II - Chapter 23

1At the king's summons, all the elders of Yehuda and Yerushalayim assembled before him.

אוַיִּשְׁלַח הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיַּאַסְפוּ אֵלָיו כָּל־זִקְנֵי יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלִָם׃

2The king went up to the House of Hashem, together with all the men of Yehuda and all the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, and the Kohanim and Neviim—all the people, young and old. And he read to them the entire text of the covenant scroll which had been found in the House of Hashem.

בוַיַּעַל הַמֶּלֶךְ בֵּית־יְהֹוָה וְכָל־אִישׁ יְהוּדָה וְכָל־יֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִַם אִתּוֹ וְהַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַנְּבִיאִים וְכָל־הָעָם לְמִקָּטֹן וְעַד־גָּדוֹל וַיִּקְרָא בְאָזְנֵיהֶם אֶת־כָּל־דִּבְרֵי סֵפֶר הַבְּרִית הַנִּמְצָא בְּבֵית יְהֹוָה׃

3The king stood by the pillar and solemnized the covenant before Hashem: that they would follow Hashem and observe His commandments, His injunctions, and His laws with all their heart and soul; that they would fulfill all the terms of this covenant as inscribed upon the scroll. And all the people entered into the covenant.

גוַיַּעֲמֹד הַמֶּלֶךְ עַל־הָעַמּוּד וַיִּכְרֹת אֶת־הַבְּרִית לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה לָלֶכֶת אַחַר יְהֹוָה וְלִשְׁמֹר מִצְוׂתָיו וְאֶת־עֵדְוׂתָיו וְאֶת־חֻקֹּתָיו בְּכָל־לֵב וּבְכָל־נֶפֶשׁ לְהָקִים אֶת־דִּבְרֵי הַבְּרִית הַזֹּאת הַכְּתֻבִים עַל־הַסֵּפֶר הַזֶּה וַיַּעֲמֹד כָּל־הָעָם בַּבְּרִית׃

4Then the king ordered the Kohen Gadol Chilkiyahu, the Kohanim of the second rank, and the guards of the threshold to bring out of the Temple of Hashem all the objects made for Baal and Asherah and all the host of heaven. He burned them outside Yerushalayim in the fields of Kidron, and he removed the ashes to Beit El.

דוַיְצַו הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת־חִלְקִיָּהוּ הַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל וְאֶת־כֹּהֲנֵי הַמִּשְׁנֶה וְאֶת־שֹׁמְרֵי הַסַּף לְהוֹצִיא מֵהֵיכַל יְהֹוָה אֵת כָּל־הַכֵּלִים הָעֲשׂוּיִם לַבַּעַל וְלָאֲשֵׁרָה וּלְכֹל צְבָא הַשָּׁמָיִם וַיִּשְׂרְפֵם מִחוּץ לִירוּשָׁלִַם בְּשַׁדְמוֹת קִדְרוֹן וְנָשָׂא אֶת־עֲפָרָם בֵּית־אֵל׃

5He suppressed the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Yehuda had appointed to make offerings at the shrines in the towns of Yehuda and in the environs of Yerushalayim, and those who made offerings to Baal, to the sun and moon and constellations—all the host of heaven.

הוְהִשְׁבִּית אֶת־הַכְּמָרִים אֲשֶׁר נָתְנוּ מַלְכֵי יְהוּדָה וַיְקַטֵּר בַּבָּמוֹת בְּעָרֵי יְהוּדָה וּמְסִבֵּי יְרוּשָׁלִָם וְאֶת־הַמְקַטְּרִים לַבַּעַל לַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְלַיָּרֵחַ וְלַמַּזָּלוֹת וּלְכֹל צְבָא הַשָּׁמָיִם׃

6He brought out the [image of] Asherah from the House of Hashem to the Kidron Valley outside Yerushalayim, and burned it in the Kidron Valley; he beat it to dust and scattered its dust over the burial ground of the common people.

ווַיֹּצֵא אֶת־הָאֲשֵׁרָה מִבֵּית יְהֹוָה מִחוּץ לִירוּשָׁלִַם אֶל־נַחַל קִדְרוֹן וַיִּשְׂרֹף אֹתָהּ בְּנַחַל קִדְרוֹן וַיָּדֶק לְעָפָר וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ אֶת־עֲפָרָהּ עַל־קֶבֶר בְּנֵי הָעָם׃

7He tore down the cubicles of the male prostitutes in the House of Hashem, at the place where the women wove coverings for Asherah.

זוַיִּתֹּץ אֶת־בָּתֵּי הַקְּדֵשִׁים אֲשֶׁר בְּבֵית יְהֹוָה אֲשֶׁר הַנָּשִׁים אֹרְגוֹת שָׁם בָּתִּים לָאֲשֵׁרָה׃

8He brought all the Kohanim from the towns of Yehuda [to Yerushalayim] and defiled the shrines where the Kohanim had been making offerings—from Geba to Be'er Sheva. He also demolished the shrines of the gates, which were at the entrance of the gate of Yehoshua, the city prefect—which were on a person's left [as he entered] the city gate.

חוַיָּבֵא אֶת־כָּל־הַכֹּהֲנִים מֵעָרֵי יְהוּדָה וַיְטַמֵּא אֶת־הַבָּמוֹת אֲשֶׁר קִטְּרוּ־שָׁמָּה הַכֹּהֲנִים מִגֶּבַע עַד־בְּאֵר שָׁבַע וְנָתַץ אֶת־בָּמוֹת הַשְּׁעָרִים אֲשֶׁר־פֶּתַח שַׁעַר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ שַׂר־הָעִיר אֲשֶׁר־עַל־שְׂמֹאול אִישׁ בְּשַׁעַר הָעִיר׃

9The Kohanim of the shrines, however, did not ascend the mizbayach of Hashem in Yerushalayim, but they ate unleavened bread along with their kinsmen.

טאַךְ לֹא יַעֲלוּ כֹּהֲנֵי הַבָּמוֹת אֶל־מִזְבַּח יְהֹוָה בִּירוּשָׁלִָם כִּי אִם־אָכְלוּ מַצּוֹת בְּתוֹךְ אֲחֵיהֶם׃

10He also defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of Ben-hinnom, so that no one might consign his son or daughter to the fire of Molech.

יוְטִמֵּא אֶת־הַתֹּפֶת אֲשֶׁר בְּגֵי בני־[בֶן־] הִנֹּם לְבִלְתִּי לְהַעֲבִיר אִישׁ אֶת־בְּנוֹ וְאֶת־בִּתּוֹ בָּאֵשׁ לַמֹּלֶךְ׃

11He did away with the horses that the kings of Yehuda had dedicated to the sun, at the entrance of the House of Hashem, near the chamber of the eunuch Nathan-melech, which was in the precincts. He burned the chariots of the sun.

יאוַיַּשְׁבֵּת אֶת־הַסּוּסִים אֲשֶׁר נָתְנוּ מַלְכֵי יְהוּדָה לַשֶּׁמֶשׁ מִבֹּא בֵית־יְהֹוָה אֶל־לִשְׁכַּת נְתַן־מֶלֶךְ הַסָּרִיס אֲשֶׁר בַּפַּרְוָרִים וְאֶת־מַרְכְּבוֹת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ שָׂרַף בָּאֵשׁ׃

12And the king tore down the altars made by the kings of Yehuda on the roof by the upper chamber of Achaz, and the altars made by Menashe in the two courts of the House of Hashem. He removed them quickly from there and scattered their rubble in the Kidron Valley.

יבוְאֶת־הַמִּזְבְּחוֹת אֲשֶׁר עַל־הַגָּג עֲלִיַּת אָחָז אֲשֶׁר־עָשׂוּ מַלְכֵי יְהוּדָה וְאֶת־הַמִּזְבְּחוֹת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה מְנַשֶּׁה בִּשְׁתֵּי חַצְרוֹת בֵּית־יְהֹוָה נָתַץ הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיָּרָץ מִשָּׁם וְהִשְׁלִיךְ אֶת־עֲפָרָם אֶל־נַחַל קִדְרוֹן׃

13The king also defiled the shrines facing Yerushalayim, to the south of the Mount of the Destroyer, which King Shlomo of Yisrael had built for Ashtoreth, the abomination of the Sidonians, for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom, the detestable thing of the Amonites.

יגוְאֶת־הַבָּמוֹת אֲשֶׁר עַל־פְּנֵי יְרוּשָׁלִַם אֲשֶׁר מִימִין לְהַר־הַמַּשְׁחִית אֲשֶׁר בָּנָה שְׁלֹמֹה מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל לְעַשְׁתֹּרֶת שִׁקֻּץ צִידֹנִים וְלִכְמוֹשׁ שִׁקֻּץ מוֹאָב וּלְמִלְכֹּם תּוֹעֲבַת בְּנֵי־עַמּוֹן טִמֵּא הַמֶּלֶךְ׃

14He shattered their pillars and cut down their sacred posts and covered their sites with human bones.

ידוְשִׁבַּר אֶת־הַמַּצֵּבוֹת וַיִּכְרֹת אֶת־הָאֲשֵׁרִים וַיְמַלֵּא אֶת־מְקוֹמָם עַצְמוֹת אָדָם׃

15As for the altar in Beit El [and] the shrine made by Yerovam son of Nebat who caused Yisrael to sin—that altar, too, and the shrine as well, he tore down. He burned down the shrine and beat it to dust, and he burned the sacred post.

טווְגַם אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ אֲשֶׁר בְּבֵית־אֵל הַבָּמָה אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה יָרָבְעָם בֶּן־נְבָט אֲשֶׁר הֶחֱטִיא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל גַּם אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ הַהוּא וְאֶת־הַבָּמָה נָתָץ וַיִּשְׂרֹף אֶת־הַבָּמָה הֵדַק לְעָפָר וְשָׂרַף אֲשֵׁרָה׃

16Yoshiyahu turned and saw the graves that were there on the hill; and he had the bones taken out of the graves and burned on the altar. Thus he defiled it, in fulfillment of the word of Hashem foretold by the man of Hashem who foretold these happenings.

טזוַיִּפֶן יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ וַיַּרְא אֶת־הַקְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר־שָׁם בָּהָר וַיִּשְׁלַח וַיִּקַּח אֶת־הָעֲצָמוֹת מִן־הַקְּבָרִים וַיִּשְׂרֹף עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וַיְטַמְּאֵהוּ כִּדְבַר יְהֹוָה אֲשֶׁר קָרָא אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר קָרָא אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה׃

17He asked, “What is the marker I see there?” And the men of the town replied, “That is the grave of the man of Hashem who came from Yehuda and foretold these things that you have done to the altar of Beit El.”

יזוַיֹּאמֶר מָה הַצִּיּוּן הַלָּז אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי רֹאֶה וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו אַנְשֵׁי הָעִיר הַקֶּבֶר אִישׁ־הָאֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר־בָּא מִיהוּדָה וַיִּקְרָא אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתָ עַל הַמִּזְבַּח בֵּית־אֵל׃

18“Let him be,” he said, “let no one disturb his bones.” So they left his bones undisturbed together with the bones of the Navi who came from Shomron.

יחוַיֹּאמֶר הַנִּיחוּ לוֹ אִישׁ אַל־יָנַע עַצְמֹתָיו וַיְמַלְּטוּ עַצְמֹתָיו אֵת עַצְמוֹת הַנָּבִיא אֲשֶׁר־בָּא מִשֹּׁמְרוֹן׃

19Yoshiyahu also abolished all the cult places in the towns of Shomron, which the kings of Yisrael had built, vexing [Hashem]. He dealt with them just as he had done to Beit El:

יטוְגַם אֶת־כָּל־בָּתֵּי הַבָּמוֹת אֲשֶׁר בְּעָרֵי שֹׁמְרוֹן אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ מַלְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהַכְעִיס הֵסִיר יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ וַיַּעַשׂ לָהֶם כְּכָל־הַמַּעֲשִׂים אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה בְּבֵית־אֵל׃

20He slew on the altars all the priests of the shrines who were there, and he burned human bones on them. Then he returned to Yerushalayim.

כוַיִּזְבַּח אֶת־כָּל־כֹּהֲנֵי הַבָּמוֹת אֲשֶׁר־שָׁם עַל־הַמִּזְבְּחוֹת וַיִּשְׂרֹף אֶת־עַצְמוֹת אָדָם עֲלֵיהֶם וַיָּשָׁב יְרוּשָׁלִָם׃

21The king commanded all the people, “Offer the Pesach sacrifice to Hashem your God as prescribed in this scroll of the covenant.”

כאוַיְצַו הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת־כָּל־הָעָם לֵאמֹר עֲשׂוּ פֶסַח לַיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם כַּכָּתוּב עַל סֵפֶר הַבְּרִית הַזֶּה׃

22Now the Pesach sacrifice had not been offered in that manner in the days of the chieftains who ruled Yisrael, or during the days of the kings of Yisrael and the kings of Yehuda.

KEE LO na-a-SAH ka-PE-sakh ha-ZEH mee-MAY ha-SHO-f'-TEEM a-SHER sha-f'-TU et yis-ra-AYL v'-KHOL y'-MAY mal-KHAY yis-ra-AYL u-mal-KHAY y'-hu-DAH

כבכִּי לֹא נַעֲשָׂה כַּפֶּסַח הַזֶּה מִימֵי הַשֹּׁפְטִים אֲשֶׁר שָׁפְטוּ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל וְכֹל יְמֵי מַלְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמַלְכֵי יְהוּדָה׃

23Only in the eighteenth year of King Yoshiyahu was such a Pesach sacrifice offered in that manner to Hashem in Yerushalayim.

כגכִּי אִם־בִּשְׁמֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה לַמֶּלֶךְ יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ נַעֲשָׂה הַפֶּסַח הַזֶּה לַיהֹוָה בִּירוּשָׁלִָם׃

24Yoshiyahu also did away with the necromancers and the mediums, the idols and the fetishes—all the detestable things that were to be seen in the land of Yehuda and Yerushalayim. Thus he fulfilled the terms of the Teaching recorded in the scroll that the Kohen Chilkiyahu had found in the House of Hashem.

כדוְגַם אֶת־הָאֹבוֹת וְאֶת־הַיִּדְּעֹנִים וְאֶת־הַתְּרָפִים וְאֶת־הַגִּלֻּלִים וְאֵת כָּל־הַשִּׁקֻּצִים אֲשֶׁר נִרְאוּ בְּאֶרֶץ יְהוּדָה וּבִירוּשָׁלִַם בִּעֵר יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ לְמַעַן הָקִים אֶת־דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה הַכְּתֻבִים עַל־הַסֵּפֶר אֲשֶׁר מָצָא חִלְקִיָּהוּ הַכֹּהֵן בֵּית יְהֹוָה׃

25There was no king like him before who turned back to Hashem with all his heart and soul and might, in full accord with the Teaching of Moshe; nor did any like him arise after him.

כהוְכָמֹהוּ לֹא־הָיָה לְפָנָיו מֶלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר־שָׁב אֶל־יְהֹוָה בְּכָל־לְבָבוֹ וּבְכָל־נַפְשׁוֹ וּבְכָל־מְאֹדוֹ כְּכֹל תּוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה וְאַחֲרָיו לֹא־קָם כָּמֹהוּ׃

26However, Hashem did not turn away from His awesome wrath which had blazed up against Yehuda because of all the things Menashe did to vex Him.

כואַךְ לֹא־שָׁב יְהֹוָה מֵחֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ הַגָּדוֹל אֲשֶׁר־חָרָה אַפּוֹ בִּיהוּדָה עַל כָּל־הַכְּעָסִים אֲשֶׁר הִכְעִיסוֹ מְנַשֶּׁה׃

27Hashem said, “I will also banish Yehuda from My presence as I banished Yisrael; and I will reject the city of Yerushalayim which I chose and the House where I said My name would abide.”

כזוַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה גַּם אֶת־יְהוּדָה אָסִיר מֵעַל פָּנַי כַּאֲשֶׁר הֲסִרֹתִי אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמָאַסְתִּי אֶת־הָעִיר הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר־בָּחַרְתִּי אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלִַם וְאֶת־הַבַּיִת אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְתִּי יִהְיֶה שְׁמִי שָׁם׃

28The other events of Yoshiyahu's reign, and all his actions, are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Yehuda.

כחוְיֶתֶר דִּבְרֵי יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה הֲלֹא־הֵם כְּתוּבִים עַל־סֵפֶר דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים לְמַלְכֵי יְהוּדָה׃

29In his days, Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt, marched against the king of Assyria to the River Euphrates; King Yoshiyahu marched toward him, but when he confronted him at Megiddo, [Pharaoh Neco] slew him.

כטבְּיָמָיו עָלָה פַרְעֹה נְכֹה מֶלֶךְ־מִצְרַיִם עַל־מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר עַל־נְהַר־פְּרָת וַיֵּלֶךְ הַמֶּלֶךְ יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ לִקְרָאתוֹ וַיְמִיתֵהוּ בִּמְגִדּוֹ כִּרְאֹתוֹ אֹתוֹ׃

30His servants conveyed his body in a chariot from Megiddo to Yerushalayim, and they buried him in his tomb. Then the people of the land took Yehoachaz; they anointed him and made him king in place of his father.

לוַיַּרְכִּבֻהוּ עֲבָדָיו מֵת מִמְּגִדּוֹ וַיְבִאֻהוּ יְרוּשָׁלִַם וַיִּקְבְּרֻהוּ בִּקְבֻרָתוֹ וַיִּקַּח עַם־הָאָרֶץ אֶת־יְהוֹאָחָז בֶּן־יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ וַיִּמְשְׁחוּ אֹתוֹ וַיַּמְלִיכוּ אֹתוֹ תַּחַת אָבִיו׃

31Yehoachaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Yerushalayim; his mother's name was Hamutal daughter of Yirmiyahu of Libnah.

לאבֶּן־עֶשְׂרִים וְשָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנָה יְהוֹאָחָז בְּמָלְכוֹ וּשְׁלֹשָׁה חֳדָשִׁים מָלַךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם וְשֵׁם אִמּוֹ חֲמוּטַל בַּת־יִרְמְיָהוּ מִלִּבְנָה׃

32He did what was displeasing to Hashem, just as his fathers had done.

לבוַיַּעַשׂ הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי יְהֹוָה כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־עָשׂוּ אֲבֹתָיו׃

33Pharaoh Neco imprisoned him in Riblah in the region of Hamath, to keep him from reigning in Yerushalayim. And he imposed on the land an indemnity of one hundred kikarim of silver and a kikar of gold.

לגוַיַּאַסְרֵהוּ פַרְעֹה נְכֹה בְרִבְלָה בְּאֶרֶץ חֲמָת במלך [מִמְּלֹךְ] בִּירוּשָׁלִָם וַיִּתֶּן־עֹנֶשׁ עַל־הָאָרֶץ מֵאָה כִכַּר־כֶּסֶף וְכִכַּר זָהָב׃

34Then Pharaoh Neco appointed Eliakim son of Yoshiyahu king in place of his father Yoshiyahu, changing his name to Yehoyakim. He took Yehoachaz and brought him to Egypt, where he died.

לדוַיַּמְלֵךְ פַּרְעֹה נְכֹה אֶת־אֶלְיָקִים בֶּן־יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ תַּחַת יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ אָבִיו וַיַּסֵּב אֶת־שְׁמוֹ יְהוֹיָקִים וְאֶת־יְהוֹאָחָז לָקָח וַיָּבֹא מִצְרַיִם וַיָּמָת שָׁם׃

35Yehoyakim gave Pharaoh the silver and the gold, and he made an assessment on the land to pay the money demanded by Pharaoh. He exacted from the people of the land the silver and gold to be paid Pharaoh Neco, according to each man's assessment.

להוְהַכֶּסֶף וְהַזָּהָב נָתַן יְהוֹיָקִים לְפַרְעֹה אַךְ הֶעֱרִיךְ אֶת־הָאָרֶץ לָתֵת אֶת־הַכֶּסֶף עַל־פִּי פַרְעֹה אִישׁ כְּעֶרְכּוֹ נָגַשׂ אֶת־הַכֶּסֶף וְאֶת־הַזָּהָב אֶת־עַם הָאָרֶץ לָתֵת לְפַרְעֹה נְכֹה׃

36Yehoyakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Yerushalayim; his mother's name was Zebudah daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah.

לובֶּן־עֶשְׂרִים וְחָמֵשׁ שָׁנָה יְהוֹיָקִים בְּמָלְכוֹ וְאַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה מָלַךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם וְשֵׁם אִמּוֹ זבידה [זְבוּדָּה] בַת־פְּדָיָה מִן־רוּמָה׃

37He did what was displeasing to Hashem, just as his ancestors had done.

לזוַיַּעַשׂ הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי יְהֹוָה כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־עָשׂוּ אֲבֹתָיו׃