And the king stood by [a]the pillar, and made a [b]covenant before the Lord, that they should walk after the Lord, and keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all their heart, and with all their soul, that they might accomplish the words of this covenant written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.

Then the king commanded Hilkiah the high [c]Priest, and the Priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring out of the temple of the Lord all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven, and he burnt them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried [d]the powder of them into Bethel.

And he put down the [e]Chemarims, whom the kings of Judah had founded to burn incense in the high places, and in the cities of Judah and about Jerusalem, and also them that burnt incense unto Baal, to the sun and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 23:3 Where the king had his place, 2 Kings 11:14.
  2. 2 Kings 23:3 As Joshua did, Josh. 24:22, 25.
  3. 2 Kings 23:4 Meaning, them which were next in dignity to the high Priest.
  4. 2 Kings 23:4 In contempt of that altar, which Jeroboam had there built to sacrifice to his calves.
  5. 2 Kings 23:5 Meaning, the priests of Baal, which were called Chemarims, either because they wore black garments, or else were smoked with burning incense to idols.

The king stood by the pillar(A) and renewed the covenant(B) in the presence of the Lord—to follow(C) 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(D) to remove(E) 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(F) to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations and to all the starry hosts.(G)

Read full chapter