2Ki 23:1-4 | NETfull | STEP | The king summoned all the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem.

2 Kings 23:1-4

1 The king summoned all the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem. ^{▼▼ Heb “and the king sent and all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem gathered to him.”} ^{▼▼ For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; Journey of Paul map 1-F4; Journey of Paul map 2-F4; Journey of Paul map 3-F4; Journey of Paul map 4-F4.} 2 The king went up to the Lord’s temple, accompanied by all the people of Judah, all the residents of Jerusalem, the priests, and the prophets. All the people were there, from the youngest to the oldest. He read aloud ^{▼▼ Heb “read in their ears.”} all the words of the scroll of the covenant that had been discovered in the Lord’s temple. 3 The king stood by the pillar and renewed ^{▼▼ Heb “cut,” that is, “made, agreed to.”} the covenant before the Lord, agreeing to follow ^{▼▼ Heb “walk after.”} the Lord and to obey his commandments, laws, and rules with all his heart and being, ^{▼▼ Or “soul.”} by carrying out the terms ^{▼▼ Heb “words.”} of this covenant recorded on this scroll. All the people agreed to keep the covenant. ^{▼▼ Heb “stood in the covenant.”}

4 The king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the high-ranking priests, ^{▼▼ Heb “the priests of the second [rank],” that is, those ranked just beneath Hilkiah.} and the guards ^{▼▼ Or “doorkeepers.”} to bring out of the Lord’s temple all the items that were used in the worship of ^{▼▼ Heb “for.”} Baal, Asherah, and all the stars of the sky. ^{▼▼ Heb “all the host of heaven” (also in v. 5).} The king ^{▼▼ Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.} burned them outside of Jerusalem in the terraces ^{▼▼ Or “fields.” For a defense of the translation “terraces,” see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 285.} of Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel. ^{▼▼ For location see Map4-G4; Map5-C1; Map6-E3; Map7-D1; Map8-G3.}