2 Chronicles 35
Christian Standard Bible Anglicised
Josiah’s Passover Observance
35 Josiah observed the Lord’s Passover(A) and slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of the first month.(B) 2 He appointed the priests to their responsibilities and encouraged them to serve in the Lord’s temple.(C) 3 He said to the Levites who taught all Israel(D) the holy things of the Lord, ‘Put the holy ark in the temple built by Solomon son of David king of Israel. Since you do not have to carry it on your shoulders,(E) now serve the Lord your God and his people Israel.
4 ‘Organise your ancestral families[a] by your divisions(F) according to the written instruction of King David of Israel and that of his son Solomon.(G) 5 Serve in the holy place by the groupings of the ancestral families[b] for your brothers, the lay people,[c] and according to the division of the Levites by family.(H) 6 Slaughter the Passover lambs,(I) consecrate yourselves,(J) and make preparations for your brothers to carry out the word of the Lord through Moses.’
7 Then Josiah donated thirty thousand sheep, lambs, and young goats, as well as three thousand cattle from his own possessions, for the Passover sacrifices for all the lay people who were present.
8 His officials also donated willingly for the people, the priests, and the Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, chief officials of God’s temple, gave two thousand six hundred Passover sacrifices and three hundred cattle for the priests. 9 Conaniah(K) and his brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel, and Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad, officers of the Levites, donated five thousand Passover sacrifices for the Levites, as well as five hundred cattle.
10 So the service was established; the priests stood at their posts and the Levites in their divisions according to the king’s command.(L) 11 Then they slaughtered the Passover lambs, and while the Levites were skinning the animals,(M) the priests splattered the blood[d] they had been given.[e] 12 They removed the burnt offerings so that they might be given to the groupings of the ancestral families[f] of the lay people to offer to the Lord, according to what is written in the book of Moses; they did the same with the cattle. 13 They roasted the Passover lambs with fire according to regulation.(N) They boiled the holy sacrifices in pots, kettles, and bowls; and they quickly brought them to the lay people. 14 Afterwards, they made preparations for themselves and for the priests, since the priests, the descendants of Aaron, were busy offering up burnt offerings and fat until night. So the Levites made preparations for themselves and for the priests, the descendants of Aaron.
15 The singers, the descendants of Asaph, were at their stations according to the command of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer.(O) Also, the gatekeepers were at each temple gate.(P) None of them left their tasks because their Levite brothers had made preparations for them.
16 So all the service of the Lord was established that day for observing the Passover and for offering burnt offerings on the altar of the Lord, according to the command of King Josiah. 17 The Israelites who were present in Judah also observed the Passover at that time and the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days.(Q) 18 No Passover had been observed(R) like it in Israel since the days of the prophet Samuel. 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 in Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 19 In the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign, this Passover was observed.
Josiah’s Last Deeds and Death
20 After all this(S) that Josiah had prepared for the temple, King Neco of Egypt(T) marched up to fight at Carchemish(U) by the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to confront him. 21 But Neco sent messengers to him, saying, ‘What is the issue between you and me, king of Judah?(V) I have not come against you today[g] but I am fighting another dynasty.[h] God told me to hurry. Stop opposing God who is with me; don’t make him destroy you! ’
22 But Josiah did not turn away from him; instead, in order to fight with him he disguised himself.[i](W) He did not listen to Neco’s words from the mouth of God, but went to the Valley of Megiddo(X) to fight. 23 The archers shot King Josiah, and he said to his servants, ‘Take me away, for I am severely wounded! ’(Y) 24 So his servants took him out of the war chariot, carried him in his second chariot, and brought him to Jerusalem. Then he died, and they buried him in the tomb of his ancestors. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned(Z) for Josiah. 25 Jeremiah chanted a dirge(AA) over Josiah, and all the male and female singers still speak of Josiah in their dirges today. They established them as a statute for Israel, and indeed they are written in the Dirges.
26 The rest of the events(AB) of Josiah’s reign, along with his deeds of faithful love according to what is written in the law of the Lord, 27 and his words, from beginning to end, are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.
Footnotes
- 35:4 Lit the house of your fathers
- 35:5 Lit the house of the fathers
- 35:5 Lit the sons of the people, also in vv. 7,12,13
- 35:11 LXX, Vg, Tg; MT omits blood
- 35:11 Lit splattered from their hand
- 35:12 Lit house of fathers
- 35:21 LXX, Syr, Tg, Vg; MT reads Not against you, you today
- 35:21 Lit house
- 35:22 LXX reads he was determined
2 Chronicles 35
Jubilee Bible 2000
35 ¶ 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 confirmed them in the ministry of the house of the LORD
3 and said unto the Levites that taught all Israel, who were holy unto the LORD, Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel, built, that ye not carry it any longer 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 sanctuary 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, Zechariah, and Jehiel, rulers of the house of God, gave unto the priests for the passover offerings two thousand six hundred sheep and three hundred oxen.
9 Conaniah, likewise, and Shemaiah and Nethaneel, his brethren, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, princes of the Levites, gave unto the Levites for the sacrifices of the passover five thousand sheep, and five hundred oxen.
10 So the service was prepared, and the priests stood in their place, and the Levites, likewise, in their courses, according to the king’s commandment.
11 And they killed the passover, and the priests sprinkled the blood taken from the hands of the Levites who flayed them.
12 And they took away part of the animals that they had for the burnt offerings, that they might give according to the divisions of the families of the people, for them to offer unto the LORD, as it is written in the book of Moses. And they did, likewise, with the oxen.
13 And they roasted the passover with fire according to the ordinance, but that which had been sanctified, they cooked in pots and in caldrons and in pans and divided them speedily among all the people.
14 And afterward they prepared for themselves and for the priests because the priests, the sons of Aaron, were occupied in the sacrifice of the burnt offerings and the fat until night; therefore, the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests, the sons of Aaron.
15 Likewise, 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; it was not necessary for them to depart from their ministry, 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 sacrifice the burnt offerings upon the altar of the LORD, according to the commandment of King Josiah.
17 And the sons of Israel that were present kept the passover at that time and the solemn feast of unleavened bread for seven days.
18 And there was no passover like unto that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel, the prophet; neither did any of 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, together with all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
19 In the year eighteen of the reign of Josiah, this passover was kept.
20 ¶ After all this, when Josiah had prepared the house, 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 do not come against thee this day, but against the house that makes war with me, for God commanded me to make haste. Forbear from meddling with God, who is with me, that he not destroy thee.
22 Nevertheless, Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and did not hearken unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight him in the valley of Megiddo.
23 And the archers shot King Josiah, and the king said to his slaves, Take me away, for I am sore wounded.
24 His slaves, 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 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 spoke of Josiah in their lamentations to this day and made them an ordinance in Israel, which are written in the lamentations.
26 Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and his mercy, 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
New King James Version
Josiah Keeps the Passover(A)
35 Now (B)Josiah kept a Passover to the Lord in Jerusalem, and they slaughtered the Passover lambs on the (C)fourteenth day of the first month. 2 And he set the priests in their (D)duties and (E)encouraged them for the service of the house of the Lord. 3 Then he said to the Levites (F)who taught all Israel, who were holy to the Lord: (G)“Put the holy ark (H)in the house which Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, built. (I)It shall no longer be a burden on your shoulders. Now serve the Lord your God and His people Israel. 4 Prepare yourselves (J)according to your fathers’ [a]houses, according to your divisions, following the (K)written instruction of David king of Israel and the (L)written instruction of Solomon his son. 5 And (M)stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the fathers’ houses of your brethren the lay people, and according to the division of the father’s house of the Levites. 6 So slaughter the Passover offerings, (N)consecrate yourselves, and prepare them for your brethren, that they may do according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses.”
7 Then Josiah (O)gave the lay people lambs and young goats from the flock, all for Passover offerings for all who were present, to the number of thirty thousand, as well as three thousand cattle; these were from the king’s (P)possessions. 8 And his (Q)leaders gave willingly to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, rulers of the house of God, gave to the priests for the Passover offerings two thousand six hundred from the flock, and three hundred cattle. 9 Also (R)Conaniah, his brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, chief of the Levites, gave to the Levites for Passover offerings five thousand from the flock and five hundred cattle.
10 So the service was prepared, and the priests (S)stood in their places, and the (T)Levites in their divisions, according to the king’s command. 11 And they slaughtered the Passover offerings; and the priests (U)sprinkled the blood with their hands, while the Levites (V)skinned the animals. 12 Then they removed the burnt offerings that they might give them to the divisions of the fathers’ houses of the lay people, to offer to the Lord, as it is written (W)in the Book of Moses. And so they did with the cattle. 13 Also they (X)roasted the Passover offerings with fire according to the ordinance; but the other holy offerings they (Y)boiled in pots, in caldrons, and in pans, and divided them quickly among all the lay people. 14 Then afterward they prepared portions for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the sons of Aaron, were busy in offering burnt offerings and fat until night; therefore the Levites prepared portions for themselves and for the priests, the sons of Aaron. 15 And the singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their places, according to the (Z)command of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer. Also the gatekeepers (AA)were at each gate; they did not have to leave their position, because their brethren the Levites prepared portions for them.
16 So 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 And the children of Israel who were present kept the Passover at that time, and the Feast of (AB)Unleavened Bread for seven days. 18 (AC)There had been no Passover kept in Israel like that since the days of Samuel the prophet; and none of the kings of Israel had kept such a Passover as Josiah kept, with the priests and the Levites, all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 19 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah this Passover was kept.
Josiah Dies in Battle(AD)
20 (AE)After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against (AF)Carchemish by the Euphrates; and Josiah went out against him. 21 But he sent messengers to him, saying, “What have I to do with you, king of Judah? I have not come against you this day, but against the house with which I have war; for God commanded me to make haste. Refrain from meddling with God, who is with me, lest He destroy you.” 22 Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but (AG)disguised himself so that he might fight with him, and did not heed the words of Necho from the mouth of God. So he came to fight in the Valley of Megiddo.
23 And the archers shot King Josiah; and the king said to his servants, “Take me away, for I am severely wounded.” 24 (AH)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. So he died, and was buried in one of the tombs of his fathers. And (AI)all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.
25 Jeremiah also (AJ)lamented for (AK)Josiah. And to this day (AL)all the singing men and the singing women speak of Josiah in their lamentations. (AM)They made it a custom in Israel; and indeed they are written in the Laments.
26 Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and his goodness, according to what was written in the Law of the Lord, 27 and his deeds from first to last, indeed they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 35:4 households
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
