# he began to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem from ... the cast metal figures

"he began to make Judah and Jerusalem acceptable again to Yahweh by having his workers remove from them the high places, the Asherah poles, the craved figures, and the cast metal figures". Josiah worshiped Yahweh and cleaned out the idols and shrines from Judah. The people returned to worship Yahweh again.