Judges 2:13 - because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. Click to read the verse Judges 2:13 Click to read the verse Judges 2:13

2 Chronicles 33:3 - He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had demolished; he also erected altars to the Ba... Click to read the verse 2 Chronicles 33:3 Click to read the verse 2 Chronicles 33:3

1 Kings 18:19 - Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundr... Click to read the verse 1 Kings 18:19 Click to read the verse 1 Kings 18:19

1 Kings 16:31 - He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also marr... Click to read the verse 1 Kings 16:31 Click to read the verse 1 Kings 16:31

2 Samuel 15:23 - The whole countryside wept aloud as all the people passed by. The king also crossed the Kidron ... Click to read the verse 2 Samuel 15:23 Click to read the verse 2 Samuel 15:23

John 18:1 - Jesus Arrested When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidr... Click to read the verse John 18:1 Click to read the verse John 18:1

2 Kings 21:7 - He took the carved Asherah pole he had made and put it in the temple, of which the Lord had sai... Click to read the verse 2 Kings 21:7 Click to read the verse 2 Kings 21:7

2 Kings 13:6 - But they did not turn away from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel t... Click to read the verse 2 Kings 13:6 Click to read the verse 2 Kings 13:6

1 Kings 18:26 - So they took the bull given them and prepared it. Then they called on the name of Baal from mor... Click to read the verse 1 Kings 18:26 Click to read the verse 1 Kings 18:26

2 Kings 22:4 - “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest and have him get ready the money that has been brought into t... Click to read the verse 2 Kings 22:4 Click to read the verse 2 Kings 22:4

2 Kings 12:9 - Jehoiada the priest took a chest and bored a hole in its lid. He placed it beside the altar, on... Click to read the verse 2 Kings 12:9 Click to read the verse 2 Kings 12:9

Jeremiah 52:24 - The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest nex... Click to read the verse Jeremiah 52:24 Click to read the verse Jeremiah 52:24

2 Kings 21:5 - In both courts of the temple of the Lord, he built altars to all the starry hosts. Click to read the verse 2 Kings 21:5 Click to read the verse 2 Kings 21:5

2 Kings 23:12 - He pulled down the altars the kings of Judah had erected on the roof near the upper room of Aha... Click to read the verse 2 Kings 23:12 Click to read the verse 2 Kings 23:12

1 Chronicles 9:11 - Azariah son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of... Click to read the verse 1 Chronicles 9:11 Click to read the verse 1 Chronicles 9:11

1 Chronicles 26:1-19 - The Gatekeepers The divisions of the gatekeepers: From the Korahites: Meshelemiah son of Kore, ... Click to read the verse 1 Chronicles 26:1-19 Click to read the verse 1 Chronicles 26:1-19

1 Chronicles 24:4-19 - A larger number of leaders were found among Eleazar’s descendants than among Ithamar’s, and the... Click to read the verse 1 Chronicles 24:4-19 Click to read the verse 1 Chronicles 24:4-19

2 Chronicles 34:9 - They went to Hilkiah the high priest and gave him the money that had been brought into the temp... Click to read the verse 2 Chronicles 34:9 Click to read the verse 2 Chronicles 34:9