53
The king's inspectors drove Israel into hiding in every place of refuge they had available.
54
Now on the fifteenth day of Kislev, in the year 145, they set up a disgusting and destructive thing on the altar for entirely burned offerings in the sanctuary. The inspectors built other altars in the surrounding Judean towns.
55
They burned incense at the doors of houses and in the streets.
56
When they found the Law scrolls, they tore them to pieces and burned them.
57
If anyone was caught in possession of a copy of the covenant scroll or if anyone kept to the Law, that person was condemned to death by royal decree.