< 2 Chronicles 35 >

1 Josiah kept a Passover to Yahweh in Jerusalem. They killed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.
And Josias kept a passover to the Lord his God; and sacrificed the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.
2 He set the priests in their offices and encouraged them in the service of Yahweh’s house.
And he appointed the priests at their charges, and encouraged them for the services of the house of the Lord.
3 He said to the Levites who taught all Israel, who were holy to Yahweh, “Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel built. It will no longer be a burden on your shoulders. Now serve Yahweh your God and his people Israel.
And he told the Levites that were able [to act] in all Israel, that they should consecrate themselves to the Lord: and they put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel built: and the king said, You must not carry anything on your shoulders: now then minister to the Lord your God, and to his people Israel.
4 Prepare yourselves after your fathers’ houses by your divisions, according to the writing of David king of Israel, and according to the writing of Solomon his son.
And prepare yourselves according to the houses of your families, and according to your daily courses, according to the writing of David king of Israel, and [the order] by the hand of his son Solomon.
5 Stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the fathers’ houses of your brothers the children of the people, and let there be for each a portion of a fathers’ house of the Levites.
And stand you in the house according to the divisions of the houses of your families for your brethren the sons of the people; [so] also let there be for the Levites a division of the house of their family.
6 Kill the Passover lamb, sanctify yourselves, and prepare for your brothers, to do according to Yahweh’s word by Moses.”
And kill you the passover, and prepare [it] for your brethren, to do according to the word of the Lord, by the hand of Moses.
7 Josiah gave to the children of the people, of the flock, lambs and young goats, all of them for the Passover offerings, to all who were present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand bulls. These were of the king’s substance.
And Josias gave as an offering to the children of the people, sheep, and lambs, and kids of the young of the goats, all for the passover, [even for] all that were found, in number [amounting to] thirty thousand, and three thousand calves, these [were] of the substance of the king.
8 His princes gave a free will offering to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, the rulers of God’s house, gave to the priests for the Passover offerings two thousand six hundred small livestock, and three hundred head of cattle.
And his princes gave an offering to the people, and to the priests, and to the Levites: and Chelcias and Zacharias and Jeiel the chief men gave to the priests of the house of God, they even gave for the passover sheep, and lambs, and kids, two thousand six hundred, and three hundred calves.
9 Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethanel, his brothers, and Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad, the chiefs of the Levites, gave to the Levites for the Passover offerings five thousand small livestock and five hundred head of cattle.
And Chonenias, and Banaeas, and Samaeas, and Nathanael his brother, and Asabias, and Jeiel, and Jozabad, heads of the Levites, gave an offering to the Levites for the passover, of five thousand sheep and five hundred calves.
10 So the service was prepared, and the priests stood in their place, and the Levites by their divisions, according to the king’s commandment.
And the service was duly ordered, and the priests stood in their place, and the Levites in their divisions, according to the command of the king.
11 They killed the Passover lambs, and the priests sprinkled the blood which they received from their hands, and the Levites skinned them.
And they killed the passover, and the priests sprinkled the blood from their hand, and the Levites flayed [the victims].
12 They removed the burnt offerings, that they might give them according to the divisions of the fathers’ houses of the children of the people, to offer to Yahweh, as it is written in the book of Moses. They did the same with the cattle.
And they prepared the whole burnt offering to give to them, according to the division by the houses of families, [even] to the sons of the people, to offer to the Lord, as it is written in the book of Moses.
13 They roasted the Passover with fire according to the ordinance. They boiled the holy offerings in pots, in cauldrons, and in pans, and carried them quickly to all the children of the people.
And thus [they did] till the morning. And they roasted the passover with fire according to the ordinance; and boiled the holy [pieces] in copper vessels and caldrons, and [the feast] went on well, and they quickly served all the children of the people.
14 Afterward they prepared for themselves and for the priests, because the priests the sons of Aaron were busy with offering the burnt offerings and the fat until night. Therefore the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests the sons of Aaron.
And after they had prepared for themselves and for the priests, for the priests [were engaged] in offering the whole burnt offerings and the fat until night, then the Levites prepared for themselves, and for their brethren the sons of Aaron.
15 The singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their place, according to the commandment of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer; and the gatekeepers were at every gate. They didn’t need to depart from their service, because their brothers the Levites prepared for them.
And the sons of Asaph the psalm-singers [were] at their post according to the commands of David, and Asaph, and Aeman, and Idithom, the prophets of the king: also, the chiefs and the porters of the several gates; —it was not for them to stir from the service of the holy things, for their brethren the Levites prepared for them.
16 So all the service of Yahweh was prepared the same day, to keep the Passover, and to offer burnt offerings on Yahweh’s altar, according to the commandment of King Josiah.
So all the service of the Lord was duly ordered and prepared in that day, for keeping the passover, and offering the whole burnt sacrifices on the altar of the Lord, according to the command of king Josias.
17 The children of Israel who were present kept the Passover at that time, and the feast of unleavened bread seven days.
And the children of Israel that were present kept the passover at that time, and the feast of unleavened bread seven days.
18 There was no Passover like that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet, nor did any of the kings of Israel keep such a Passover as Josiah kept—with the priests, the Levites, and all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
And there was no passover like it in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet, or any king of Israel: they kept not such a passover as Josias, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Juda and Israel that were present, and the dwellers in Jerusalem, kept to the Lord.
19 This Passover was kept in the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah.
In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josias this passover was kept, after all these things that Josias did in the house.
20 After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Neco king of Egypt went up to fight against Carchemish by the Euphrates, and Josiah went out against him.
And Pharao Nechao king of Egypt went up against the king of the Assyrians to the river Euphrates, and king Josias went to meet him.
21 But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, “What have I to do with you, you king of Judah? I come not against you today, but against the house with which I have war. God has commanded me to make haste. Beware that it is God who is with me, that he not destroy you.”
And he sent messengers to him, saying, What have I to do with you, O king of Juda? I am not come today to war against you; and God has told me to hasten: beware of the God that is with me, lest he destroy you.
22 Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and didn’t listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo.
However, Josias turned not his face from him, but strengthened himself to fight against him, and listened not to the words of Nechao by the mouth of God, and he came to fight in the plain of Mageddo.
23 The archers shot at King Josiah; and the king said to his servants, “Take me away, because I am seriously wounded!”
And the archers shot at king Josias; and the king said to his servants, Take me away, for I am severely wounded.
24 So his servants took him out of the chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had, and brought him to Jerusalem; and he died, and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.
And his servants lifted him out of the chariot, and put him in the second chariot which he had, and brought him to Jerusalem; and he died, and was buried with his fathers: and all Juda and Jerusalem lamented over Josias.
25 Jeremiah lamented for Josiah, and all the singing men and singing women spoke of Josiah in their lamentations to this day; and they made them an ordinance in Israel. Behold, they are written in the lamentations.
And Jeremias mourned over Josias, and all the chief men and chief women uttered a lamentation over Josias until this day: and they made it an ordinance for Israel, and, behold, it is written in the lamentations.
26 Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and his good deeds, according to that which is written in Yahweh’s law,
And the rest of the acts of Josias, and his hope, are written in the law of the Lord.
27 and his acts, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.
And his acts, the first and the last, behold, [they are] written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.

< 2 Chronicles 35 >