¹⁹ When you look to the heavens and see the sun, moon, and stars—all the stars in the sky—do not be led astray to bow in worship to them and serve them.^(A) The Lord your God has provided them for all people everywhere under heaven.^(B)

¹⁶ They abandoned all the commands of the Lord their God. They made cast images^(A) for themselves, two calves, and an Asherah pole.^(B) They bowed in worship to all the stars in the sky^(C) and served Baal.^(D)

³ He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed^(A) and reestablished the altars for Baal. He made an Asherah,^(B) as King Ahab of Israel had done;^(C) he also bowed in worship to all the stars in the sky^(D) and served them.

Josiah’s Reforms

⁴ Then the king commanded the high priest Hilkiah^(A) and the priests of the second rank^(B) and the doorkeepers to bring out of the Lord’s sanctuary all the articles made for Baal, Asherah, and all the stars in the sky.^(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 all the stars in the sky.^(F)

¹⁶ So he brought me to the inner court of the Lord’s house, and there were about twenty-five men at the entrance of the Lord’s temple, between the portico and the altar,^(A) with their backs to the Lord’s temple and their faces turned to the east.^(B) They were bowing to the east in worship of the sun.^(C)