 1 Josiah kept a Passover to the Lord in Jerusalem. They killed the Passover lamb on the fourteenth of the first month. 2 He set the priests in their charges and encouraged them to the service of the house of the Lord. 3 He said to the Levites who taught all Israel, who were holy to the Lord, Put the holy ark in the house that Solomon the son of King David of Israel built. It will not be a burden on your shoulders. Serve the Lord your God and His people Israel, 4 and prepare by the houses of your fathers, according to your divisions, according to the writing of King David of Israel and according to the writing of his son Solomon. 5 Stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the families of the fathers of your brothers, the people, and the division of the families of the Levites. 6 Kill the Passover lamb, and sanctify yourselves, and prepare your brothers so that they may do according to the Word of the Lord by the hand of Moses. 7 Josiah gave to the people from the flock, lambs and kids, all for the Passover offerings, for all who were present, to the number of 30,000, and 3,000 oxen. These were from what the king owned. 8 His rulers offered to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, rulers of the house of God, gave to the priests for the Passover offerings 2,600 sheep, and 300 oxen. 9 Conaniah, and Shemaiah and Nethaneel, his brothers, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, chiefs of the Levites, gave to the Levites for Passover offerings 5,000 sheep and 500 oxen. 10 The service was prepared, and the priests stood in their place, and the Levites in their divisions, according to the king's command. 11 They killed the Passover lamb, and the priests sprinkled from their hands, and the Levites skinned them. 12 They removed the burnt offerings so that they might give according to the divisions of the families of the people, to offer to the Lord, as it is written in the book of Moses. And so they did to the oxen. 13 They roasted the Passover lamb with fire according to the ordinance. But the holy offerings they boiled in pots and kettles and in pans and divided them speedily among all the people. 14 Afterward they made ready for themselves, and for the priests, because the priests the sons of Aaron were offering up the burnt offerings and the fat until nightfall. And the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests, the sons of Aaron. 15 The singers, the sons of Asaph were in their place, according to the command of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun, the king's seer. And the gatekeepers were at every gate. It was not for them to depart from their service. For their brothers the Levites prepared for them. 16 All the service of the Lord was prepared the same day, to keep the Passover, and to offer burnt offerings on the altar of the Lord, according to the command of king Josiah. 17 The children of Israel present kept the Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days. 18 There was no Passover like that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet. Yes, none of the kings of Israel kept such a Passover as Josiah kept, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel who were found, and the people of Jerusalem. 19 This Passover was kept in the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah. 20 After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, King Necho of Egypt came to fight against Carchemish by Euphrates and Josiah went against him. 21 But he sent messengers to him saying, What have I to do with you, king of Judah? I do not come against you today, but against the house with which I have war. For God commanded me to hurry+. You must cease from opposing God who is with me so that He does not destroy you. 22 But Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself so that he might fight with him. And he did not listen to the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo. 23 The archers shot at King Josiah and the king said to his servants, Take me away for I am grievously wounded. 24 His servants took him out of that chariot and put him in the second chariot and they brought him to Jerusalem and he died and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. 25 Jeremiah mourned for Josiah and all the singing men and singing women spoke of Josiah in their lamentations until this day and made them an ordinance in Israel. They are written in the Lamentations. 26 The rest of the acts of Josiah and his goodness are as written in the law of the Lord. 27 His deeds, first and last, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.
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