Page:Light and truth.djvu/178

176 contemned on every side. Josiah himself was but imperfectly acquainted with its contents until they were read to him by one of his officers; and then he was overwhelmed with grief to find how far they and their fathers had departed from the right way. He, however, humbled himself before God, and received the most precious promises of the divine favor. (2 Chron. xxxiv. 26—28.) He then assembled the people, and published the law in their hearing; and they all united with the king in a solemn vow of obedience. After this, he utterly destroyed every vestige of idolatry, both images and temples, and then, by divine command, caused the feast of the passover to be celebrated with unusual solemnity. (2 Chr. xxxv. 3—18.)

. (2 Kings xxiii. 36.) The eldest son of Josiah, and the brother and successor of Jehoaz king of Judah. His original name was Eliakim; but it was changed by order of the king of Egypt, (2 Kings xxiii. 34,) who put him on the throne. The iniquity of his reign is strongly depicted by the historian and prophet, (2 Kings xxiv. 4; 2 Chron. xxxvi. 8; Jer. xxii., xxvi., xxxvi. ;) and his end, as Jewish historians inform us, was in strict accordance with the prediction concerning him. For the first four years of his reign, Jehoiakim was subject to the king of Egypt, and paid an enormous tribute. Then he became tributary for three years to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who at first bound him with chains to carry him to Babylon, but afterwards set him at liberty, and left him at Jerusalem to reign as a tributary prince. The whole time of his reign was eleven years.

was king of Judah at the time Nebuchadnezzar took the city, and was, with his family and most of his people, carried captive to Babylon. (2 Kings xxiv 14, 15.

, the son of Josiah. When Nebuchadnezzar carried Jehoiachin, king of Judah, prisoner to Babylon, he made Mattaniah king in his stead after he had caused him to swear to be his tributary, and changed his name to Zedekiah. He began to reign when he was twenty-one years of age, and reigned eleven years. His career was marked by crime. He revolted, but was