² He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed the ways of his father David,^(A) not turning aside to the right or to the left.

³ In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God^(B) of his father David. In his twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles and idols. ⁴ Under his direction the altars of the Baals were torn down; he cut to pieces the incense altars that were above them, and smashed the Asherah poles^(C) and the idols. These he broke to pieces and scattered over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.^(D)