Online Bible

Second Book of Kings, Chapter 23

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2 Kings 23 NWT - New World Translation2 Kings 23 NWT - New World Translation

Chapter 23 of 2 Kings—New World Translation (NWT)

  1. ¶ Then the king sent and they gathered together to him all the older men of Judah and Jerusalem.1
  2. After that the king went up to the house of Jehovah, and also all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and also the priests2 and the prophets and all the people, from small to great;3 and he began to read4 in their ears all the words of the book5 of the covenant6 that had been found in the house of Jehovah.7
  3. And the king kept standing by the pillar8 and now concluded the covenant9 before Jehovah, to walk10 after Jehovah and to keep his commandments11 and his testimonies[a]12 and his statutes13 with all the heart14 and with all the soul15 by carrying out the words of this covenant that were written in this book.16 Accordingly all the people took their stand in the covenant.17
  4. ¶ And the king went on to command Hil·kiʹah18 the high priest and the priests of the second rank and the doorkeepers19 to bring out from the temple of Jehovah all the utensils made for Baʹal20 and for the sacred pole21 and for all the army of the heavens.22 Then he burned them outside Jerusalem on the terraces of Kidʹron,23 and he brought the dust of them to Bethʹel.24
  5. And he put out of business the foreign-god priests,[b] whom the kings of Judah had put in that they might make sacrificial smoke on the high places in the cities of Judah and the surroundings of Jerusalem, and also those making sacrificial smoke to Baʹal,25 to the sun and to the moon and to the constellations of the zodiac and to all the army of the heavens.26
  6. Furthermore, he brought out the sacred pole27 from the house of Jehovah to the outskirts of Jerusalem, to the torrent valley of Kidʹron, and burned it28 in the torrent valley of Kidʹron and ground it to dust and cast its dust upon the burial place29 of the sons of the people.
  7. Further, he pulled down the houses of the male temple prostitutes30 that were in the house of Jehovah, where the women were weaving tent shrines for the sacred pole.
  8. ¶ Then he brought all the priests from the cities of Judah, that he might make unfit for worship the high places where the priests had made sacrificial smoke, from Geʹba31 as far as Beʹer-sheʹba;32 and he pulled down the high places of the gates[c] that were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua, the chief of the city, which was at the left as a person came into[d] the gate of the city.
  9. Only the priests33 of the high places would not come up to the altar of Jehovah in Jerusalem, but they ate unfermented34 cakes in among their brothers.
  10. And he made unfit for worship Toʹpheth,[e]35 which is in the valley of the sons of Hinʹnom,[f]36 that no one might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire37 to Moʹlech.38
  11. Further, he caused the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun to cease from entering the house of Jehovah by the dining room39 of Naʹthan-melʹech the court official, which was in the porticoes; and the chariots of the sun40 he burned in the fire.
  12. And the altars that were upon the roof of the roof41 chamber of Aʹhaz that the kings of Judah had made, and the altars42 that Ma·nasʹseh had made in two courtyards of the house of Jehovah,[g] the king pulled down, after which he crushed them there,[h] and he cast their dust into the torrent valley of Kidʹron.
  13. And the high places that were in front43 of Jerusalem, that were to the right[i] of the Mount of Ruination,[j] that Solʹo·mon44 the king of Israel had built to Ashʹto·reth45 the disgusting thing of the Si·doʹni·ans and to Cheʹmosh46 the disgusting thing of Moʹab and to Milʹcom47 the detestable thing of the sons of Amʹmon, the king made unfit for worship.
  14. And he broke48 the sacred pillars to pieces and went on to cut down the sacred poles and to fill their places with human bones.
  15. And also the altar that was in Bethʹel,49 the high place that Jer·o·boʹam50 the son of Neʹbat, who caused Israel to sin,51 had made, even that altar and the high place he pulled down. Then he burned the high place; he ground [it] to dust[k] and burned the sacred pole.
  16. ¶ When Jo·siʹah[l] turned, he got to see the burial places that were there in the mountain. So he sent and took the bones from the burial places and burned52 them upon the altar, that he might make it unfit for worship, according to Jehovah’s[m] word53 that the man of the [true] God had proclaimed,54 who proclaimed these things.
  17. Then he said: “What is the gravestone over there that I am seeing?” At this the men of the city said to him: “It is the burial55 place of the man of the [true] God that came from Judah56 and proceeded to proclaim these things that you have done against the altar of Bethʹel.”57
  18. So he said: “Let him rest.58 Do not let anyone disturb his bones.” Consequently they let his bones alone along with the bones of the prophet59 that had come from Sa·marʹi·a.
  19. ¶ And also all the houses60 of the high places that were in the cities61 of Sa·marʹi·a that the kings62 of Israel had built to cause offense[n]63 Jo·siʹah removed, and he went on to do to them according to all the doings that he had done at Bethʹel.64
  20. Accordingly he sacrificed all the priests65 of the high places that were there upon the altars and burned human bones upon them.66 After that he returned to Jerusalem.
  21. ¶ The king now commanded all the people, saying: “Hold a passover67 to Jehovah[o] YOUR God according to what is written in this book of the covenant.”68
  22. For no passover like this had been held from the days of the judges that had judged Israel,69 nor all the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah.70
  23. But in the eighteenth year of King Jo·siʹah this passover was held to Jehovah[p] in Jerusalem.71
  24. ¶ And also the spirit mediums72 and the professional foretellers73 of events and the teraphim[q]74 and the dungy idols75 and all the disgusting76 things that had appeared in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem Jo·siʹah cleared out, in order that he might actually carry out the words of the law77 that were written in the book78 that Hil·kiʹah the priest had found at the house of Jehovah.79
  25. And like him there did not prove to be a king prior to him who returned80 to Jehovah[r] with all his heart and with all his soul81 and with all his vital force, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him has there risen up one like him.
  26. ¶ Nevertheless, Jehovah[s] did not turn back from the great burning of his anger, with which his anger burned against Judah82 over all the offensive things with which Ma·nasʹseh had made them offend.83
  27. But Jehovah[t] said: “Judah,84 too, I shall remove from my sight,85 just as I have removed Israel;86 and I shall certainly reject this city that I have chosen, even Jerusalem, and the house of which I have said, ‘My name will continue there.’”87
  28. ¶ As for the rest of the affairs of Jo·siʹah and all that he did, are they not written in the book88 of the affairs of the days of the kings of Judah?
  29. In his days Pharʹaoh Neʹchoh[u]89 the king of Egypt came up to the king of As·syrʹi·a[v] by the river Eu·phraʹtes,90 and King Jo·siʹah proceeded to go to meet him;91 but he put him to death92 at Me·gidʹdo93 as soon as he saw him.
  30. So his servants conveyed him dead in a chariot from Me·gidʹdo and brought him to Jerusalem94 and buried him in his grave. Then the people of the land took Je·hoʹa·haz95 the son of Jo·siʹah and anointed him and made him king in place of his father.
  31. ¶ Twenty-three years old was Je·hoʹa·haz96 when he began to reign, and for three months he reigned in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Ha·muʹtal97 the daughter of Jeremiah from Libʹnah.
  32. And he began to do what was bad in Jehovah’s eyes, according to all that forefathers of his had done.98
  33. And Pharʹaoh Neʹchoh99 got to put him in bonds100 at Ribʹlah101 in the land of Haʹmath, to keep him from reigning[w] in Jerusalem, and then imposed a fine102 upon the land of a hundred silver103 talents[x] and a gold talent.104
  34. Furthermore, Pharʹaoh Neʹchoh made E·liʹa·kim105 the son of Jo·siʹah king in place of Jo·siʹah his father and changed his name to Je·hoiʹa·kim; and Je·hoʹa·haz he took and then brought to Egypt, where he eventually died.106
  35. And the silver107 and the gold Je·hoiʹa·kim gave to Pharʹaoh. Only he taxed108 the land, to give the silver at the order of Pharʹaoh. According to each one’s individual tax109 rate he exacted the silver and the gold from the people of the land, to give it to Pharʹaoh Neʹchoh.
  36. ¶ Twenty-five years old was Je·hoiʹa·kim110 when he began to reign, and for eleven years he reigned in Jerusalem.111 And his mother’s name was Ze·biʹdah the daughter of Pe·daiʹah from Ruʹmah.
  37. And he continued to do what was bad112 in Jehovah’s eyes, according to all that forefathers of his had done.113

FOOTNOTES

  1. ^ Or, “reminders.”
  2. ^ “The foreign-god priests.” Heb., hak·kema·rimʹ.
  3. ^ Possibly, “goat-shaped demons,” by a slight change in M. See KB, p. 926.
  4. ^ “As a person (man) came into,” LXXL.
  5. ^ “Topheth,” M(Heb., hat·Toʹpheth)Vg; the first occurrence of this name.
  6. ^ According to M; MmarginLXXSyVg and many Heb. mss, “the valley of the son of Hinnom.” See App 4C.
  7. ^ See App 1C §7.
  8. ^ “He crushed them there,” by a correction of M.
  9. ^ That is, south, when one faces east.
  10. ^ “The Mount of Ruination.” Heb., leHar-ham·Mash·chithʹ. That is, the Mount of Olives, particularly the southern extremity known also as the Mount of Offense.
  11. ^ “He pulled down and ground its stones and reduced [them] to dust,” LXX.
  12. ^ “Josiah.” Heb., Yoʼ·shi·yaʹhu, as in 22:1.
  13. ^ See App 1C §7.
  14. ^ “To cause offense,” M; LXXSyVg, “to offend Jehovah.”
  15. ^ See App 1C §7.
  16. ^ See App 1C §7.
  17. ^ “Teraphim,” MLXX; Sy, “idols”; Vg, “figures of idols.” See Ge 31:19 ftn.
  18. ^ See App 1C §7.
  19. ^ See App 1C §7.
  20. ^ See App 1C §7.
  21. ^ Or, “Nekaw (Nekau).”
  22. ^ That is, the Babylonian conqueror of Assyria.
  23. ^ According to MmarginTLXXVg; MSy, “while he was reigning.”
  24. ^ See App 8A.

REFERENCES

  1. ^ 2Ch 34:29
  2. ^ Nu 3:10
  3. ^ 1Sa 5:9; 30:2
  4. ^ De 31:11
  5. ^ De 31:26
  6. ^ Ex 24:8
  7. ^ 2Ki 22:8; 2Ch 34:30
  8. ^ 2Ki 11:14; 2Ch 23:13
  9. ^ Jos 24:25; 2Ch 15:12; 23:16
  10. ^ De 8:19
  11. ^ De 5:1
  12. ^ De 4:45; 1Ki 2:3
  13. ^ De 8:11; 2Ki 17:13
  14. ^ De 6:5; 10:12
  15. ^ De 11:13
  16. ^ 2Ch 34:31
  17. ^ Jos 24:24; 2Ch 34:32; Je 4:2
  18. ^ 2Ki 22:4; 1Ch 6:13
  19. ^ 2Ki 12:9
  20. ^ 2Ki 21:7
  21. ^ 2Ch 33:3; 34:4
  22. ^ 2Ch 34:33
  23. ^ Jn 18:1
  24. ^ 1Ki 12:29
  25. ^ 2Ki 17:16
  26. ^ 2Ki 21:3; Jb 31:26; Je 8:2
  27. ^ Jg 3:7; 2Ki 21:7
  28. ^ De 7:25; 9:21
  29. ^ 2Ch 34:4
  30. ^ Le 18:22; Ro 1:27; 1Co 6:9; 1Ti 1:10; Jd 7
  31. ^ Jos 21:17; 1Ki 15:22
  32. ^ Ge 21:31; 1Ki 19:3
  33. ^ Eze 44:10; Ml 2:8
  34. ^ 1Sa 2:36; Eze 44:29
  35. ^ Is 30:33; Je 7:31; 19:6, 11
  36. ^ Jos 15:8
  37. ^ Le 18:21; 2Ki 16:3
  38. ^ Je 32:35
  39. ^ 1Sa 1:9; Ne 10:38; Je 35:2
  40. ^ De 4:19; Eze 8:16
  41. ^ Je 19:13; Zp 1:5
  42. ^ 2Ki 21:5; 2Ch 33:5
  43. ^ Zc 14:4; Ac 1:12
  44. ^ 1Ki 11:7
  45. ^ 1Ki 11:5, 33
  46. ^ Nu 21:29; Je 48:13
  47. ^ Zp 1:5
  48. ^ Ex 23:24; De 7:5; 2Ch 34:3
  49. ^ 1Ki 12:33
  50. ^ 1Ki 12:28; 2Ch 34:6
  51. ^ 1Ki 14:16; 15:30
  52. ^ 2Ch 34:5
  53. ^ Nu 23:19; Is 44:26
  54. ^ 1Ki 13:2
  55. ^ 1Ki 13:30, 31
  56. ^ 1Ki 13:1
  57. ^ 1Ki 12:33
  58. ^ Is 57:2
  59. ^ 1Ki 13:29
  60. ^ 1Ki 12:31; 13:32
  61. ^ 2Ki 17:9; 2Ch 34:6
  62. ^ 1Ki 13:33; 16:33; Mc 6:16
  63. ^ 2Ki 17:17; Ps 78:58; Je 7:18
  64. ^ 1Ki 12:29; 2Ki 10:29
  65. ^ Ex 22:20; De 13:5
  66. ^ 1Ki 13:2; 2Ch 34:5
  67. ^ 2Ch 35:1
  68. ^ Ex 12:3, 14; Le 23:5; Nu 9:13; 28:16; De 16:1
  69. ^ 2Ch 35:18
  70. ^ 2Ch 30:1, 13
  71. ^ 2Ch 35:19
  72. ^ Le 19:31; 20:27; 1Sa 28:3
  73. ^ De 18:11; 2Ki 21:6; Is 8:19; Ac 16:16
  74. ^ Ge 31:19, 30; Ho 3:4
  75. ^ Le 26:30; Je 10:15
  76. ^ De 29:17; 1Ki 11:5, 7
  77. ^ Nu 33:52; De 12:2
  78. ^ 2Ki 22:8
  79. ^ 2Ch 34:14
  80. ^ 2Ki 18:5
  81. ^ De 4:29
  82. ^ 2Ki 21:12; 22:17; 2Ch 36:16
  83. ^ 2Ki 21:11; 24:4; Je 15:4
  84. ^ 2Ki 25:11; Eze 23:33
  85. ^ De 29:28; 2Ki 24:3
  86. ^ 2Ki 17:18; 18:11; 21:13
  87. ^ De 12:5; 1Ki 8:29; 9:3
  88. ^ 1Ki 14:29; 2Ki 21:17
  89. ^ 2Ki 23:33; Je 46:2
  90. ^ Ge 15:18
  91. ^ 2Ch 35:20; Pr 26:17; Lu 14:31
  92. ^ Is 57:1
  93. ^ 1Ki 9:15; Zc 12:11
  94. ^ 2Ch 35:24
  95. ^ 2Ch 36:1
  96. ^ 1Ch 3:15; Je 22:11
  97. ^ 2Ki 24:18
  98. ^ 2Ki 21:2, 21; 3Jo 11
  99. ^ 2Ki 23:29
  100. ^ 2Ch 36:3
  101. ^ 2Ki 25:6; Je 39:5; 52:10, 26
  102. ^ 2Ch 36:3
  103. ^ 1Ki 16:24
  104. ^ 2Ki 18:14
  105. ^ 2Ch 36:4
  106. ^ Je 22:12
  107. ^ 2Ki 23:33
  108. ^ 2Ki 15:20
  109. ^ Ro 13:1, 7
  110. ^ 1Ch 3:15; Je 1:3; 22:19
  111. ^ 2Ch 36:5
  112. ^ Je 26:21; 36:24
  113. ^ 2Ch 28:25; 33:4

Read 2 Kings Chapter 23 in other Bible versions:

Comments

  1. David yakubuDavid yakubu
    Oct 29, 2022 08:05 GMT

    When i do read some comments and seeing that its the same people that are supposed to be called believers but are talking ill of other denominations, it hurts. Let us all remember that We should judge not

    1. jonas smithjonas smith
      Apr 23, 2023 02:57 GMT

      The bible tells us to test the spirits. Satan disguises himself as angel of light. So yes some denomination are not teaching the truth. You are responsible for judging which ones are not. You have to judge the truth at all times. this is what the bible teaches

  2. THTH
    Apr 7, 2021 00:20 GMT

    The NWT is a very good translation. Dr. Jason David BeDuhn PhD attests to that in his book Truth in Translation. drive.google.com/...5p16melHzg8/view

    1. James LernerJames Lerner
      Jul 20, 2024 09:48 GMT

      The NWT is Satanic filth to its very core.

      The JW Cult is Satanic to its very core.

      Praise Yahweh I will never be a victim of JW brainwashing. If I burn in Hell for eternity or I am ultimately annihilated so be it

      May Yahweh's curse rest on the Watchtower Society and its Satanic leadership

    2. jim mcleodjim mcleod
      Aug 22, 2021 06:16 GMT

      NWT is a false translation that takes away from the deity of Jesus !

  3. SlightlyChaoticSlightlyChaotic
    Jan 30, 2021 16:33 GMT

    Thank you for taking the time to provide this service. I like seeing the NASB on your web page in the same format as I read on paper. On other sites, the text area is smaller, and so I have to keep scrolling down to read and sometimes I lose the context. So I really appreciate the format.

    As far as the NWT, you are certainly free to do whatever you think best with your own web pages. I'd suggest that you make a note anytime you have a translation that is associated with only one denomination or church, for example:
    New World Translation (Jehovah's Witness version).

    In Jesus' parable of the wheat and the tares. the main idea seems to be that you can't easily distinguish between God's people and not-God's people on this earth, so our Lord's response is to wait until they are shown to be the kind of people they are inside. But the NWT seems like false teaching to me. So I think the warning passages from Jesus' apostles are more applicable, as in 2 Peter 3:15-16, when he talks about Paul's writings:
    "There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures."
    And we also have the positive exhortations, as in 2 Timothy 2:15:
    "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth."

    1. BroderickBroderick
      Jan 31, 2021 00:57 GMT

      Your suggestion regarding the denominational flagging is duly noted. But I can’t help but wonder, wouldn’t a Catholic also want “Protestant versions” marked as well?

      As for the parable, I’m pretty sure the slaves were convinced in their own minds that they could tell the tares from the wheat. After all, aren’t they the ones who identified the problem in the first place? But the master obviously thought otherwise.

      Furthermore, even at the time when Jesus himself was walking the earth, not everybody who claimed fellowship actually followed him causing John to inquire at Mark 9:39, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not hinder him . . . for he who is not against us is for us.”

  4. Joshua HarderJoshua Harder
    Dec 11, 2020 17:48 GMT

    Hello, question.. why have you included the NWT with other legitimate bible translations? Or why have you not atleast included a warning to readers? Don't you fear that someone could be influenced by the Watchtower's intentional heresies? Thank you.

    1. KevinKevin
      Jul 11, 2021 17:45 GMT

      en.m.wikipedia.org/..._Holy_Scriptures

      See the section critical review

    2. ChrisChris
      Jan 8, 2021 07:15 GMT

      Please site these intentional heresies. I am well versed in the watch tower outline and agree they are in many ways incorrect but i also bet i can point many out from EVERY established or main denomination. There is much to learn from them all as one who drinks milk?

      Judge not lest ye be judged, that is not to pass judgement on you either brother.

      I debate with scripture. I don't hold it to be true that Michael is Y'Shua HaMeshiach but I also firmly hold it to be true that our G-d and Heavenly Father are not the word encarnate and only begotten son.

      I love not seeing "lord" which i relate to baal. I feel the catholic church is a satanic establishment and I am aware a freemason started the hovies but there are evil in high places and our fight is also with principalities.

      What i'm saying is that in my darkest hours, those two were some of if not the only ones who would bring a Bible and eucharist and pray with me.

      We all fall short of the glory of G-d.

      Don't forget the NWT was recognized as the most accurate translation on Jeopardy.

      Lastly, this is different I noted than the NWT i have read and am very familiar with. Pull up the watchtower page and compare. I truly look forward to getting this one!

  5. julietjuliet
    Aug 17, 2022 09:36 GMT

    the sky is blue

  6. mercymercy
    Aug 12, 2022 21:23 GMT

    i am Mercy, the sky is blue what else do you need

    1. mercymercy
      Aug 12, 2022 21:25 GMT

      i am so sorry, it was a big mistake

  7. God is able to do all thingsGod is able to do all things
    May 17, 2021 17:59 GMT

    Jesus how much love calling yo name

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