Josiah’s Reforms

⁴ Then the king commanded Hilkiah^(A) the high priest and the priests of the second rank^(B) and the doorkeepers to bring out of the Lord’s temple all the articles made for Baal, Asherah, and the whole heavenly host.^(C) He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron and carried their ashes to Bethel.^{(D) 5} Then he did away with the idolatrous priests the kings of Judah had appointed to burn incense at the high places^(E) in the cities of Judah and in the areas surrounding Jerusalem. They had burned incense to Baal, and to the sun, moon, constellations, and the whole heavenly host.^{(F) 6} He brought out the Asherah pole^(G) from the Lord’s temple to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem. He burned it at the Kidron Valley,^(H) beat it to dust,^(I) and threw its dust on the graves of the common people.^[a](J)