Josiah Reads The Book of God's Law
(2 Chronicles 34.29-33)1 King Josiah called together the older leaders of Judah and Jerusalem. 2 Then he went to the Lord's temple, together with the people of Judah and Jerusalem, the priests, and the prophets. Finally, when everybody was there, he read aloud The Book of God's Law that had been found in the temple.
3 After Josiah had finished reading, he stood by one of the columns. He asked the people to promise in the Lord's name to faithfully obey the Lord and to follow his commands. The people agreed to do everything written in the book.
Josiah Follows the Teachings of God's Law
(2 Chronicles 34.3-7)4 Josiah told Hilkiah the priest, the assistant priests, and the guards at the temple door to go into the temple and bring out the things used to worship Baal, Asherah, and the stars. Josiah had these things burned in Kidron Valley just outside Jerusalem, and he had the ashes carried away to the town of Bethel.
5 Josiah also got rid of the pagan priests at the local shrines in Judah and around Jerusalem. These were the men that the kings of Judah had appointed to offer sacrifices to Baal and to the sun, moon, and stars. 6 Josiah had the sacred pole for Asherah brought out of the temple and taken to Kidron Valley, where it was burned. He then had its ashes ground into dust and scattered over the public cemetery there. 7 He had the buildings torn down where the male prostitutes lived next to the temple, and where the women wove sacred robes for the idol of Asherah.
8 In almost every town in Judah, priests had been offering sacrifices to the Lord at local shrines. Josiah brought these priests to Jerusalem and had their shrines made unfit for worship—every shrine from Geba just north of Jerusalem to Beersheba in the south. He even tore down the shrine at Beersheba that was just to the left of Joshua Gate, which was named after the highest official of the city. 9 Those local priests could not serve at the Lord's altar in Jerusalem, but they were allowed to eat sacred bread, just like the priests from Jerusalem.
10 Josiah sent some men to Hinnom Valley just outside Jerusalem with orders to make the altar there unfit for worship. That way, people could no longer use it for sacrificing their children to the god Molech. 11 He also got rid of the horses that the kings of Judah used in their ceremonies to worship the sun, and he destroyed the chariots along with them. The horses had been kept near the entrance to the Lord's temple, in a courtyard close to where an official named Nathan-Melech lived.
12 Some of the kings of Judah, especially Manasseh, had built altars in the two courts of the temple and in the room that Ahaz had built on the palace roof. Josiah had these altars torn down and smashed to pieces, and he had the pieces thrown into Kidron Valley, just outside Jerusalem. 13 After that, he closed down the shrines that Solomon had built east of Jerusalem and south of Spoil Hill to honor Astarte the disgusting goddess of Sidon, Chemosh the disgusting god of Moab, and Milcom the disgusting god of Ammon. 14 He tore down the stone images of foreign gods and cut down the sacred pole used in the worship of Asherah. Then he had the whole area covered with human bones.
15 But Josiah was not finished yet. At Bethel he destroyed the shrine and the altar that Jeroboam son of Nebat had built and that had caused the Israelites to sin. Josiah had the shrine and the Asherah pole burned and ground into dust. 16 As he looked around, he saw graves on the hillside. He had the bones in them dug up and burned on the altar, so that it could no longer be used. This happened just as God's prophet had said when Jeroboam was standing at the altar, celebrating a festival.
Then Josiah saw the grave of the prophet who had said this would happen 17 and he asked, “Whose grave is that?”
Some people who lived nearby answered, “It belongs to the prophet from Judah who told what would happen to this altar.”
18 Josiah replied, “Then leave it alone. Don't dig up his bones.” So they did not disturb his bones or the bones of the old prophet from Israel who had also been buried there.
19 Some of the Israelite kings had made the Lord angry by building pagan shrines all over Israel. So Josiah sent troops to destroy these shrines just as he had done to the one in Bethel. 20 He killed the priests who served at them and burned their bones on the altars.
After all that, Josiah went back to Jerusalem.
Josiah and the People of Judah Celebrate Passover
(2 Chronicles 35.1-19)21 Josiah told the people of Judah, “Celebrate Passover in honor of the Lord your God, just as it says in The Book of God's Law.”
22 This festival had not been celebrated in this way since the time that tribal leaders ruled Israel or the kings ruled Israel and Judah. 23 But in Josiah's eighteenth year as king of Judah, everyone came to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover.
The Lord Is Still Angry with the People of Judah
24 Josiah got rid of every disgusting person and thing in Judah and Jerusalem—including magicians, fortunetellers, and idols. He did his best to obey every law written in the book that the priest Hilkiah found in the Lord's temple. 25 No other king before or after Josiah tried as hard as he did to obey the Law of Moses.
26 But the Lord was still furious with the people of Judah because Manasseh had done so many things to make him angry. 27 The Lord said, “I will desert the people of Judah, just as I deserted the people of Israel. I will reject Jerusalem, even though I chose it to be mine. And I will abandon this temple built to honor me.”
Josiah Dies in Battle
(2 Chronicles 35.20—36.1)28 Everything else Josiah did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Judah. 29 During Josiah's rule, King Neco of Egypt led his army north to the Euphrates River to help the king of Assyria. Josiah led his troops north to fight Neco, but when they met in battle at Megiddo, Josiah was killed. 30 A few of Josiah's servants put his body in a chariot and took it back to Jerusalem, where they buried it in his own tomb. Then the people of Judah found his son Jehoahaz and poured olive oil on his head to show that he was their new king.
King Jehoahaz of Judah
(2 Chronicles 36.2-4)31 Jehoahaz was 23 years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled from Jerusalem only 3 months. His mother Hamutal was the daughter of Jeremiah from Libnah. 32 Jehoahaz disobeyed the Lord, just as some of his ancestors had done.
33 King Neco of Egypt had Jehoahaz arrested and put in prison at Riblah near Hamath. Then he forced the people of Judah to pay him 3.4 tons of silver and 34 kilograms of gold as taxes. 34 Neco appointed Josiah's son Eliakim king of Judah, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. He took Jehoahaz as a prisoner to Egypt, where he died.
35 Jehoiakim forced the people of Judah to pay higher taxes, so he could give Neco the silver and gold he demanded.
King Jehoiakim of Judah
(2 Chronicles 36.5-8)36 Jehoiakim was 25 years old when he was appointed king, and he ruled 11 years from Jerusalem. His mother Zebidah was the daughter of Pedaiah from Rumah. 37 Jehoiakim disobeyed the Lord by following the example of his ancestors.
Mansa Yosiya ye jalambatoo bo
(2 Taarika 34:3-72 29-33)1 Bituŋ Mansa Yosiya ye Yahuuda bankoo alifaalu niŋ Yerusalaamu saatewo alifaalu bee kumandi ka ì bendi a yaa. 2 Bituŋ a taata Yaawe* Batudulaa Buŋo* to, a niŋ Yahuuda moolu niŋ Yerusalaamu saatee moolu, ka taa fo piriisoolu* niŋ annabiyomoolu, moo maŋ bo moo to. A ye Kambeŋ Kitaaboo* bee karaŋ ì ye, meŋ jeta Yaawe Batudulaa Buŋo kono, aduŋ ì tarata i lamoyi kaŋ a la.
3 Bituŋ mansa loota a la dulaa to samasiŋo daala. A ye kambeŋo kutayandi kuuke Yaawe ñaatiliŋo la, ka bula Yaawe nooma, ka a la yaamaroolu, a la luwaalu, aniŋ a la kumoolu muta a niyo niŋ a sondomoo bee la, ka baara kambeŋo kumakaŋo la, ko a be safeeriŋ ñiŋ kitaaboo kono ñaameŋ. Bituŋ moolu fanaa bee ye laahidoo taa ka kambeŋo ñiŋ muta.
4 Wo le to mansa ye piriisi kuntiyo Hilikiya yaamari, aniŋ a noomalanka piriisoolu, ka taa Yaawe Batudulaa Buŋo dundaŋ daa kantalaalu, ka jooraŋolu bee bondi Yaawe Batudulaa Buŋo kono, mennu dadaata Baali* jalaŋo ye, Asera* jalaŋo ye, aniŋ saŋo santo malafeŋolu ye. A ye ì jani Yerusalaamu saatewo banta la, Kidironi Wulumbaŋo kono. Bituŋ a ye ì seebuutoo taa, a ye a samba Beteli. 5 A ye piriisoolu bee le bayi, Yahuuda mansoolu ye mennu tomboŋ ka cuuraayoo siisindi batudulaa tintiŋolu* to, Yahuuda saatewolu kono, aniŋ Yerusalaamu dandaŋo la. Wolu le keta moolu ti mennu ka cuuraayoo siisindi Baali jalaŋo ye, ka taa tiloo niŋ karoo, looloolu, aniŋ feŋolu bee mennu ka mala saŋo bala. 6 A ye Asera jalaŋ dokoo bondi Yaawe Batudulaa Buŋo kono, a ye a samba Kidironi Wulumbaŋo kono, Yerusalaamu saatewo banta la. A ye a jani le ka a tuu jee, bituŋ a ye a seebuutoo taa, a ye a yuruyuru saatee kaburoo to. 7 A ye laañooyaa tulunnaa kewolu fanaa la sabatidulaa buŋolu boyi, mennu be Yaawe Batudulaa Buŋo daala. Musoolu ka Asera jalaŋ duŋ feŋolu soo wo dulaa le to.
8 Mansa ye piriisi jalambatulaalu bee le samba naŋ ka bo Yahuuda saatewolu to. A ye batudulaa tintiŋolu tiñaa, piriisoolu ka cuuraayoo siisindi daamennu to, ka bo Keba saatewo to ka taa fo Beeriseba. A ye batudulaa tintiŋolu tiñaa le mennu be Yosuwa la dundaŋ daa daala, saatewo kumandaŋo. Wo dundaŋ daa be saatewo dundaŋ daa* baa ye maraa karoo le la, niŋ i be duŋ na saatewo kono. 9 Sila maŋ dii wo piriisoolu la ka dookuwo ke Yaawe la sadaajanidulaa* to, Yerusalaamu kono. Bari siloo diita ì la le ka mbuuru leweñintaŋo domo, ì niŋ ì piriisiñoolu. 10 A ye Tofeti sadaabodulaa* tiñaa Hinnomu Wulumbaŋo kono le, ñiŋ kamma moo kana a dinkee waraŋ a dimmusu jani dimbaa kono, ka a ke sadaa ti Moleki ye. 11 A ye suwoolu fanaa bondi le Yahuuda mansoolu ye mennu kerekere tiloo batoo ye. Ì tarata nuŋ Yaawe Batudulaa Buŋo dundaŋ daa bala le, aduŋ ì sutiyaata Natani-Meleki sabatidulaa fanaa la le, meŋ mu mansakundaa alifaa ti. A ye sareetoolu fanaa jani le mennu kerekereta tiloo batoo ye.
12 Mansa Yosiya ye sadaabodulaalu tiñaa le, Yahuuda mansoolu ye mennu loo Mansa Ahasi la buŋ santonkoo santo. A ye sadaabodulaalu fanaa tiñaa le, Mansa Manase ye mennu loo Yaawe Batudulaa Buŋo luu fuloo kono. A ye ì teyi le, aduŋ a ye ì teleŋ meseŋolu fayi Kidironi Wulumbaŋo le kono. 13 A ye batudulaa tintiŋolu tiñaa le, Mansa Sulemani ye mennu loo Yerusalaamu ye tilibo karoo la, Junube Konkoo ye bulubaa karoo la, ka jalaŋ ñewundiŋolu batu jee. Wo jalaŋolu le mu Asitoreti* ti, Sidoninkoolu la jalaŋo, Kemosi, Mowabinkoolu la jalaŋ ñewundiŋo, aniŋ Moleki, Ammoninkoolu la jalaŋ jawu baa. 14 A ye jalaŋ bere samasiŋolu teyi le, aduŋ a ye Asera jalaŋ dokoolu fanaa boyi le. Bituŋ a naata moo kuloolu janjaŋ wo dulaalu to ka jee tiñaa.
15 Mansa ye sadaabodulaa fanaa tiñaa le, meŋ be Beteli. Nebati dinkewo Yerobowamu, meŋ ye Banisirayilankoolu dundi junube kewo to, le ye wo batudulaa tintiŋo loo. A ye a boyi le ka a jani fo a keta munkoo ti, aduŋ a ye Asera jalaŋo fanaa jani le. 16 Kabiriŋ mansa yelemata a ye juubeeroo ke, a ye kaburoolu je konkoo kaŋ. A ye moolu bula ka moo kuloolu bondi naŋ kaburoolu kono. Bituŋ a ye ì jani sadaabodulaa ñiŋ kaŋ, ka jee tiñaa, aduŋ Yaawe la kumoo timmata. Waati jaŋ koomanto, Alla la moo ye a kuwo bankee le. Wo le mu wo kewo ti, meŋ ye ñiŋ kuwolu fo, wo waatoo Mansa Yerobowamu tarata looriŋ nuŋ sadaabodulaa daala ka juuraloo ke. Wo le to Mansa Yosiya ye a dandaŋo la juubee, a ye Alla la moo ñiŋ na kaburoo je, meŋ ye ñiŋ kuwolu bankee janniŋ ì ka sii. 17 Bituŋ mansa kumata ko, “Jumaa le la kaburoo mu ñiŋ ti?” Jee saatee moolu ko a ye ko, “Alla la moo ñiŋ na kaburoo le mu, meŋ naata nuŋ ka bo naŋ Yahuuda, ka ñiŋ kuwolu bee bankee i ye mennu ke sadaabodulaa ñiŋ na teŋ.” 18 Bituŋ a ko ì ye ko, “Ali a tu tenkundiŋ. Moo kana a kuloolu maa.” Bituŋ ì ye a kuloolu tu ì noo to, aniŋ annabiyomoo fanaa kuloolu, meŋ bota Samariya.
19 Batudulaa tintiŋolu mennu bee be Samariya saatewolu to, Banisirayila mansoolu ye mennu loo ka Alla kamfandi, Mansa Yosiya ye ì tiñaa le. A ye meŋ ke Beteli sadaabodulaa la, a ye wo ñoŋo le ke ì la. 20 A ye jalaŋ batudulaalu piriisoolu bee le faa sadaabodulaalu kaŋ jee, aduŋ a ye moo kuloolu jani ì kaŋ ne. Bituŋ a naata seyi Yerusalaamu.
Yosiya ye Yaawe Tambi Tumoo Juuraloo ke
(2 Taarika 35:1-19)21 Mansa Yosiya ye moolu bee yaamari, a ko ì ye Yaawe Tambi Tumoo Juuraloo* ke ka Yaawe batu, ì la Alla, ko a be safeeriŋ Kambeŋ Kitaaboo kono ñaameŋ. 22 Wo juuraloo nene maŋ juura teŋ kabiriŋ kiitindirilaalu la waatoo la, mennu keta nuŋ Banisirayilankoolu la ñaatonkoolu ti, sako a ñoŋ si ke Banisirayila niŋ Yahuuda mansoolu la waatoo bee kono. 23 Mansa Yosiya la mansayaa sanji taŋ niŋ seyinjaŋo kono le mu, Yaawe Tambi Tumoo Juuraloo keta Yerusalaamu kono, ka Yaawe batu. 24 Wo bee koolaa, Mansa Yosiya ye moolu bee kasaara le, mennu niŋ furewolu ka diyaamu, ka taa batuutaalu, bunkono jalaŋolu, jalaŋ doolu, aniŋ wo feŋ kondiŋ siifaalu meŋ-wo-meŋ be Yahuuda bankoo kaŋ, aniŋ Yerusalaamu saatewo kono. A ye ñiŋ ke le ka luwaa la kuwolu taamandi, meŋ safeeta kitaaboo kono Piriisi Hilikiya ye meŋ je Yaawe Batudulaa Buŋo kono. 25 A ñoŋ mansa nene maŋ soto, kaatu ate ye a faŋo muumewo bee le seyi Yaawe ma, a ye a la kuwo muta a niyo la, komeŋ Musa la Luwaa* ye meŋ yaamari. Aduŋ fanaa ate la waatoo boriŋo a la, a ñoŋ maŋ soto.
26 Bari wo ñaa-wo-ñaa Yaawe tuta kamfaariŋ baake Yahuuda moolu kamma le, kaatu Mansa Manase ye kuu jawu jamaa le ke ka Yaawe kamfandi. Wo le ye a tinna a maŋ a la kamfaa fijoo bo Yahuuda moolu kaŋ. 27 Aduŋ Yaawe ye ñiŋ ne fo ko, a be Yahuuda moolu bayi la le ka bo a ñaatiliŋo la, komeŋ a ye Banisirayilankoolu bayi ñaameŋ. A be a koo dii la Yerusalaamu saatewo la le, a ye meŋ tomboŋ a faŋo ye, aniŋ Yaawe Batudulaa Buŋo, a ko a be a too ke la daameŋ to, ka ke a batudulaa ti.
Yosiya la mansayaa bandulaa
(2 Taarika 35:20—36:1)28 Mansa Yosiya la mansayaa kuu toomaalu, aniŋ a ye dookuwolu mennu ke, wolu bee safeeta Yahuuda Mansoolu la Taarika Kitaaboo le kono.
29 Yosiya la mansayaa waatoo kono Misira mansa Firawoona Neko naata le ka keloo ke Asiriya mansa ye Yufurati Boloŋo to. Bituŋ Mansa Yosiya wulita ka taa a benduŋ keloo la, bari Firawoona Neko niŋ a benta le, a ye a faa Mekido. 30 A la dookuulaalu ye a furewo samba keleraŋ sareetoo* la ka bo Mekido, ì ye a naati Yerusalaamu. Bituŋ ì ye a sutura a faŋo la kaburoo to.
Bituŋ Yahuuda bankoo moolu naata Yosiya dinkewo Yehohasi tomboŋ, ì ye tuloo boŋ a kuŋo to, ka a ke mansa ti a faamaa noo to.
Yahuuda mansa Yehohasi
(2 Taarika 36:2-4)31 Yehohasi siyo be sanji muwaŋ niŋ saba le kabiriŋ a be mansayaa dati la, aduŋ a ye kari saba le ke mansayaa la Yerusalaamu kono. A baamaa too mu Hamutali le ti, Yeremiya dimmusoo, meŋ bota Libuna saatewo to. 32 Yehohasi baarata kuu jawoo le la Yaawe ñaa koto, komeŋ a mumuñolu ye a ke ñaameŋ. 33 Firawoona Neko ye a siti joloo la Ribula saatewo to le, Hamati bankoo kaŋ, ka a bondi mansayaa to Yerusalaamu saatewo kono. Bituŋ a ye naamoo laa Yahuuda bankoo moolu kaŋ ka kodiforoo kilo wuli saba niŋ keme naani joo, aniŋ sanoo kilo taŋ saba niŋ naani. 34 Firawoona Neko ye Eliyakimu ke a faamaa Yosiya noo to mansa ti, aduŋ a ye a too faliŋ ka a ke Yehoyakimu ti. A naata Yehohasi samba Misira, bituŋ Yehohasi faata jee.
Yahuuda mansa Yehoyakimu
(2 Taarika 36:5-8)35 Yehoyakimu ye Firawoona Neko joo kodiforoo niŋ sanoo la le, a ye meŋ kaniŋ. A ye kodiforoo niŋ sanoo taa bankoo moolu le bulu naamoo ti ka a joo, aduŋ a ye a kaañandi moo-wo-moo la sotoo daŋo le fee.
36 Yehoyakimu siyo be sanji muwaŋ niŋ luulu le kabiriŋ a be mansayaa dati la, aduŋ a ye sanji taŋ niŋ kiliŋ ne ke mansayaa la Yerusalaamu kono. A baamaa too mu Sebida le ti, meŋ faamaa mu Pedaya ti, meŋ bota Ruma saatewo to. 37 Yehoyakimu baarata kuu jawoo le la Yaawe ñaa koto, komeŋ a mumuñolu ye a ke ñaameŋ.
