When all this was over, the Israelites who were in the cities of Judah went out and smashed the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherah poles, and demolished all the high places and altars throughout Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh. Then all the Israelites returned to their own homes in their cities.

这事既都完毕，在那里的以色列众人就到犹大的城邑，打碎柱像，砍断木偶，又在犹大、便雅悯、以法莲、玛拿西遍地将邱坛和祭坛拆毁净尽。于是以色列众人各回各城，各归各地。

这一切事都完毕以后，在那里的以色列众人就到犹大的城镇，打碎柱像，砍断亚舍拉，又在犹大、便雅悯、以法莲、玛拿西遍地把丘坛和祭坛完全拆毁。于是以色列众人各回各城，各归自己产业的地去了。

这一切事都完毕以后，在那里的以色列众人就到犹大的城镇，打碎柱像，砍断亚舍拉，又在犹大、便雅悯、以法莲、玛拿西遍地把丘坛和祭坛完全拆毁。于是以色列众人各回各城，各归自己产业的地去了。

当一切都办妥后，所有在场的以色列人就前往犹大各城邑，打碎神柱，砍倒亚舍拉神像，又拆毁犹大、便雅悯、以法莲、玛拿西境内所有的丘坛和祭坛，然后各自返回自己的城邑和家园。

这一切都作完了，所有在那里的以色列人就都出去，到犹大的各城，打碎神柱，砍下亚舍拉；又在犹大、便雅悯、以法莲和玛拿西各地，把邱坛和祭坛完全拆毁。然后以色列众人都各回各城，各归自己的地业去了。

這事既都完畢，在那裏的以色列眾人就到猶大的城邑，打碎柱像，砍斷木偶，又在猶大、便雅憫、以法蓮、瑪拿西遍地將邱壇和祭壇拆毀淨盡。於是以色列眾人各回各城，各歸各地。

這一切事都完畢以後，在那裏的以色列眾人就到猶大的城鎮，打碎柱像，砍斷亞舍拉，又在猶大、便雅憫、以法蓮、瑪拿西遍地把丘壇和祭壇完全拆毀。於是以色列眾人各回各城，各歸自己產業的地去了。

這一切事都完畢以後，在那裏的以色列眾人就到猶大的城鎮，打碎柱像，砍斷亞舍拉，又在猶大、便雅憫、以法蓮、瑪拿西遍地把丘壇和祭壇完全拆毀。於是以色列眾人各回各城，各歸自己產業的地去了。

當一切都辦妥後，所有在場的以色列人就前往猶大各城邑，打碎神柱，砍倒亞舍拉神像，又拆毀猶大、便雅憫、以法蓮、瑪拿西境內所有的邱壇和祭壇，然後各自返回自己的城邑和家園。

這一切都作完了，所有在那裡的以色列人就都出去，到猶大的各城，打碎神柱，砍下亞舍拉；又在猶大、便雅憫、以法蓮和瑪拿西各地，把邱壇和祭壇完全拆毀。然後以色列眾人都各回各城，各歸自己的地業去了。

這一切事既已作完，所有在場的以色列眾人就都出去、到猶大各城市，把崇拜柱子打碎，將亞舍拉神木砍下；又從猶大、便雅憫、以法蓮、瑪拿西遍地、將邱壇和祭壇全都拆毁；於是以色列眾人都回本城，各歸自己的地業去。

此事既畢、在彼之以色列眾咸出、往猶大諸邑、碎其柱像、斫其木偶、毀其崇邱與壇、在猶大便雅憫以法蓮瑪拿西諸地、盡除滅之、以色列人乃返故邑、各歸其業、

祀事既畢、以色列眾往猶大、便雅憫、以法蓮、馬拿西諸邑、毀偶像、伐林木、廢崇坵、拆祭壇、滅之務盡、然後歸。

此事既畢、所有以色列眾、往猶大諸邑、毀偶像、斫諸亞舍拉、在猶大、便雅憫、以法蓮、瑪拿西遍地、廢崇邱、拆祭壇、滅之淨盡、然後以色列人眾各返故邑、各歸其業、

When all this had ended, the Israelites who were there went out to the towns of Judah, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. They destroyed the high places and the altars throughout Judah and Benjamin and in Ephraim and Manasseh. After they had destroyed all of them, the Israelites returned to their own towns and to their own property.

The Passover Feast came to an end. The people of Israel who were in Jerusalem went out to the towns of Judah. They smashed the sacred stones. They cut down the poles used to worship the female god named Asherah. They destroyed the high places and the altars. They did those things all through Judah and Benjamin. They also did them in Ephraim and Manasseh. They destroyed all the objects used to worship other gods. Then the Israelites returned to their own towns and property.

Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke in pieces the pillars and cut down the Asherim and broke down the high places and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, and in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the people of Israel returned to their cities, every man to his possession.

When the festival ended, the Israelites who attended went to all the towns of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh, and they smashed all the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherah poles, and removed the pagan shrines and altars. After this, the Israelites returned to their own towns and homes.

When all this was completed, all Israel who had attended went out to the cities of Judah and broke up the sacred pillars, chopped down the Asherah poles, and tore down the high places and altars throughout Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, to the last one. Then all the Israelites returned to their cities, each to his own possession.

Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah, broke the memorial stones in pieces, cut down the Asherim and pulled down the high places and the altars throughout Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the sons of Israel returned to their cities, each to his possession.

Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke the sacred pillars in pieces, cut down the wooden images, and threw down the high places and the altars— from all Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh— until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned to their own cities, every man to his possession.

Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and brake in pieces the pillars, and hewed down the Asherim, and brake down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities.

When all this was completed, all Israel who had attended went out to the cities of Judah and broke up the sacred pillars, chopped down the Asherah poles, and tore down the high places and altars throughout Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, to the last one. Then all the Israelites returned to their cities, each to his own possession.

Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and brake the images in pieces, and cut down the groves, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities.

Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah, and broke the pillars in pieces, cut down the Asherah poles, and broke down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, also in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities.

He eliminated the high places, smashed the sacred pillars to bits, and cut down the Asherah pole. He also demolished the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been offering incense to it; it was called Nehushtan.

Hezekiah is the one who eliminated the LORD’s high places and altars and then told Judah and Jerusalem,“ At one altar you must worship and offer sacrifices.”

“ Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa and fast in my behalf. Don’t eat and don’t drink for three days, night or day. My female attendants and I will also fast in the same way. Afterward I will go to the king, even though it violates the law. If I perish, I perish!”

In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his ancestor David. In his twelfth year he began ridding Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, Asherah poles, idols, and images.He ordered the altars of the Baals to be torn down, and broke the incense altars that were above them. He smashed the Asherah poles, idols and images, crushed them up and sprinkled the dust over the tombs of those who had sacrificed to them.He burned the bones of the pagan priests on their altars; he purified Judah and Jerusalem.In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, and in the ruins around them,he tore down the altars and Asherah poles, demolished the idols, and smashed all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

At dawn the angels hurried Lot along, saying,“ Get going! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or else you will be destroyed when the city is judged!”

He did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not to the same degree as the Israelite kings who preceded him.

The king went up to the LORD’s temple, accompanied by all the people of Judah, all the residents of Jerusalem, the priests, and the prophets. All the people were there, from the youngest to the oldest. He read aloud all the words of the scroll of the covenant that had been discovered in the LORD’s temple.The king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant before the LORD, agreeing to follow the LORD and to obey his commandments, laws, and rules with all his heart and being, by carrying out the terms of this covenant recorded on this scroll. All the people agreed to keep the covenant.The king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the high-ranking priests, and the guards to bring out of the LORD’s temple all the items that were used in the worship of Baal, Asherah, and all the stars of the sky. The king burned them outside of Jerusalem in the terraces of Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel.He eliminated the pagan priests whom the kings of Judah had appointed to offer sacrifices on the high places in the cities of Judah and in the area right around Jerusalem.( They offered sacrifices to Baal, the sun god, the moon god, the constellations, and all the stars in the sky.)He removed the Asherah pole from the LORD’s temple and took it outside Jerusalem to the Kidron Valley, where he burned it. He smashed it to dust and then threw the dust in the public graveyard.He tore down the quarters of the male cultic prostitutes in the LORD’s temple, where women were weaving shrines for Asherah.He brought all the priests from the cities of Judah and ruined the high places where the priests had offered sacrifices, from Geba to Beer Sheba. He tore down the high place of the goat idols situated at the entrance of the gate of Joshua, the city official, on the left side of the city gate.( Now the priests of the high places did not go up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but they did eat unleavened cakes among their fellow priests.)The king ruined Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom so that no one could pass his son or his daughter through the fire to Molech.He removed from the entrance to the LORD’s temple the statues of horses that the kings of Judah had placed there in honor of the sun god.( They were kept near the room of Nathan Melech the eunuch, which was situated among the courtyards.) He burned up the chariots devoted to the sun god.The king tore down the altars the kings of Judah had set up on the roof of Ahaz’s upper room, as well as the altars Manasseh had set up in the two courtyards of the LORD’s temple. He crushed them up and threw the dust in the Kidron Valley.The king ruined the high places east of Jerusalem, south of the Mount of Destruction, that King Solomon of Israel had built for the detestable Sidonian goddess Astarte, the detestable Moabite god Chemosh, and the horrible Ammonite god Milcom.He smashed the sacred pillars to bits, cut down the Asherah pole, and filled those shrines with human bones.He also tore down the altar in Bethel at the high place made by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who encouraged Israel to sin. He burned all the combustible items at that high place and crushed them to dust; including the Asherah pole.When Josiah turned around, he saw the tombs there on the hill. So he ordered the bones from the tombs to be brought; he burned them on the altar and defiled it. This fulfilled the LORD’s announcement made by the prophet while Jeroboam stood by the altar during a festival. King Josiah turned and saw the grave of the prophet who had foretold this.He asked,“ What is this grave marker I see?” The men from the city replied,“ It’s the grave of the prophet who came from Judah and foretold these very things you have done to the altar of Bethel.”The king said,“ Leave it alone! No one must touch his bones.” So they left his bones undisturbed, as well as the bones of the Israelite prophet buried beside him.Josiah also removed all the shrines on the high places in the cities of Samaria. The kings of Israel had made them and angered the LORD. He did to them what he had done to the high place in Bethel.He sacrificed all the priests of the high places on the altars located there, and burned human bones on them. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

“ You must not bow down to their gods; you must not serve them or do according to their practices. Instead you must completely overthrow them and smash their standing stones to pieces.

Hezekiah sent messages throughout Israel and Judah; he even wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, summoning them to come to the LORD’s temple in Jerusalem and observe a Passover celebration for the LORD God of Israel.The king, his officials, and the entire assembly in Jerusalem decided to observe the Passover in the second month.They were unable to observe it at the regular time because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not assembled in Jerusalem.The proposal seemed appropriate to the king and the entire assembly.So they sent an edict throughout Israel from Beer Sheba to Dan, summoning the people to come and observe a Passover for the LORD God of Israel in Jerusalem, for they had not observed it on a nationwide scale as prescribed in the law.Messengers delivered the letters from the king and his officials throughout Israel and Judah. This royal edict read:“ O Israelites, return to the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so he may return to you who have been spared from the kings of Assyria.Don’t be like your fathers and brothers who were unfaithful to the LORD God of their ancestors, provoking him to destroy them, as you can see.Now, don’t be stubborn like your fathers! Submit to the LORD and come to his sanctuary which he has permanently consecrated. Serve the LORD your God so that he might relent from his raging anger.For if you return to the LORD, your brothers and sons will be shown mercy by their captors and return to this land. The LORD your God is merciful and compassionate; he will not reject you if you return to him.”The messengers journeyed from city to city through the land of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun, but people mocked and ridiculed them.But some men from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.In Judah God moved the people to unite and carry out the edict the king and the officers had issued at the LORD’s command.A huge crowd assembled in Jerusalem to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month.They removed the altars in Jerusalem; they also removed all the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley.They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and Levites were ashamed, so they consecrated themselves and brought burnt sacrifices to the LORD’s temple.They stood at their posts according to the regulations outlined in the law of Moses, the man of God. The priests were splashing the blood as the Levites handed it to them.Because many in the assembly had not consecrated themselves, the Levites slaughtered the Passover lambs of all who were ceremonially unclean and could not consecrate their sacrifice to the LORD.The majority of the many people from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun were ceremonially unclean, yet they ate the Passover in violation of what is prescribed in the law. For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying:“ May the LORD, who is good, forgiveeveryone who has determined to follow God, the LORD God of his ancestors, even if he is not ceremonially clean according to the standards of the temple.”The LORD responded favorably to Hezekiah and forgave the people.The Israelites who were in Jerusalem observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy. The Levites and priests were praising the LORD every day with all their might.Hezekiah expressed his appreciation to all the Levites, who demonstrated great skill in serving the LORD. They feasted for the seven days of the festival, and were making peace offerings and giving thanks to the LORD God of their ancestors.The entire assembly then decided to celebrate for seven more days; so they joyfully celebrated for seven more days.King Hezekiah of Judah supplied 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep for the assembly, while the officials supplied them with 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep. Many priests consecrated themselves.The celebration included the entire assembly of Judah, the priests, the Levites, the entire assembly of those who came from Israel, the resident foreigners who came from the land of Israel, and the residents of Judah.There was a great celebration in Jerusalem, unlike anything that had occurred in Jerusalem since the time of King Solomon son of David of Israel.The priests and Levites got up and pronounced blessings on the people. The LORD responded favorably to them as their prayers reached his holy dwelling place in heaven.

He removed the pagan altars and the high places, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles.

Then fire from the LORD fell from the sky. It consumed the offering, the wood, the stones, and the dirt, and licked up the water in the trench.When all the people saw this, they threw themselves down with their faces to the ground and said,“ The LORD is the true God! The LORD is the true God!”Elijah told them,“ Seize the prophets of Baal! Don’t let even one of them escape!” So they seized them, and Elijah led them down to the Kishon Valley and executed them there.

All the people went and demolished the temple of Baal. They smashed its altars and idols. They killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.

Instead, this is what you must do to them: You must tear down their altars, shatter their sacred pillars, cut down their sacred Asherah poles, and burn up their idols.