1Josiah observed the Passover unto the LORD in Jerusalem; and they killed the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the first month. 2And he appointed priests to their positions, and encouraged them in the service of the Temple of the LORD, 3And Josiah said to the Levites who were consecrated to the LORD and taught all Israel, “Put the holy Ark in the Temple of the LORD, which Solomon, son of David, king of Israel, built; it shall no longer be carried upon your shoulders. Serve now the LORD, your God, and His people, Israel, 4And prepare yourselves by your families, by your divisions, according to the instructions of David, king of Israel, and Solomon, his son. 5And stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the families of the fathers of your fellow Israelites, the lay people, and according to the division of the families of the Levites. 6Kill the Passover lambs, sanctify yourselves, and prepare your brethren, so that they do according to the word of the LORD as given by Moses.”

7And Josiah provided for all the lay people who were present, a total of the thirty thousand lambs and kids, and three thousand bullocks from the king’s flock, for the Passover offerings. 8And his officials gave voluntarily to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. Those in charge of the Temple of God, Hilkiah, Zechariah and Jehiel, gave two thousand six hundred small cattle, and three hundred oxen to the priests for the Passover offerings. 9Also, Conaniah, Shemaiah and Nethanel, his brothers, and leaders of the Levites, Hashabiah, Jeiel and Jozabad, gave five thousand small cattle, and five hundred oxen to the Levites for Passover offerings.

10The service was made ready, and the priests stood in their place, and the Levites by their divisions, according to the king's order. 11And they killed the Passover lambs, and the priests sprinkled the blood from them, while the Levites flayed them. 12And they set aside the burnt offerings, to distribute them to the families of the people, to offer unto the LORD, as prescribed in the book of Moses. And they did the same with the oxen. 13And they roasted the Passover lambs on the fire as per the ordinance; but they boiled the other holy offerings in pots, caldrons, and pans, and quickly distributed them among all the lay people. 14And afterward, the Levites prepared for themselves, and for the priests, because the priests, the sons of Aaron, were busy offering the burnt offerings and the fat until night, therefore the Levites prepared for themselves, as well as for the priests, the sons of Aaron. 15The singers, sons of Asaph, were in their place, according to the commandment of David, and Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, the king's seer; and the gatekeepers waited at every gate; did not have to leave their posts; because their brethren, the Levites prepared for them.

16So all the service of the LORD was prepared the same day, to keep the Passover, and to offer burnt offerings upon the altar of the LORD, according to the commandment of King Josiah. 17And the Israelites who were present kept the Passover at that time, and the feast of unleavened bread for seven days. 18And there was no Passover kept like that in Israel from the days of Samuel, the prophet; nor did any kings of Israel keep a Passover such as Josiah, the priests, Levites, all Judah, those present in Israel, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem kept. 19This Passover was celebrated in the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah.

20Later, after Josiah had restored the Temple, Neco, king of Egypt, led his army up to fight against Carchemish on the Euphrates; and Josiah went out to oppose him. 21But Neco sent ambassadors to Josiah, saying, “What have I to do with you, O king of Judah? I have not come out against you today, but against those with whom I am at war; for God commanded me to make haste. For your own sake, do not interfere with God, Who is with me, or He will destroy you.” 22But Josiah disregarded the words of Neco that God had indeed spoken. He refused to turn back, but disguised himself (to make himself less of a target), and led his army onto the plain of Megiddo to fight with Neco. 23And the archers shot King Josiah; and he told his servants, “Take me away from the battle; for I am severely wounded.” 24Therefore, his servants transferred him from that chariot into another; and brought him to Jerusalem, where he died, and was buried in one of the tombs of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. 25And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah. And all the singing men and women spoke of Josiah in their lamentations, and made the songs a tradition in Israel; and, behold, they are written in the lamentations to this day.

26Now the rest of the events of Josiah, and his acts of devotion to God, are written in the law of the LORD, 27And his deeds, first to last, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.