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.

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、

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.

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.

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 removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it.( It was called Nehushtan.)

Did not Hezekiah himself remove this god’s high places and altars, saying to Judah and Jerusalem,‘ You must worship before one altar and burn sacrifices on it’?

“ Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And 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 father David. In his twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles and idols.Under his direction the altars of the Baals were torn down; he cut to pieces the incense altars that were above them, and smashed the Asherah poles and the idols. These he broke to pieces and scattered over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.He burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and so he purged Judah and Jerusalem.In the towns of Manasseh, Ephraim and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, and in the ruins around them,he tore down the altars and the Asherah poles and crushed the idols to powder and cut to pieces all the incense altars throughout Israel. Then he went back to Jerusalem.

With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying,“ Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished.”

He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.

He went up to the temple of the Lord with the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the prophets— all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the Lord.The king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord— to follow the Lord and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant.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.He did away with the idolatrous 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.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.He also tore down the quarters of the male shrine prostitutes that were in the temple of the Lord, the quarters where women did weaving for Asherah.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 gateway at the entrance of the Gate of Joshua, the city governor, which was on the left of the city gate.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.He desecrated Topheth, which was in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, so no one could use it to sacrifice their son or daughter in the fire to Molek.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-Melek. Josiah then burned the chariots dedicated to the sun.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.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 Molek the detestable god of the people of Ammon.Josiah smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles and covered the sites with human bones.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.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.The king asked,“ What is that tombstone I see?” The people 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.”“ 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.Just as he had done at Bethel, Josiah removed all the shrines at the high places that the kings of Israel had built in the towns of Samaria and that had aroused the Lord’s anger.Josiah slaughtered all the priests of those high places on the altars and burned human bones on them. Then he went back to Jerusalem.

Do not bow down before their gods or worship them or follow their practices. You must demolish them and break their sacred stones to pieces.

Hezekiah sent word to all Israel and Judah and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, inviting them to come to the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel.The king and his officials and the whole assembly in Jerusalem decided to celebrate the Passover in the second month.They had not been able to celebrate it at the regular time because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not assembled in Jerusalem.The plan seemed right both to the king and to the whole assembly.They decided to send a proclamation throughout Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, calling the people to come to Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel. It had not been celebrated in large numbers according to what was written.At the king’s command, couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and from his officials, which read:“ People of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that he may return to you who are left, who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria.Do not be like your parents and your fellow Israelites, who were unfaithful to the Lord, the God of their ancestors, so that he made them an object of horror, as you see.Do not be stiff-necked, as your ancestors were; submit to the Lord. Come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever. Serve the Lord your God, so that his fierce anger will turn away from you.If you return to the Lord, then your fellow Israelites and your children will be shown compassion by their captors and will return to this land, for the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.”The couriers went from town to town in Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun, but people scorned and ridiculed them.Nevertheless, some from Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem.Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to give them unity of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had ordered, following the word of the Lord.A very large crowd of people assembled in Jerusalem to celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread in the second month.They removed the altars in Jerusalem and cleared away 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 the Levites were ashamed and consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the temple of the Lord.Then they took up their regular positions as prescribed in the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests splashed against the altar the blood handed to them by the Levites.Since many in the crowd had not consecrated themselves, the Levites had to kill the Passover lambs for all those who were not ceremonially clean and could not consecrate their lambs to the Lord.Although most of the many people who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying,“ May the Lord, who is good, pardon everyonewho sets their heart on seeking God— the Lord, the God of their ancestors— even if they are not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary.”And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people.The Israelites who were present in Jerusalem celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great rejoicing, while the Levites and priests praised the Lord every day with resounding instruments dedicated to the Lord.Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites, who showed good understanding of the service of the Lord. For the seven days they ate their assigned portion and offered fellowship offerings and praised the Lord, the God of their ancestors.The whole assembly then agreed to celebrate the festival seven more days; so for another seven days they celebrated joyfully.Hezekiah king of Judah provided a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep and goats for the assembly, and the officials provided them with a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep and goats. A great number of priests consecrated themselves.The entire assembly of Judah rejoiced, along with the priests and Levites and all who had assembled from Israel, including the foreigners who had come from Israel and also those who resided in Judah.There was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem.The priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard them, for their prayer reached heaven, his holy dwelling place.

He removed the foreign altars and the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles.

Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried,“ The Lord— he is God! The Lord— he is God!”Then Elijah commanded them,“ Seize the prophets of Baal. Don’t let anyone get away!” They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.

All the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.

This is what you are to do to them: Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols in the fire.