2 Kings 23:8 net — He brought all the priests from the cities of Judah and ruined the high places where the priests had offered sacrifices…

NET Bible

"He brought all the priests from the cities of Judah and ruined the high places where the priests had offered sacrifices, from Geba to Beer Sheba. He tore down the high place of the goat idols situated at the entrance of the gate of Joshua, the city official, on the left side of the city gate."

— 2 Kings 23:8, NET Bible

Read in Another Translation

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2 Kings 23:8 in Other Translations

6 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beer–sheba, and brake down the high places of the gates that were in the entering in of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on a man’s left hand at the gate of the city.”

  • ASV

    “And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beer-sheba; and he brake down the high places of the gates that were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on a man’s left hand at the gate of the city. ”

  • WEB

    “He brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba; and he broke down the high places of the gates that were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on a man's left hand at the gate of the city.”

  • DRB

    “And he gathered together all the priests out of the cities of Juda: and he defiled the high places, where the priests offered sacrifice, from Gabaa to Bersabee: and he broke down the altars of the gates that were in the entering in of the gate of Josue, governor of the city, which was on the left hand of the gate of the city.”

  • BBE

    “And he made all the priests from the towns of Judah come into Jerusalem, and he made unclean the high places where the priests had been burning offerings, from Geba to Beer-sheba; and he had the high places of the evil spirits pulled down which were by the doorway of Joshua, the ruler of the town, on the left side of the way into the town.”

  • KJVA

    “And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beer–sheba, and brake down the high places of the gates that were in the entering in of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on a man’s left hand at the gate of the city.”

2 Kings 23 — Context

5

He eliminated the pagan priests whom the kings of Judah had appointed to offer sacrifices on the high places in the cities of Judah and in the area right around Jerusalem.(They offered sacrifices to Baal, the sun god, the moon god, the constellations, and all the stars in the sky.)

6

He removed the Asherah pole from the LORD’s temple and took it outside Jerusalem to the Kidron Valley, where he burned it. He smashed it to dust and then threw the dust in the public graveyard.

7

He tore down the quarters of the male cultic prostitutes in the LORD’s temple, where women were weaving shrines for Asherah.

8

He brought all the priests from the cities of Judah and ruined the high places where the priests had offered sacrifices, from Geba to Beer Sheba. He tore down the high place of the goat idols situated at the entrance of the gate of Joshua, the city official, on the left side of the city gate.

9

(Now the priests of the high places did not go up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but they did eat unleavened cakes among their fellow priests.)

10

The king ruined Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom so that no one could pass his son or his daughter through the fire to Molech.

11

He removed from the entrance to the LORD’s temple the statues of horses that the kings of Judah had placed there in honor of the sun god.(They were kept near the room of Nathan Melech the eunuch, which was situated among the courtyards.) He burned up the chariots devoted to the sun god.

2 Kings 23:8 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does 2 Kings 23:8 say?
2 Kings 23:8 in the NET Bible reads: “He brought all the priests from the cities of Judah and ruined the high places where the priests had offered sacrifices, from Geba to Beer Sheba. He tore down the high place of the goat idols situated at the entrance of the gate of Joshua, the city official, on the left side of the city gate.”
Where is 2 Kings 23:8 in the Bible?
2 Kings 23:8 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of 2 Kings, chapter 23, verse 8.
Who wrote 2 Kings?
2 Kings is traditionally attributed to Anonymous (traditionally Jeremiah). It was written c. 561–538 BC.
What is the book of 2 Kings about?
2 Kings carries the divided kingdom from Elijah and Elisha through the fall of both Israel and Judah. Despite the prophets' warnings, both kingdoms decline through idolatry — the north into Assyrian captivity, the south into Babylonian exile — fulfilling the covenant curses.
What are the major themes of 2 Kings?
2 Kings explores themes including Judgment, Exile, Prophets, Covenant Curses, Remnant. These themes shape the meaning and context of 2 Kings 23:8.
What translation should I read 2 Kings 23:8 in?
2 Kings 23:8 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize 2 Kings 23:8?
2 Kings 23:8 reads (NET): “He brought all the priests from the cities of Judah and ruined the high places where the priests had offered sacrifices, from Geba to Beer Sheba. He tore down the high place of the goat idols situated at the entrance of the gate of Joshua, the city official, on the left side of the city gate.” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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