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JUNE 17
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of Judah and in the places all around Jerusa- claimed, who proclaimed these words. Then
lem, and those who burned incense to Baal, to he said, “What gravestone is this that I see?”
the sun, to the moon, to the constellations, and So the men of the city told him, “It is the
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to all the host of heaven. And he brought out tomb of the man of God who came from Judah
the wooden image from the house of the and proclaimed these things which you have
LORD, to the Brook Kidron outside Jerusalem, done against the altar of Bethel.”
burned it at the Brook Kidron and ground it to 18 And he said, “Let him alone; let no one
ashes, and threw its ashes on the graves of the move his bones.” So they let his bones alone,
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common people. Then he tore down the rit- with the bones of the prophet who came from
ual booths of the perverted persons that were Samaria.
in the house of the LORD, where the women 19 Now Josiah also took away all the shrines
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wove hangings for the wooden image. And he of the high places that were in the cities of Sa-
brought all the priests from the cities of Ju- maria, which the kings of Israel had made to
dah, and defiled the high places where the provoke the LORD to anger; and he did to them
priests had burned incense, from Geba to according to all the deeds he had done in
Beersheba; also he broke down the high Bethel. He executed all the priests of the high
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places at the gates which were at the entrance places who were there, on the altars, and
of the Gate of Joshua the governor of the city, burned men’s bones on them; and he returned
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which were to the left of the city gate. Never- to Jerusalem.
theless the priests of the high places did not 21 Then the king commanded all the people,
come up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, saying, “Keep the Passover to the LORD your
but they ate unleavened bread among their God, as it is written in this Book of the
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brethren. Covenant.” Such a Passover surely had never
10 And he defiled Topheth, which is in the been held since the days of the judges who
Valley of the Son of Hinnom, that no man might judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of
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make his son or his daughter pass through the Israel and the kings of Judah. But in the eigh-
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fire to Molech. Then he removed the horses teenth year of King Josiah this Passover was
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that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the held before the LORD in Jerusalem. Moreover
sun, at the entrance to the house of the LORD, Josiah put away those who consulted mediums
by the chamber of Nathan-Melech, the officer and spiritists, the household gods and idols,
who was in the court; and he burned the char- all the abominations that were seen in the land
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iots of the sun with fire. The altars that were of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might per-
on the roof, the upper chamber of Ahaz, which form the words of the law which were written
the kings of Judah had made, and the altars in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the
which Manasseh had made in the two courts house of the LORD. Now before him there was
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of the house of the LORD, the king broke down no king like him, who turned to the LORD with
and pulverized there, and threw their dust into all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his
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the Brook Kidron. Then the king defiled the might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor
high places that were east of Jerusalem, which after him did any arise like him.
were on the south of the Mount of Corruption,
which Solomon king of Israel had built for
Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians,
for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, 23:25 no king like him. Of all the kings in
and for Milcom the abomination of the people David’s line, including David himself, no king
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of Ammon. And he broke in pieces the sacred more closely approximated the royal ideal of
pillars and cut down the wooden images, and Deuteronomy 17:14–20 than Josiah (Matt.
filled their places with the bones of men. 22:37). Yet, even Josiah fell short of complete
15 Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and obedience because he had multiple wives (vv.
the high place which Jeroboam the son of 31,36). However, even this righteous king
Nebat, who made Israel sin, had made, both could not turn away the Lord’s wrath because
that altar and the high place he broke down; of Manasseh’s sin (vv. 26,27).
and he burned the high place and crushed it
to powder, and burned the wooden image. As 26 Nevertheless the LORD did not turn from
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Josiah turned, he saw the tombs that were the fierceness of His great wrath, with which
there on the mountain. And he sent and took His anger was aroused against Judah, because
the bones out of the tombs and burned them of all the provocations with which Manasseh
on the altar, and defiled it according to the had provoked Him. And the LORD said, “I will
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word of the LORD which the man of God pro- also remove Judah from My sight, as I have
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