2 Chronicles 35

1 Josiah held a Passover for the Lord in Jerusalem, and the Passover lamb was killed on the fourteenth day of the first month.

Moreouer Iosiah kept a Passeouer vnto the Lord in Ierusalem, and they slewe the Passeouer in the fourtenth day of the first moneth.

2 He assigned the priests to their respective duties and encouraged them in their ministry at the Lord's Temple.

And he appointed the Priestes to their charges, and incouraged them to the seruice of the house of the Lord,

3 Josiah told the Levites who taught all Israel and were holy to the Lord, “Place the holy Ark in the Temple built by Solomon, son of David, king of Israel. It's not necessary for you to carry it around on your shoulders any more. Your responsibility now is to serve the Lord your God and his people Israel.

And he sayd vnto the Leuites that taught all Israel and were sanctified vnto the Lord, Put the holy Arke in the house which Salomon the sonne of Dauid King of Israel did build: it shalbe no more a burden vpon your shoulders: serue now the Lord your God and his people Israel,

4 Get yourselves ready for service in your divisions, by families, according to the instructions given by David, king of Israel, and his son Solomon.

And prepare your selues by the houses of your fathers according to your courses, as Dauid the King of Israel hath written, and according to the writing of Salomon his sonne,

5 Then you are to stand in the sanctuary to assist the lay people according to family divisions, following the assignments according to your Levite family divisions.

And stande in the Sanctuarie according to the deuision of the families of your brethren the children of the people, and after the deuision of the familie of the Leuites:

6 Sacrifice the Passover lambs, purify yourselves, and be ready to help the people who come to fulfill the requirements given by the Lord through Moses.”

So kill the Passeouer and sanctifie your selues, and prepare your brethren that they may doe according to the worde of the Lord by the hand of Moses.

7 Josiah contributed as Passover offerings for all the people who were present 30,000 lambs and goats, and 3,000 bulls, all from his own flocks and herds.

Iosiah also gaue to the people sheepe, lambs and kiddes, all for the Passeouer, euen to all that were present, to the nomber of thirtie thousand, and three thousande bullocks: these were of the Kings substance.

8 His officials contributed freely to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, who were in charge of God's Temple, gave the priests as Passover offerings 2,600 Passover lambs and 300 bulls.

And his princes offred willingly vnto the people, to the Priests and to the Leuites: Hilkiah, and Zechariah, and Iehiel, rulers of the house of God, gaue vnto the Priests for the Passeouer, euen two thousand and sixe hundreth sheepe, and three hundreth bullockes.

9 The leaders of the Levites, Conaniah, and Shemaiah and Nethanel his brothers, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, gave the Levites as Passover offerings 5,000 lambs and young goats and 500 bulls.

Conaniah also and Shemaiah and Nethaneel his brethren, and Hashabiah and Ieiel, and Iozabad, chiefe of the Leuites gaue vnto the Leuites for the Passeouer, fiue thousand sheepe, and fiue hundreth bullockes.

10 Once the preparations had been completed, the priests stood where they had been assigned and the Levites took their places in their divisions as the king had ordered.

Thus the seruice was prepared, and the Priests stoode in their places, also the Leuites in their orders, according to the Kings commandement:

11 They killed the Passover lambs, the priests sprinkled the blood they were given on the altar, while the Levites skinned the sacrifices.

And they slewe the Passeouer, and the Priests sprinkled the blood with their handes, and the Leuites flayed them.

12 They put to one side the burnt offerings to be given to the families of the lay people, by division, to offer to the Lord, as required in the Book of Moses. They did the same thing with the bulls.

And they tooke away from the burnt offering to giue it according to the deuisions of the families of the children of the people, to offer vnto the Lord, as it is written in the booke of Moses, and so of the bullockes.

13 They roasted the Passover sacrifices on the fire as requires, and they boiled the holy offerings in pots, caldrons, and pans, and took them quickly to the lay people.

And they rosted the Passeouer with fire, according to ye custome, but the sanctified things they sod in pots, pannes, and cauldrons, and distributed them quickely to all the people.

14 After that they prepared food from the offerings for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the descendants of Aaron, were busy presenting burnt offerings and fat until night came. So the Levites did this work for themselves and for the priests, the descendants of Aaron.

Afterwarde also they prepared for them selues and for the Priestes: for the Priestes the sonnes of Aaron were occupied in offering of burnt offrings, and the fat vntill night: therefore the Leuites prepared for them selues, and for the Priests the sonnes of Aaron.

15 The singers, the descendants of Asaph, were in their places following the instructions given by David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, the king's seer. The gatekeepers in charge at each gate did not need to leave, because their fellow Levites provided for them.

And the singers the sonnes of Asaph stoode in their standing according to the commandement of Dauid, and Asaph, and Heman, and Ieduthun the Kings Seer: and the porters at euery gate, who might not depart from their seruice: therefore their brethren the Leuites prepared for them.

16 So on that day the whole Passover service of the Lord was took place, including the presenting of burnt offerings on the altar of the Lord, as King Josiah had ordered.

So all the seruice of the Lord was prepared the same day, to keepe the Passeouer, and to offer burnt offerings vpon the altar of the Lord, according to the commandement of King Iosiah.

17 The Israelites who were there also celebrated Passover at that time, and also the Feast of Unleavened Bread for the following seven days.

And the children of Israel that were present, kept the Passeouer the same time, and the feast of the vnleauened bread seuen dayes.

18 No Passover like this had been held in Israel since the time of Samuel the prophet. None of the kings of Israel had ever held a Passover like the one that Josiah observed with the priests, the Levites, all of Judah, the Israelites who were there, and the people of Jerusalem.

And there was no Passeouer kept like that, in Israel, from the dayes of Samuel the Prophet: neyther did all the Kings of Israel keepe such a Passeouer as Iosiah kept, and the Priestes and the Leuites, and all Iudah, and Israel that were present, and the inhabitants of Ierusalem.

19 This Passover was observed in the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah.

This Passeouer was kept in the eighteenth yeere of the reigne of Iosiah.

20 After all this work that Josiah had carried out in restoring the Temple, King Neco of Egypt was leading his army to fight at Carchemish near the Euphrates, and Josiah went to confront him.

After all this, when Iosiah had prepared the Temple, Necho King of Egypt came vp to fight against Carchemish by Perath, and Iosiah went out against him.

21 Neco sent messengers to him, saying, “What argument is there between you and me, king of Judah? I have not come to attack you today, because I'm fighting with another kingdom. God told me I should hurry, so stop obstructing God, who is with me, or he'll destroy you!”

But he sent messengers to him, saying, What haue I to doe with thee, thou King of Iudah? I come not against thee this day, but against the house of mine enemie, and God commanded me to make haste: leaue of to come against God, which is with me, least he destroy thee.

22 But Josiah did not turn away and leave. Instead, he disguised himself so he could fight Neco in battle. He ignored Neco's message that came from God, and went to fight him on the Plain of Megiddo.

But Iosiah would not turne his face from him, but changed his apparel to fight with him, and hearkened not vnto the wordes of Necho, which were of the mouth of God, but came to fight in the valley of Megiddo.

23 There archers shot King Josiah. He called out those beside him, “Get me out of the battle, because I'm badly wounded!”

And the shooters shot at king Iosiah: then the King saide to his seruants, Cary me away, for I am very sicke.

24 So they carried him out of his chariot, and took him back in his second chariot to Jerusalem, where he died. Josiah was buried in the tomb of his forefathers. All Judah and Jerusalem wept for him.

So his seruants tooke him out of that charet, and put him in the seconde charet which he had, and when they had brought him to Ierusalem, he dyed, and was buryed in the sepulchres of his fathers: and all Iudah and Ierusalem mourned for Iosiah.

25 Then Jeremiah wrote a lament over Josiah, and to this day male and female choirs sing sad songs about Josiah. They have become a part of what is regularly sung in Israel, and they are recorded in the Book of Laments.

And Ieremiah lamented Iosiah, and al singing men and singing women mourned for Iosiah in their lamentations to this day, and made the same for an ordinance vnto Israel: and beholde, they be written in the lamentations.

26 The rest of what Josiah did, along with his acts of loyalty following what is written in the Law of the Lord,

Concerning the rest of the actes of Iosiah and his goodnesse, doing as it was written in the Lawe of the Lord,

27 all his actions, from beginning to end, are recorded in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.

And his deedes, first and last, behold, they are written in the booke of the Kings of Israel and Iudah.