2Reis 23

Josias lê a lei perante o povo e faz aliança com Jeová

1 Então, *2Cr 34.29-32o rei mandou, e se ajuntaram a ele todos os anciãos de Judá e de Jerusalém. 2 O rei subiu à Casa de Jeová, e, com ele, todos os homens de Judá e todos os habitantes de Jerusalém, e os sacerdotes, e os profetas, e todo o povo, tanto pequenos como grandes; *Dt 31.10-13e leu aos ouvidos deles todas as palavras do livro da Aliança, *2Rs 22.8que fora achado na Casa de Jeová. 3 *2Rs 11.14,17O rei pôs-se em pé junto à coluna e fez aliança com Jeová, *Dt 13.4para andar atrás dele e guardar os seus mandamentos, os seus testemunhos e os seus estatutos, de todo o seu coração e de toda a sua alma, para confirmar as palavras desta aliança que estavam escritas neste livro; e todo o povo esteve pela aliança.

4 O rei ordenou ao sumo sacerdote Hilquias, e aos *2Rs 25.18;Jr 52.24sacerdotes da segunda ordem, e aos guardas da porta que *2Rs 21.3,7tirassem do templo de Jeová todos os vasos que tinham sido feitos para Baal, e para a Aserá, e para todo o exército do céu; *2Rs 23.15queimou-os fora de Jerusalém, nos campos de Cedrom e levou a cinza deles para Betel. 5 Aboliu também os sacerdotes idólatras, que foram constituídos pelos reis de Judá para queimarem incenso nos altos nas cidades de Judá e nos lugares em torno de Jerusalém, como também os que queimavam incenso a Baal, ao sol, à lua, aos planetas e a todo o exército do céu. 6 Tirou da Casa de Jeová a Aserá, que levou para fora de Jerusalém, à torrente de Cedrom, junto da qual a queimou e *2Rs 23.15a reduziu a pó, que *2Cr 34.4lançou sobre as sepulturas do vulgacho. 7 Derrubou as casas dos *1Rs 14.24;15.12sodomitas que estavam na Casa de Jeová, onde *Êx 35.25-26;Ez 16.16as mulheres teciam cortinas para a Aserá. 8 Das cidades de Judá tirou todos os sacerdotes, e profanou os altos em que os sacerdotes haviam queimado incenso, desde *Js 21.17;1Rs 15.22Geba até Berseba, e derrubou os altos das portas que estavam junto à entrada da porta de Josué, governador da cidade, e ficavam à esquerda da porta da cidade. 9 Todavia, *Ez 44.10-14os sacerdotes dos altos não subiam ao altar de Jeová em Jerusalém, mas comiam pães asmos no meio de seus irmãos. 10 *Is 30.33;Jr 7.31-32Profanou a Tofete, que está no vale dos Filhos de Hinom, *Lv 18.21para que ninguém fizesse passar a seu filho ou a sua filha pelo fogo a *1Rs 11.7Moloque. 11 Tirou os cavalos que os reis de Judá tinham consagrado ao sol, à entrada da Casa de Jeová, perto da câmara do camareiro Natã-Meleque, a qual ficara nos recintos; e queimou a fogo os carros do sol. 12 O rei derrubou *Jr 19.13;Sf 1.5os altares que estavam sobre o teto da câmara alta de Acaz, os quais os reis de Judá haviam feito, e *2Rs 21.5os altares que Manassés tinha feito nos dois átrios da Casa de Jeová, e, correndo dali, *2Rs 23.4,6lançou o pó deles na torrente de Cedrom. 13 O rei também profanou os altos que estavam defronte de Jerusalém, à direita do *1Rs 11.7monte de Corrupção, que Salomão, rei de Israel, tinha edificado para *1Rs 11.5Astarote, abominação dos sidônios, e para *Nm 21.29Camos, abominação de Moabe, e para Milcom, abominação dos filhos de Amom. 14 *Dt 7.5,25Fez em pedaços as colunas, e cortou os Aserins, e *2Rs 23.16encheu estes lugares de ossos de homens.

O altar em Betel é profanado e derrubado

15 *1Rs 13.1O altar que estava em Betel, e *1Rs 12.28-33o alto que tinha edificado Jeroboão, filho de Nebate, que fez pecar a Israel, mesmo aquele altar e o alto, ele os derribou; *2Rs 23.6queimou o alto, e reduziu-o a pó, e queimou a Aserá. 16 Ao voltar-se Josias, viu os sepulcros que estavam ali no monte; e mandou tirar dos sepulcros os ossos e queimou-os sobre o altar, profanando-o, *1Rs 13.2conforme a palavra de Jeová, proclamada pelo homem de Deus, que proclamou essas coisas. 17 Então, perguntou: Que monumento é este que eu vejo? Responderam-lhe os homens da cidade: *1Rs 13.1,30-31É o sepulcro do homem de Deus, que veio de Judá e proclamou estas coisas que acabas de fazer ao altar de Betel. 18 Josias disse: Deixai-o estar, ninguém mova os ossos dele. Deixaram, pois, os ossos dele juntamente *1Rs 13.11,31com os ossos do profeta que tinha vindo de Samaria. 19 Também tirou Josias todas as casas dos altos que havia na *2Cr 34.6-7cidade de Samaria, edificadas pelos reis de Israel para provocarem Jeová à ira, e fez-lhes conforme tudo o que havia feito em Betel. 20 A todos os sacerdotes dos altos que estavam ali, *2Rs 10.25;11.18matou-os sobre os altares, onde queimou ossos de homens; e voltou para Jerusalém.

A celebração da Páscoa

21 O rei deu ordem a todo o povo, dizendo: *2Cr 35.1-17Celebrai a Páscoa a Jeová, vosso Deus, *Nm 9.2-4;Dt 16.2-8como está escrito neste livro da Aliança. 22 *2Cr 35.18-19Por certo, não se celebrou Páscoa tal desde os juízes que julgaram a Israel, nem em todos os dias dos reis de Israel, nem nos dias dos reis de Judá; 23 porém, no décimo oitavo ano do rei Josias, foi esta Páscoa celebrada a Jeová, em Jerusalém.

24 Aboliu também Josias *2Rs 21.6;Lv 19.31os que tinham espíritos familiares, os feiticeiros, *Gn 31.19os terafins, *2Rs 21.11,21os ídolos e todas as abominações que foram notadas na terra de Judá e em Jerusalém, *Dt 18.10-12para confirmar as palavras da lei escrita *2Rs 22.8no livro que o sacerdote Hilquias achou na Casa de Jeová. 25 *2Rs 18.5Não houve antes dele rei que lhe fosse semelhante, que se convertesse a Jeová de todo o seu coração, de toda a sua alma e de toda a sua força, conforme toda a lei de Moisés; nem depois dele, lhe houve outro semelhante.

26 Todavia, Jeová não arrefeceu o ardor da grande ira, que se tinha acendido contra Judá, *2Rs 21.11-13;Jr 16.4por causa de todas as provocações com que Manassés o tinha irritado. 27 Jeová disse: Removerei também a Judá de diante de mim, *2Rs 18.11como removi a Israel, *2Rs 21.13-14e rejeitarei a cidade de Jerusalém que escolhi, e a casa da qual eu disse: O meu nome estará ali.

28 Ora, o restante dos atos de Josias e tudo o que ele fez não estão, porventura, escritos no Livro das Crônicas dos Reis de Judá? 29 *2Cr 35.20-24Faraó-Neco, *Jr 46.2rei do Egito, subiu nos seus dias ao rio Eufrates contra o rei da Assíria; e o rei Josias, saindo contra ele, foi morto em *Jz 5.19Megido, após o encontro. 30 De Megido os *2Rs 9.28seus servos, em um carro, levaram-no morto, e, transportando-o a Jerusalém, sepultaram-no no seu sepulcro. *2Cr 36.1-4O povo da terra tomou a Jeoacaz, filho de Josias, e ungiram-no e constituíram-no rei em lugar de seu pai.

Jeoacaz reina e é levado cativo para o Egito

31 *1Cr 3.15;Jr 22.11Jeoacaz tinha vinte e três anos quando começou a reinar e reinou três meses em Jerusalém. Sua mãe chamava-se *2Rs 24.13Hamutal, filha de Jeremias, de Libna. 32 Ele fez o mal à vista de Jeová, *2Rs 21.2-7conforme tudo o que haviam feito seus pais. 33 *2Rs 23.29Faraó-Neco prendeu-o em *2Rs 25.6Ribla, na terra de *1Rs 8.65Hamate, para que não reinasse em Jerusalém; e obrigou a terra a pagar um tributo de cem talentos de prata e de um talento de ouro. 34 Faraó-Neco constituiu rei a *1Cr 3.15Eliaquim, filho de Josias, em lugar de Josias, seu pai, e *2Rs 24.17mudou-lhe o nome em Jeoaquim; porém levou consigo a Jeoacaz, *Jr 22.11-12;Ez 19.3-4que foi ao Egito, onde morreu. 35 Jeoaquim *2Rs 23.33deu a Faraó prata e ouro, porém estabeleceu um imposto sobre a terra para pagar o dinheiro segundo a ordem de Faraó. Do povo da terra exigiu prata e ouro, de cada um segundo o que lhe foi imposto, para o dar a Faraó-Neco.

36 *2Cr 36.5Jeoaquim tinha vinte e cinco anos quando começou a reinar e reinou onze anos em Jerusalém. Sua mãe chamava-se Zebida, filha de Pedaías, de Ruma. 37 Ele fez o mal à vista de Jeová, *2Rs 23.32conforme tudo o que haviam feito seus pais.

1 The king sent, and they gathered to him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem. 2 The king went up to Yahweh’s house, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him—with the priests, the prophets, and all the people, both small and great; and he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in Yahweh’s house. 3 The king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before Yahweh to walk after Yahweh and to keep his commandments, his testimonies, and his statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to confirm the words of this covenant that were written in this book; and all the people agreed to the covenant.

4 The king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the threshold, to bring out of Yahweh’s temple all the vessels that were made for Baal, for the Asherah, and for all the army of the sky; and he burned them outside of Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel. 5 He got rid of the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah and in the places around Jerusalem; those also who burned incense to Baal, to the sun, to the moon, to the planets, and to all the army of the sky. 6 He brought out the Asherah from Yahweh’s house, outside of Jerusalem, to the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and beat it to dust, and cast its dust on the graves of the common people. 7 He broke down the houses of the male shrine prostitutes that were in Yahweh’s house, where the women wove hangings for the Asherah. 8 He brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba; and he broke down the high places of the gates that were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on a man’s left hand at the gate of the city. 9 Nevertheless the priests of the high places didn’t come up to Yahweh’s altar in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened bread among their brothers. 10 He defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech. 11 He took away the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun, at the entrance of Yahweh’s house, by the room of Nathan Melech the officer who was in the court; and he burned the chariots of the sun with fire. 12 The king broke down the altars that were on the roof of the upper room of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of Yahweh’s house, and beat them down from there, and cast their dust into the brook Kidron. 13 The king defiled the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mountain of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon. 14 He broke in pieces the pillars, cut down the Asherah poles, and filled their places with men’s bones.

15 Moreover the altar that was at Bethel and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, even that altar and the high place he broke down; and he burned the high place and beat it to dust, and burned the Asherah. 16 As Josiah turned himself, he spied the tombs that were there in the mountain; and he sent, and took the bones out of the tombs, and burned them on the altar, and defiled it, according to Yahweh’s word which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these things. 17 Then he said, "What monument is that which I see?"

The men of the city told him, "It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things that you have done against the altar of Bethel."

18 He said, "Let him be! Let no one move his bones." So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet who came out of Samaria. 19 All the houses also of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke Yahweh to anger, Josiah took away, and did to them according to all the acts that he had done in Bethel. 20 He killed all the priests of the high places that were there, on the altars, and burned men’s bones on them; and he returned to Jerusalem.

21 The king commanded all the people, saying, "Keep the Passover to Yahweh your God, as it is written in this book of the covenant." 22 Surely there was not kept such a Passover from the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah; 23 but in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was kept to Yahweh in Jerusalem.

24 Moreover, Josiah removed those who had familiar spirits, the wizards, and the teraphim,*23:24 teraphim were household idols. and the idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might confirm the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in Yahweh’s house. 25 There was no king like him before him, who turned to Yahweh with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; and there was none like him who arose after him. 26 Notwithstanding, Yahweh didn’t turn from the fierceness of his great wrath, with which his anger burned against Judah, because of all the provocation with which Manasseh had provoked him. 27 Yahweh said, "I will also remove Judah out of my sight, as I have removed Israel; and I will cast off this city which I have chosen, even Jerusalem, and the house of which I said, ‘My name shall be there.’"

28 Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and all that he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 29 In his days Pharaoh Necoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates; and King Josiah went against him, but Pharaoh Necoh killed him at Megiddo when he saw him. 30 His servants carried him dead in a chariot from Megiddo, brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own tomb. The people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made him king in his father’s place.

31 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 32 He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, according to all that his fathers had done. 33 Pharaoh Necoh put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and put the land to a tribute of one hundred talents of silver and a talent*23:33 A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds or 965 Troy ounces of gold. 34 Pharaoh Necoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim; but he took Jehoahaz away, and he came to Egypt and died there. 35 Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh; but he taxed the land to give the money according to the commandment of Pharaoh. He exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, from everyone according to his assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Necoh. 36 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zebidah the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. 37 He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, according to all that his fathers had done.