Josiah Celebrates the Passover

1Then Josiah celebrated the Passover to Yahweh in Jerusalem, and they slaughtered the Passover animals on the fourteenth day of the first month. 2And he caused the priests to stand in their responsibilities and strengthened them in the service of the house of Yahweh. 3He also said to the Levites who provided understanding to all Israel and who were holy to Yahweh, “Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel built; it will be a burden on your shoulders no longer. Now serve Yahweh your God and His people Israel. 4So prepare yourselves by your fathers’ households in your divisions, according to the writing of David king of Israel and according to the writing of his son Solomon. 5Moreover, stand in the holy place according to the sections of the fathers’ households of your brothers the [†]lay people, and according to the Levites, by division of a father’s household. 6Now slaughter the Passover animals, sanctify yourselves and prepare for your brothers to do according to the word of Yahweh by the hand of Moses.”

7And 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. 8His officials also contributed a freewill offering to the people, the priests, and the Levites. Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, the officers of the house of God, gave to the priests for the Passover offerings 2,600 from the flocks and 300 bulls. 9Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethanel, his brothers, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, the [†]officials of the Levites, contributed to the Levites for the Passover offerings 5,000 from the flocks and 500 bulls.

10So the service was prepared, and the priests stood at their stations and the Levites by their divisions according to the king’s commandment. 11And [†]they slaughtered the Passover animals, and while the priests splashed [†]the blood received from their hand, the Levites skinned them. 12Then they took away the portions for the burnt offerings that they might give them to the sections of the fathers’ households of the lay people to bring near to Yahweh, as it is written in the book of Moses. They did this also with the bulls. 13So they roasted the Passover animals on the fire according to the legal judgment, and they boiled the holy things in pots, in kettles, in pans, and carried them speedily to all the lay people. 14Afterwards 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. 15The singers, the sons of Asaph, were also at their stations according to the commandment of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer; and the gatekeepers at each gate did not have to turn aside from their service, because the Levites their brothers prepared for them.

16So all the service of Yahweh was prepared on that day to celebrate the Passover, and to offer burnt offerings on the altar of Yahweh according to the commandment of King Josiah. 17Thus the sons of Israel who were present celebrated the Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days. 18And there had not been celebrated a Passover like it in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; nor had any of the kings of Israel celebrated such a Passover as Josiah celebrated with the priests, the Levites, all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 19In the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign, this Passover was celebrated.

Josiah Dies in War

20After all this, when Josiah had set the [†]house in order, Neco king of Egypt went up to make war at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to meet him. 21But [†]Neco sent messengers to him, saying, “What have I to do with you, O King of Judah? I am not coming against you today but against the house with which I am at war, and God has said for me to hurry. Stop for your own sake from interfering with God who is with me, so that He will not bring you to ruin.” 22However, Josiah would not turn [†]away from him, but disguised himself in order to make war with him; nor did he listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God, but came to make war on the plain of Megiddo. 23Then the archers shot King Josiah, and the king said to his servants, “Take me away, for I am badly wounded.” 24So his servants took him out of the chariot and drove him in the second chariot which he had, and brought him to Jerusalem [†]where he died, and he was buried in the tombs of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. 25Then Jeremiah 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 a statute in Israel; behold, they are also written in the lamentations. 26Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and his deeds of lovingkindness according to what was written in the law of Yahweh, 27and his acts, first to last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.