Study Desk

He prayed to him; and God was moved by his plea, paid attention to his entreaty and brought him back to Yerushalayim, to his kingly office. Then M'nasheh understood that Adonai really is God.

Other activities of M'nasheh, his prayer to his God and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of Adonai the God of Isra'el are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra'el.

Also his prayer and how God was moved by his plea, all his sin and disloyalty, and the locations where he built high places and set up the sacred poles and carved images before he humbled himself are written in the History of the Seers.

Then M'nasheh slept with his ancestors and was buried at his own house, and Amon his son took his place as king.

Amon was twenty-two years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for two years in Yerushalayim.

He did what was evil from Adonai 's perspective, as had M'nasheh his father. Amon sacrificed to all the carved images that M'nasheh his father had made, and served them.

He did not humble himself before Adonai , as M'nasheh his father had done; rather, this Amon kept adding to his guilt.

His servants conspired against him and put the king to death in his own palace.

But the people of the land put to death all those who had been part of the conspiracy against King Amon. Then the people of the land made Yoshiyahu his son king in place of him.

Yoshiyahu was eight years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for thirty-one years in Yerushalayim.

He did what was right from Adonai 's perspective, living entirely in the manner of David his ancestor and turning away neither to the right nor to the left.

For in the eighth year of his reign, when he was still young, he began seeking after the God of David his father; and in the twelfth year, he began cleansing Y'hudah and Yerushalayim from the high places, the sacred poles, and the carved and cast metal images.

In his presence they broke down the altars of the ba‘alim, and he chopped down the pillars for sun-worship mounted above them. He smashed the sacred poles and the carved and cast metal images, grinding them to dust, which he threw on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.

In the eighteenth year of his reign, after he had cleansed the land and the house, he sent Shafan the son of Atzalyahu, Ma‘aseiyah the governor of the city and Yo'ach the son of Yo'achaz the recorder to repair the house of Adonai his God.

After the king had heard what was written in the Torah, he tore his clothes.

because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and its inhabitants — you humbled yourself before me, tore your clothes and cried before me — I have also heard you,' says Adonai .

The king stood in his place and made a covenant in the presence of Adonai to live following Adonai , observing his mitzvot, instructions and laws wholeheartedly and with all his being, so as to perform the words of the covenant written in this scroll.

Yoshiyahu removed all the abominable idols from all the territories belonging to the people of Isra'el, and he made everyone in Isra'el serve Adonai their God. Throughout his lifetime, they did not stop following Adonai , the God of their ancestors.

To the L'vi'im who were teaching all Isra'el and were holy for Adonai he said, "Put the holy ark in the house which Shlomo the son of David, king of Isra'el, built; after this, you will not have to carry it again. Now serve Adonai your God and his people Isra'el.

Organize yourselves by clans and duty divisions according to the arrangement written down by David king of Isra'el and Shlomo his son.