Growth of Josiah's character--Repairs of the Temple--Hilkiah finds the Book of the Law--Intense effect produced on mind of the king--His message to the prophetess Huldah--Great assembly--Renewal of a solemn league and covenant with Jehovah--The _bamoth_-priests degraded--Defiling of Tophet--He carries the reformation into Samaria--Its stringency and severity--The Passover--Suppression of heathen corruptions--Jeremiah's share in the reformation--Its dangers and disappointing results--Jeremiah's warnings against all trust in externals--The prophecy of a new covenant--NOTE TO CHAPTER XXXI.: The Book found in the Temple. CHAPTER XXXII THE DEATH OF JOSIAH (B.C. 608) 402 Prosperity and happiness of Josiah--Accession of the great Pharaoh Necho II.--His excursion against Carchemish--Josiah determines to bar his path--Warnings of Pharaoh Necho--Disaster at Megiddo and death of Josiah--Mistaken hopes--God's dealings with men and nations--Distress among Josiah's subjects--The king's burial--Misgivings respecting the future--Sorrow of Jeremiah--Ultimate fulfilments. CHAPTER XXXIII JEHOAHAZ (B.C. 608) 411 Four sons of Josiah--Shallum chosen by the people of the land--Elegy of Ezekiel--Change of name from Shallum to Jehoahaz--Conquests of Pharaoh Necho II.--Jehoahaz summoned to Riblah--Carried captive by Pharaoh to Egypt--Tribute imposed on Judæa. CHAPTER XXXIV JEHOIAKIM (B.C. 608-597) 416 Eliakim--His change of name--Ignored by Ezekiel--Evil influences--Æsthetic selfishness and oppressive greed--Denunciation by Habakkuk--Denunciation by Jeremiah--Murder of Urijah--Threatened murder of Jeremiah averted by Ahikam--Fall of Nineveh--Utterances of the prophets--Rise of the Chaldæans--Nabopolassar--Defeat of Pharaoh Necho by Nebuchadrezzar--His return to Babylon--His invasion of Judæa--Beginning of the Babylonian captivity--Jehoiakim revolts to Egypt in spite of Jeremiah's warnings--Imprisonment of Jeremiah--Baruch--The menacing roll--Alarm of the princes--Rage of the king--He cuts the scroll to pieces and burns it--Wretchedness of the times--A great drought--Captives of Jerusalem--Miserable death of Jehoiakim--"That which was found in him." CHAPTER XXXV JEHOIACHIN (B.C. 597) 431 Bad influence over him--His brief reign--Allusions to him by Jeremiah at Jerusalem--Second captivity--Regret felt for Jehoiachin--Did he die childless? CHAPTER XXXVI ZEDEKIAH, THE LAST KING OF JUDAH (B.C. 597-586) 437