2 Chronicles 35
Tree of Life Version
Josiah Keeps Pesach
35 Josiah celebrated Passover unto Adonai in Jerusalem. They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the first month. 2 He reinstated the kohanim to their duties and encouraged them in the service of the House of Adonai. 3 He said to the Levites who taught all Israel and who were consecrated to Adonai, “Put the holy Ark in the House which Solomon the son of King David of Israel built. Since it is no longer a burden on your shoulders now, serve Adonai your God and His people Israel. 4 Prepare youselves by your ancestral houses in 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 by the divisions of the ancestral houses, by sons of the people and by divisions of ancestral houses of the Levites. 6 Now sanctify yourselves, slaughter the Passover lamb and prepare it for your kinsmen, according to the word of Adonai by the hand of Moses.”
7 Josiah provided for all the people who were present, flocks of lambs and goats totaling 30,000, all for the Passover offerings, as well as 3,000 bulls—all from the king’s possessions.
8 His officials also gave a freewill offering to the people, the kohanim and the Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah and Jehiel—the administrators of the House of God—donated to the kohanim 2,600 Passover offerings, and 300 bulls. 9 Likewise, Conaniah along with Shemaiah and Nethaniel, his brothers, and Hashabiah, Jeiel and Jozabad, leaders of the Levites, provided 5,000 Passover lambs for the Levites and 500 bulls.
10 So the avodah was prepared and the kohanim stood at their posts with the Levites in their divisions according to the king’s command. 11 They slaughtered the Passover lambs and while the kohanim sprinkled the blood handed to them, the Levites flayed them. 12 Then they removed the portions to be burnt to give them to the divisions of ancestral houses of the people to present to Adonai, as it is written in the book of Moses. They did the same with the bulls. 13 They roasted the Passover lambs with fire according to the ordinance, then boiled the sacred parts in pots, caldrons and pans, and brought them quickly to all the people. 14 Afterward, they made preparations for themselves and for the kohanim, because the kohanim, the sons of Aaron, were busy sacrificing the burnt offerings and the fat until nightfall. So the Levites made preparations for themselves and for the kohanim, the sons of Aaron.
15 The singers, the descendants of Asaph, were at their stations according to the commandment of David, Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun, the king’s seer. The gatekeepers were at every gate. They did not need to depart from their posts for their fellow Levites provided for them.
16 So on that day the entire service of Adonai was prepared to keep the Passover and to offer burnt offerings upon the altar of Adonai according to the command of King Josiah. 17 The Bnei-Yisrael present celebrated the Passover at that time and observed the Feast of Matzot for seven days. 18 Passover had not been celebrated like that in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet, and none of the kings of Israel had ever celebrated such a Passover as Josiah did with the kohanim, the Levites, all Judah and Israel who were present and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 19 This Passover was celebrated in the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah.
Death of Josiah
20 After all this, when Josiah had set the House in order, King Neco of Egypt came up to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates and Josiah went out to engage him. 21 But Neco sent messengers to him saying, “What is there between me and you, king of Judah? I am not coming against you today but against the house that wars with me and God has ordered me to hurry. Stop for your sake from meddling with God who is with me, so that He will not destroy you!”
22 Josiah, however, would not turn away from him but disguised himself in order to fight him. He did not listen to Neco’s words from the mouth of God and went to fight him in the plain of Megiddo. 23 Archers shot King Josiah and the king said to his servants, “Take me away, for I am seriously wounded.” 24 So his servants carried him out of the chariot and put him in the second chariot that he had. They brought him to Jerusalem where he died and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned over Josiah.
25 Now Jeremiah composed laments for Josiah, and to this day all the singers, male and female, commemorated Josiah in their laments. And they 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 deeds of devotion as written in the Torah of Adonai, 27 and his acts, the first and the last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.
2 Chronicles 35
English Standard Version
Josiah Keeps the Passover
35 (A)Josiah kept a Passover to the Lord in Jerusalem. And they slaughtered the Passover lamb (B)on the fourteenth day of the first month. 2 He appointed the priests to their offices (C)and encouraged them in the service of the house of the Lord. 3 And he said to the Levites (D)who taught all Israel and who were holy to the Lord, “Put the holy ark in the house that Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, built. You need not carry it on your shoulders. Now serve the Lord your God and his people Israel. 4 Prepare yourselves (E)according to your fathers' houses by your divisions, (F)as prescribed in the writing of David king of Israel (G)and the document of Solomon his son. 5 And (H)stand in the Holy Place (I)according to the groupings of the fathers' houses of your brothers the lay people, and according to the division of the Levites by fathers' household. 6 And slaughter the Passover lamb, and (J)consecrate yourselves, and prepare for your brothers, to do according to the word of the Lord by[a] Moses.”
7 Then Josiah contributed to the lay people, as Passover offerings for all who were present, lambs and young goats from the flock to the number of 30,000, and 3,000 bulls; (K)these were from the king's possessions. 8 And his officials contributed willingly to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. (L)Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, the chief officers of the house of God, gave to the priests for the Passover offerings 2,600 Passover lambs and 300 bulls. 9 Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethanel his brothers, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, the chiefs of the Levites, gave to the Levites for the Passover offerings 5,000 lambs and young goats and 500 bulls.
10 When the service had been prepared for, the priests (M)stood in their place, (N)and the Levites in their divisions according to the king's command. 11 (O)And they slaughtered the Passover lamb, and the priests (P)threw the blood that they received from them (Q)while the Levites flayed the sacrifices. 12 And they set aside the burnt offerings that they might distribute them according to the groupings of the fathers' houses of the lay people, to offer to the Lord, as it is written in the Book of Moses. And so they did with the bulls. 13 (R)And they roasted the Passover lamb with fire according to the rule; and they (S)boiled the holy offerings in pots, in cauldrons, and in pans, and carried them quickly to all the lay people. 14 And afterward they prepared for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the sons of Aaron, were offering the burnt offerings and the fat parts until night; so the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests, the sons of Aaron. 15 The singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their place (T)according to the command of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king's (U)seer; (V)and the gatekeepers were at each gate. They did not need to depart from their service, for their brothers the Levites prepared for them.
16 So all the service of the Lord was prepared that 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 people of Israel who were present kept the Passover at that time, (W)and the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days. 18 (X)No Passover like it had been kept in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet. None of the kings of Israel had kept such a Passover as was kept by Josiah, and the priests and the Levites, and 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 Killed in Battle
20 (Y)After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Neco king of Egypt went up to fight at (Z)Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to meet him. 21 But he sent envoys to him, saying, “What have we to do with each other, king of Judah? I am not coming against you this day, but against the house with which I am at war. And God has commanded me to hurry. Cease opposing God, who is with me, lest he destroy you.” 22 Nevertheless, Josiah did not turn away from him, but (AA)disguised himself in order to fight with him. He did not listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God, but came to fight in the plain of (AB)Megiddo. 23 And the archers shot King Josiah. And the king said to his servants, (AC)“Take me away, for I am badly wounded.” 24 So his servants took him out of the chariot and carried him in his second chariot and brought him to Jerusalem. And he died and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. (AD)All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. 25 (AE)Jeremiah also uttered a lament for Josiah; and all (AF)the singing men and singing women have spoken of Josiah in their laments to this day. They made these a rule in Israel; behold, they are written in the Laments. 26 Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and his good deeds according to what is written in the Law of the Lord, 27 and his acts, first and last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 35:6 Hebrew by the hand of
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
