Chapter 35

Moreover Josiah kept⁴ a passover unto the LORD in Jerusalem: and they killed⁴ the passover on the fourteenth ⁶²⁴⁰ [day] of the first month.

And he set⁵⁵ the priests in their charges, and encouraged¹⁷ them to the service of the house of the LORD,

And said⁴ unto the Levites that taught^{56 4000} all Israel, which were holy unto the LORD, Put³ the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel did build;¹ [it shall] not [be] a burden upon [your] shoulders: serve³ now the LORD your God, and his people Israel,

And prepare^{54 3559 10} [yourselves] by the houses of your fathers, after your courses, according to the writing of David king of Israel, and according to the writing of Solomon his son.

And stand³ in the holy [place] according to the divisions of the families of the fathers of your brethren the people, ⁵⁹⁷¹ and [after] the division of the families ¹⁰⁰⁴ of the Levites.

So kill³ the passover, and sanctify¹⁰⁰ yourselves, and prepare⁵⁴ your brethren, that [they] may do² according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

And Josiah gave⁵⁵ to the people, ⁵⁹⁷¹ of the flock, lambs and kids, ⁵⁷⁹⁵ all for the passover offerings, for all that were present,¹² to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand bullocks: these [were] of the king's substance.

And his princes gave⁵² willingly unto the people, to the priests, and to the Levites: Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, rulers of the house of God, gave¹ unto the priests for the passover offerings two thousand and six hundred [small cattle], and three hundred oxen.

Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethaneel, his brethren, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, chief of the Levites, gave⁵² unto the Levites for passover offerings five thousand [small cattle], and five hundred oxen.

So the service was prepared,¹¹ and the priests stood⁴ in their place, and the Levites in their courses, according to the king's commandment.

And they killed⁴ the passover, and the priests sprinkled⁴ [the blood] from their hands, and the Levites flayed⁵⁶ [them].

And they removed⁵⁵ the burnt offerings, that they might give² according to the divisions of the families ¹⁰⁰⁴ of the people, ⁵⁹⁷¹ to offer⁵³ unto the LORD, as [it is] written⁷ in the book of Moses. And so [did they] with the oxen.

And they roasted¹⁷ the passover with fire according to the ordinance: but the [other] holy [offerings] sod¹⁴ they in pots, and in caldrons, and in pans, and divided [them] speedily⁵⁵ among all the people. ⁵⁹⁷¹

And afterward they made ready⁵² for themselves, and for the priests: because the priests the sons of Aaron [were busied] in offering⁵³ of burnt offerings and the fat until night; therefore the Levites prepared⁵² for themselves, and for the priests the sons of Aaron.

And the singers³⁵ the sons of Asaph [were] in their place, according to the commandment of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king's seer; and the porters [waited] at every gate; ⁸¹⁷⁹ they might not depart² from their service; for their brethren the Levites prepared⁵² for them.

So all the service of the LORD was prepared¹¹ the same day, to keep² the passover, and to offer⁵³ burnt offerings upon the altar of the LORD, according to the commandment of king Josiah.

And the children of Israel that were present¹² kept⁴ the passover at that time, and the feast of unleavened bread seven days.

And there was no passover like to that kept⁸ in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; neither did¹ all the kings of Israel keep¹ such a passover as Josiah kept,¹ and the priests, and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel that were present,¹² and the inhabitants⁶ of Jerusalem.

In the eighteenth ⁶²⁴⁰ year of the reign of Josiah was this passover kept.⁸

After all this, when Josiah had prepared⁵² the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up¹ to fight⁹ against Carchemish by Euphrates: and Josiah went out⁴ against² him.

But he sent⁴ ambassadors to him, saying,² What have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? [I come] not against thee this day, but against the house wherewith I have war: for God commanded¹ me to make haste:¹⁵ forbear³ thee from [meddling with] God, who [is] with me, that he destroy⁵⁵ thee not.

Nevertheless Josiah would not turn⁵² his face from him, but disguised⁹⁸ himself, that he might fight⁹ with him, and hearkened¹ not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came⁴ to fight⁹ in the valley of Megiddo.

And the archers⁶ shot⁵⁵ at king Josiah; and the king said⁴ to his servants, Have me away;⁵⁴ for I am sore wounded.⁹⁰

His servants therefore took⁵⁵ him out of that chariot, and put⁵⁵ him in the second chariot that he had; and they brought⁵⁵ him to Jerusalem, and he died,⁴ and was buried¹¹ in [one of] the sepulchres of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned¹⁰² for Josiah.

And Jeremiah lamented³⁴ for Josiah: and all the singing⁶ men and the singing⁶ women spake⁴ of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made⁴ them an ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they [are] written⁷ in the lamentations.

Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and his goodness, according to [that which was] written⁷ in the law of the LORD,

And his deeds, first and last, behold, they [are] written⁷ in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.