“1 Moreover Josiah kept a passover unto the LORD in Jerusalem: and
they killed the passover on the fourteenth [day] of the first month. 2
And he set the priests in their charges, and encouraged them to the
service of the house of the LORD, 3 And said unto the Levites that
taught all Israel, which were holy unto the LORD, Put the holy ark in
the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel did build; [it
shall] not [be] a burden upon [your] shoulders: serve now the LORD your
God, and his people Israel, 4 And prepare [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. 5 And stand
in the holy [place] according to the divisions of the families of the
fathers of your brethren the people, and [after] the division of the
families of the Levites. 6 So kill the passover, and sanctify
yourselves, and prepare your brethren, that [they] may do according to
the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses. 7 And Josiah gave to the
people, of the flock, lambs and kids, all for the passover offerings,
for all that were present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three
thousand bullocks: these [were] of the king’s substance. 8 And his
princes gave willingly unto the people, to the priests, and to the
Levites: Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, rulers of the house of God,
gave unto the priests for the passover offerings two thousand and six
hundred [small cattle], and three hundred oxen. 9 Conaniah also, and
Shemaiah and Nethaneel, his brethren, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and
Jozabad, chief of the Levites, gave unto the Levites for passover
offerings five thousand [small cattle], and five hundred oxen. 10 So the
service was prepared, and the priests stood in their place, and the
Levites in their courses, according to the king’s commandment. 11 And
they killed the passover, and the priests sprinkled [the blood] from
their hands, and the Levites flayed [them]. 12 And they removed the
burnt offerings, that they might give according to the divisions of the
families of the people, to offer unto the LORD, as [it is] written in
the book of Moses. And so [did they] with the oxen. 13 And they roasted
the passover with fire according to the ordinance: but the [other] holy
[offerings] sod they in pots, and in caldrons, and in pans, and divided
[them] speedily among all the people. 14 And afterward they made ready
for themselves, and for the priests: because the priests the sons of
Aaron [were busied] in offering of burnt offerings and the fat until
night; therefore the Levites prepared for themselves, and for the
priests the sons of Aaron. 15 And the singers 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; they might not depart from their service; for their brethren the
Levites prepared for them. 16 So 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. 17 And the children of Israel that were present kept the
passover at that time, and the feast of unleavened bread seven days. 18
And there was no passover like to that kept in Israel from the days of
Samuel the prophet; neither did all the kings of Israel keep such a
passover as Josiah kept, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Judah
and Israel that were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 19 In
the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was this passover kept.”
“20 After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of
Egypt came up to fight against Carchemish by Euphrates: and Josiah went
out against him. 21 But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, 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 commanded me to make
haste: forbear thee from [meddling with] God, who [is] with me, that he
destroy thee not. 22 Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from
him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkened
not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in
the valley of Megiddo. 23 And the archers shot at king Josiah; and the
king said to his servants, Have me away; for I am sore wounded. 24 His
servants therefore took him out of that chariot, and put him in the
second chariot that he had; and they brought him to Jerusalem, and he
died, and was buried in [one of] the sepulchres of his fathers. And all
Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. 25 And Jeremiah lamented for
Josiah: and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in
their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel:
and, behold, they [are] written in the lamentations. 26 Now the rest of
the acts of Josiah, and his goodness, according to [that which was]
written in the law of the LORD, 27 And his deeds, first and last,
behold, they [are] written in the book of the kings of Israel and
Judah.” (2 Chronicles 35:1-27 AV)
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