Then Josiah acelebrated
the Passover
to the LORD
in Jerusalem
, and bthey slaughtered
the Passover
animals on the fourteenth
day of the first
month
.
He set the priests
in their offices
and aencouraged
them in the service
of the house
of the LORD
.
He also said to athe Levites
who taught
all
Israel
and who were holy
to the LORD
, "Put
the holy
ark
in the house
which
Solomon
the son
of David
king
of Israel
built
; bit will be a burden
on your shoulders
no
longer. Now
serve
the LORD
your God
and His people
Israel
.
" aPrepare yourselves by your fathers'
households
in your divisions
, according to the writing
of David
king
of Israel
and baccording to the writing
of his son
Solomon
.
"Moreover, astand in the holy
place according to the sections
of the fathers'
households
of your brethren
the 1lay
people
, and according to the Levites
, by division
of a father's
household
.
"Now aslaughter the Passover
animals, bsanctify
yourselves and prepare
for your brethren
to do
according to the word
of the LORD
by Moses
."
Josiah contributed
to the lay
people
, to all
who were present
, flocks
of lambs
and young
goats
, all
for the Passover
offerings
, numbering
30,000
plus 3,000
bulls
; these
were from the king's
possessions
.
His officers also contributed
a freewill
offering
to the people
, the priests
and the Levites
. Hilkiah
and Zechariah
and Jehiel
, athe officials
of the house
of God
, gave
to the priests
for the Passover
offerings
2,600
from the flocks and 300
bulls
.
aConaniah also, and Shemaiah
and Nethanel
, his brothers
, and Hashabiah
and Jeiel
and Jozabad
, the officers
of the Levites
, contributed
to the Levites
for the Passover
offerings
5,000
from the flocks and 500
bulls
.
So the service was prepared
, and athe priests
stood
at their stations
and the Levites
by their divisions
according to the king's
command
.
1 aThey slaughtered the Passover
animals, and while bthe priests
sprinkled
2the blood
received from their hand
, cthe Levites
skinned
them.
Then they removed the burnt
offerings
that they might give
them to the sections
of the fathers'
households
of the lay
people
to present
to the LORD
, as it is written
in the book
of Moses
. They did this
also with the bulls
.
So athey roasted the Passover
animals on the fire
according to the ordinance
, and they boiled
bthe holy
things
in pots
, in kettles
, in pans
, and carried
them speedily
to all
the lay
people
.
Afterwards they prepared
for themselves and for the priests
, because
the priests
, the sons
of Aaron
, were offering
the burnt
offerings
and the fat
until
night
; therefore the Levites
prepared
for themselves and for the priests
, the sons
of Aaron
.
The singers, the sons
of Asaph
, were also at their stations
aaccording to the command
of David
, Asaph
, Heman
, and Jeduthun
the king's
seer
; and bthe gatekeepers
at each
gate
did not have
to depart
from their service
, because
the Levites
their brethren
prepared
for them.
So all the service
of the LORD
was prepared
on that day
to celebrate
the Passover
, and to offer
burnt
offerings
on the altar
of the LORD
according to the command
of King
Josiah
.
Thus athe sons of Israel
who were present
celebrated
the Passover
at that time
, and the Feast
of Unleavened
Bread
seven
days
.
aThere had not been celebrated a Passover
like
it in Israel
since
the days
of Samuel
the prophet
; nor
had any
of the kings
of Israel
celebrated
such a Passover
as Josiah
did
with the priests
, the Levites
, all
Judah
and Israel
who were present
, and the inhabitants
of Jerusalem
.
In the eighteenth year
of Josiah's
reign
this
Passover
was celebrated
.
aAfter all
this
, when
Josiah
had set
the 1temple
in order
, Neco
king
of Egypt
came
up to make
war
at bCarchemish
on the Euphrates
, and Josiah
went
out to engage
him.
But 1Neco sent messengers
to him, saying
, " aWhat
have we to do with each other, O King
of Judah
? I am not coming against
you today
but against
the house
with which I am at war
, and God
has ordered
me to hurry
. Stop
for your own sake from interfering with God
who
is with me, so
that He will not destroy
you."
However, Josiah would not turn
1away
from him, but adisguised
himself in order to make
war
with him; nor
did he listen
to the words
of Neco
bfrom the mouth
of God
, but came
to make
war
on the plain
of cMegiddo
.
The archers shot
King
Josiah
, and the king
said
to his servants
, "Take
me away
, for I am badly
wounded
."
So his servants took
him out of the chariot
and carried
him in the second
chariot
which
he had, and brought
him to Jerusalem
1where he died
and was buried
in the tombs
of his fathers
. aAll
Judah
and Jerusalem
mourned
for Josiah
.
Then aJeremiah chanted
a lament
for Josiah
. And all
the male and female singers
speak
about
Josiah
in their lamentations
to this day
. And they made
them an ordinance
in Israel
; behold
, they are also written
in the Lamentations
.
Now the rest of the acts
of Josiah
and his deeds
of devotion
as written
in the law
of the LORD
,
and his acts, first
to last
, behold
, they are written
in the Book
of the Kings
of Israel
and Judah
.