The Scriptures (ISR 1998) 1And Yoshiyahu performed a Passover to יהוה in Yerushalayim, and they slaughtered the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. 2And he set the priests in their duties and strengthened them for the service of the House of יהוה, 3and said to the Lĕwites who were teaching all Yisra’ĕl, who were set-apart to יהוה, “Put the set-apart ark in the house which Shelomoh son of Dawiḏ, sovereign of Yisra’ĕl, built. It is no longer to be a burden on your shoulders. Now serve יהוה your Elohim and His people Yisra’ĕl, 4and prepare by the fathers’ houses, according to your divisions, by the writing of Dawiḏ sovereign of Yisra’ĕl and by the writing of Shelomoh his son. 5“And stand in the set-apart place by the divisions of the fathers’ houses of your brothers the lay people, and the portion of the father’s house of the Lĕwites. 6“And slaughter the Passover, and set yourselves apart, and prepare for your brothers, to do according to the word of יהוה by the hand of Mosheh.” 7And Yoshiyahu gave the lay people lambs and young goats from the flock, all for Passover offerings for everyone present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand cattle – these were from the sovereign’s possessions. 8And his leaders contributed a voluntary offering to the people, to the priests, and to the Lĕwites. Ḥilqiyah, and Zeḵaryahu, and Yeḥi’ĕl, leaders of the House of Elohim, gave to the priests for the Passover offerings two thousand six hundred, and three hundred cattle; 9and Konanyahu, his brothers Shemayahu and Nethanĕ’l, and Ḥashaḇyahu and Ye‛i’ĕl and Yozaḇaḏ, chiefs of the Lĕwites, gave to the Lĕwites for Passover offerings five thousand, and five hundred cattle. 10And the service was prepared, and the priests stood in their places, and the Lĕwites in their divisions, according to the command of the sovereign, 11and they slaughtered the Passover. And the priests sprinkled out of their hands, while the Lĕwites were skinning. 12And they removed the burnt offerings, to give them to the divisions of the fathers’ houses of the lay people, to bring to יהוה, as it is written in the Book of Mosheh, and the same with the cattle. 13So they roasted the Passover offerings with fire according to the right-ruling, and they boiled the set-apart offerings in pots, and in cauldrons, and in bowls, and brought them speedily to all the lay people. 14And afterward they prepared for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the sons of Aharon, were offering burnt offerings and fat until night. So the Lĕwites prepared for themselves and for the priests, the sons of Aharon. 15And the singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their places, according to the command of Dawiḏ, and Asaph, and Hĕman, and Yeḏuthun the seer of the sovereign. And the gatekeepers at each gate did not have to leave their position, because their brothers the Lĕwites prepared for them. 16And all the service of יהוה was prepared that day, to perform the Passover and to offer burnt offerings on the altar of יהוה, according to the command of Sovereign Yoshiyahu. 17And the children of Yisra’ĕl who were present performed the Passover at that time, and the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days. 18There had not been a Passover performed in Yisra’ĕl like it since the days of Shemu’ĕl the prophet. And none of the sovereigns of Yisra’ĕl had performed such a Passover as Yoshiyahu performed, with the priests and the Lĕwites, and all Yehuḏah and Yisra’ĕl who were present, and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim. 19In the eighteenth year of the reign of Yoshiyahu this Passover was performed. 20After all this, when Yoshiyahu had prepared the House, Neḵo sovereign of Mitsrayim came up to fight against Karkemish by the Euphrates. And Yoshiyahu went out against him. 21And he sent messengers to him, saying, “What have I to do with you, sovereign of Yehuḏah? I am not coming against you this day, but against the house with which I am fighting, for Elohim commanded me to make haste. Leave Elohim alone, who is with me, lest He destroy you.” 22However, Yoshiyahu would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself to fight against him, and did not listen to the words of Neḵo from the mouth of Elohim, and came to fight in the Valley of Meg̅iddo. 23And the archers shot at Sovereign Yoshiyahu. And the sovereign said to his servants, “Take me away, for I am severely wounded.” 24And his servants took him out of that chariot and put him in the second chariot that he had, and they brought him to Yerushalayim. And he died, and was buried in one of the tombs of his fathers. And all Yehuḏah and Yerushalayim were mourning for Yoshiyahu. 25And Yirmeyahu lamented for Yoshiyahu. And to this day all the singing men and the singing women speak of Yoshiyahu in their lamentations, and made it a law in Yisra’ĕl. And see, they are written in the Laments. 26And the rest of the acts of Yoshiyahu and his kindness, according to what was written in the Torah of יהוה, 27and his acts from the first to the last, see, they are written in the book of the sovereigns of Yisra’ĕl and Yehuḏah. |