2 Chronicles 35
Josiah Restores the Passover
3To the Levites who taught all Israel and were holy to the LORD, Josiah said: “Put the holy ark in the temple built by Solomon son of David king of Israel. It is not to be carried around on your shoulders. Now serve the LORD your God and His people Israel.
3And he said to the Levites who taught all Israel, who were holy to YHWH, “Put the holy ark in the house that Solomon son of David king of Israel built. It is not a burden to you on the shoulder. Now serve YHWH your God and His people Israel.
5Moreover, stand in the Holy Place by the divisions of the families of your kinsmen the lay people, and by the divisions of the families of the Levites.
5And stand in the Holy Place according to the divisions of the houses of the fathers of your brothers, the sons of the people, and by the division of the house of a father of the Levites.
6Slaughter the Passover lambs, consecrate yourselves, and make preparations for your fellow countrymen to carry out the word of the LORD given bya Moses.”
6And slaughter the Passover, and consecrate yourselves, and prepare them for your brothers, that they may do according to the word of YHWH by the hand of Moses.”
7From his own flocks and herds Josiah contributed 30,000 lambs and goats plus 3,000 bulls for the Passover offerings for all the people who were present.
7And Josiah gave to the sons of the people from the flock of lambs and sons of female goats, all for the Passovers for all who were present, to the number of thirty thousand, as well as three thousand cattle; these were from the possessions of the king.
8His officials also contributed willingly to the people and priests and Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, the chief officials of the house of God, gave the priests 2,600 Passover offerings and 300 bulls.
8And his leaders lifted up for a freewill offering 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 Passovers two thousand and six hundred and three hundred bulls.
9Additionally, Conaniah and his brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel, as well as Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad, officers of the Levites, contributed to the Levites 5,000 Passover offerings and 500 bulls.
9And Conaniah, and Shemaiah and Nethanel his brothers, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, chiefs of the Levites, lifted up to the Levites for the Passovers five thousand and five hundred bulls.
12They set aside the burnt offerings to be given to the divisions of the families of the people to offer to the LORD, as it is written in the Book of Moses. And they did the same with the bulls.
12And they turned aside the burnt offering, to give to the divisions of the house of the fathers for the sons of the people, to offer to YHWH as written in the Book of Moses; and likewise with the bulls.
13They roasted the Passover animals on the fire according to the regulation, and they boiled the other holy offerings in pots, kettles, and bowls and quickly brought them to all the people.
13And they roasted the Passover with the fire according to the ordinance, and the holy things they boiled in the pots, and in the kettles, and in the pans, and quickly brought them to all the sons of the people.
14Afterward, they made preparations for themselves and for the priests, since the priests, the descendants of Aaron, were offering up burnt offerings and fat until nightfall. So the Levites made preparations for themselves and for the priests, the descendants of Aaron.
14And afterward they prepared for themselves and for the priests, since the priests, the sons of Aaron, were offering up the burnt offering and the fat until night; and the Levites made preparations for themselves and for the priests, the sons of Aaron.
15The singers, the descendants of Asaph, were at their stations according to the command of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer. And the gatekeepers at each gate did not need to leave their posts, because their fellow Levites made preparations for them.
15And the singers, the sons of Asaph, on their station, according to the command of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun seer of the king. And the gatekeepers were at gate and gate; they did not turn aside from upon their position, because their brothers the Levites made preparations for them.
16So on that day the entire service of the LORD was carried out for celebrating the Passover and offering burnt offerings on the altar of the LORD, according to the command of King Josiah.
16And all the service of YHWH was prepared on that day, to keep the Passover and to cause to ascend burnt offerings on the altar of YHWH, according to the command of King Josiah.
18No such Passover had been observed in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet. None of the kings of Israel ever observed a Passover like the one that Josiah observed with the priests, the Levites, all Judah, the Israelites who were present, and the people of Jerusalem.
18And a Passover like that had not been kept in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet. And none of the kings of Israel had kept a Passover as kept by Josiah, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel who were present, and those dwelling in Jerusalem.
The Death of Josiah
20After all this, when Josiah had set the temple in order, Neco king of Egypt marched up to fight at Carchemish by the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to confront him.
20After all this, when Josiah had prepared the house, Neco king of Egypt came up to fight against Carchemish by the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to meet him.
21But Neco sent messengers to him, saying, “What is the issue between you and me, O king of Judah? I have not come against you today, but I am fighting another dynasty, and God has told me to hurry. So stop opposing God, who is with me, or He will destroy you!”
21And he sent to him messengers, saying, “And what have I to do with you, O king of Judah? Not against you this day, but against the house I am fighting, for God told me to hurry. Cease for yourself from God, who is with me, and He will not destroy you.”
22Josiah, however, did not turn away from him; instead, in order to engage him in battle, he disguised himself. He did not listen to Neco’s words from the mouth of God, but went to fight him on the Plain of Megiddo.
22And Josiah did not turn his face from him. But he disguised himself to fight against him, and he did not listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God; and he came to fight on the Plain of Megiddo.
24So his servants took him out of his chariot, put him in his second chariot, and brought him to Jerusalem, where he died. And Josiah was buried in the tomb of his fathers, and all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for him.
24And His servants took him out from the chariot, and they made him ride in the second chariot that was unto him, and they brought him to Jerusalem. And he died and was buried in the tombs of his fathers, and all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.
Laments over Josiah
25Then Jeremiah lamented over Josiah, and to this day all the male and female singers recite laments over Josiah. They established them as a statute for Israel, and indeed they are written in the Book of Laments.
25And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah, and all the singers and the songstresses spoke in their lamentations over Josiah. And to this day they made it a custom in Israel, and behold, they are written in the Laments.