17 Then he said, “What gravestone is this that I see?” So the men of the city told him, “Itisathe tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things which you have done against the altar of Bethel.”
18 And he said, “Let him alone; let no one move his bones.” So they let his bones alone, with the bones of athe prophet who came from Samaria.
19 Now Josiah also took away all the shrines of the2 high places that wereain the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke3 the Lord to anger; and he did to them according to all the deeds he had done in Bethel.
20aHe bexecuted all the priests of the1 high places who were there, on the altars, and cburned men’s bones on them; and he returned to Jerusalem.
21 Then the king commanded all the people, saying, a“Keep the Passover to the Lord your God, bas itis written in this Book of the Covenant.”
22aSuch a Passover surely had never been held since the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah.
23 But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah this Passover was held before the Lord in Jerusalem.
24 Moreover Josiah put away those who consulted mediums and spiritists, the household gods and idols, all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might perform the words of athe law which were written in the book bthat Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the Lord.
25aNow before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him.
Impending Judgment on Judah
26 Nevertheless the Lord did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath, with which His anger was aroused against Judah, abecause of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him.
27 And the Lord said, “I will also remove Judah from My sight, as aI have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, b‘My name shall be there.’ ”
THE FIRST AND SECOND BOOKS OF KINGS, in the ancient copies of the Hebrew Bible, constitute one book. Various titles have been given them; in the Septuagint and the Vulgate they are called the Third and Fourth Books of Kings. The authorship of these books is unknown; but the prevailing opinion is that they were compiled by Ezra, or one of the later prophets, from the ancient documents that are so frequently referred to in the course of the history as of public and established authority. Their inspired character was acknowledged by the Jewish Church, which ranked them in the sacred canon; and, besides, it is attested by our Lord, who frequently quotes from them (compare I Kings 17:9; II Kings 5:14 with Luke 4:24-27; I Kings 10:1 with Matthew 12:42).
