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Manasseh died and was buried near the palace, and his son Amon became king.

Amon disobeyed the Lord , just as his father Manasseh had done, and he worshiped and offered sacrifices to the idols his father had made.

Manasseh had turned back to the Lord , but Amon refused to do that. Instead, he sinned even more than his father.

Some of Amon's officials plotted against him and killed him in his palace.

But the people of Judah killed the murderers of Amon and made his son Josiah king.

He followed the example of his ancestor David and always obeyed the Lord .

When Josiah was only sixteen years old he began worshiping God, just as his ancestor David had done. Then, four years later, he decided to destroy the local shrines in Judah and Jerusalem, as well as the sacred poles for worshiping the goddess Asherah and the idols of foreign gods.

In the eighteenth year of Josiah's rule in Judah, after he had gotten rid of all the sinful things from the land and from the Lord 's temple, he sent three of his officials to repair the temple. They were Shaphan son of Azaliah, Governor Maaseiah of Jerusalem, and Joah son of Joahaz, who kept the government records.

When Josiah heard what was in The Book of God's Law, he tore his clothes in sorrow.

At once he called together Hilkiah, Shaphan, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, and his own servant Asaiah. He said,

After Josiah had finished reading, he stood in the place reserved for the king. He promised in the Lord 's name to faithfully obey the Lord and to follow his laws and teachings that were written in the book.

He called together the Levites who served the Lord and who taught the people his laws, and he said: No longer will you have to carry the sacred chest from place to place. It will stay in the temple built by King Solomon son of David, where you will serve the Lord and his people Israel.

Josiah donated thirty thousand sheep and goats, and three thousand bulls from his own flocks and herds for the people to offer as sacrifices.

Conaniah, his two brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel, as well as Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad were leaders of the Levites, and they gave the other Levites five thousand sheep and goats, and five hundred bulls to offer as sacrifices.

Some time later, King Neco of Egypt led his army to the city of Carchemish on the Euphrates River. And Josiah led his troops north to meet the Egyptians in battle.

During the battle an Egyptian soldier shot Josiah with an arrow. Josiah told his servants, "Get me out of here! I've been hit."

They carried Josiah out of his chariot, then put him in the other chariot he had there and took him back to Jerusalem, where he soon died. He was buried beside his ancestors, and everyone in Judah and Jerusalem mourned his death.

After the death of Josiah, the people of Judah crowned his son Jehoahaz their new king.

Then Neco appointed Jehoahaz's brother Eliakim king of Judah and changed his name to Jehoiakim. He led Jehoahaz away to Egypt as his prisoner.

Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he was appointed king, and he ruled eleven years from Jerusalem. Jehoiakim disobeyed the Lord his God by doing evil.