He removed the Asherah pole from the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple and took it outside Jerusalem to the Kidron Valley, where he burned it.<n id="1" /> He smashed it to dust and then threw the dust in the public graveyard.<n id="2" />

Jehoahaz had no army left<n id="1" /> except for fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and 10,000 foot soldiers. The king of Syria had destroyed his troops<n id="2" /> and trampled on them like dust.<n id="3" />p>

The king tore down the altars the kings of Judah had set up on the roof of Ahaz&#8217;s upper room, as well as the altars Manasseh had set up in the two courtyards of the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple. He crushed them up<n id="1" /> and threw the dust in the Kidron Valley.

<p class="bodytext">He also tore down the altar in Bethel<n id="1" /> at the high place made by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who encouraged Israel to sin.<n id="2" /> He burned all the combustible items at that high place and crushed them to dust; including the Asherah pole.<n id="3" />

<p class="bodytext">The king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the high-ranking priests,<n id="1" /> and the guards<n id="2" /> to bring out of the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple all the items that were used in the worship of<n id="3" /> Baal, Asherah, and all the stars of the sky.<n id="4" /> The king<n id="5" /> burned them outside of Jerusalem in the terraces<n id="6" /> of Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel.<n id="7" />