15
Josiah also tore down the place of worship in Bethel, which had been built by King Jeroboam son of Nebat, who led Israel into sin. Josiah pulled down the altar, broke its stones into pieces, and pounded them to dust; he also burned the image of Asherah.
1
16
Then Josiah looked around and saw some tombs there on the hill; he had the bones taken out of them and burned on the altar. In this way he desecrated the altar, doing what the prophet had predicted long before during the festival as King Jeroboam was standing by the altar. King Josiah looked around and saw the tomb of the prophet who had made this prediction.
2
17
"Whose tomb is that?" he asked.
3 The people of Bethel answered, "It is the tomb of the prophet who came from Judah and predicted these things that you have done to this altar."
18
"Leave it as it is," Josiah ordered. "His bones are not to be moved." So his bones were not moved, neither were those of the prophet who had come from Samaria.
19
In every city of Israel King Josiah tore down all the pagan places of worship which had been built by the kings of Israel, who thereby aroused the Lord's anger. He did to all those altars what he had done in Bethel
20
He killed all the pagan priests on the altars where they served, and he burned human bones on every altar. Then he returned to Jerusalem.
21
King Josiah ordered the people to celebrate the Passover in honor of the Lord their God, as written in the book of the covenant
22
No Passover like this one had ever been celebrated by any of the kings of Israel or of Judah, since the time when judges ruled the nation.
23
Now at last, in the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah, the Passover was celebrated in Jerusalem.
24
In order to enforce the laws written in the book that the High Priest Hilkiah had found in the Temple, King Josiah removed from Jerusalem and the rest of Judah all the mediums and fortunetellers, and all the household gods, idols, and all other pagan objects of worship.
25
There had never been a king like him before, who served the Lord with all his heart, mind, and strength, obeying all the Law of Moses; nor has there been a king like him since.