2 Chronicles 35 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

The Passover Held Again

1 Then Josiah ^H2977 celebrated ^H6213 the Passover ^H6453 to the LORD ^H3068 in Jerusalem ^H3389, and they slaughtered ^H7819 the Passover ^H6453 animals on the fourteenth ^H702 H6240 day of the first ^H7223 month ^H2320.

2 He appointed ^H5975 the priests ^H3548 to their offices ^H4931 and encouraged ^H2388 them in the service ^H5656 of the house ^H1004 of the LORD ^H3068. 3 He also said ^H559 to the Levites ^H3881 who taught ^H995 all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478 and who were holy ^H6918 to the LORD ^H3068, “Put ^H5414 the holy ^H6944 ark ^H727 in the house ^H1004 which ^H834 Solomon ^H8010 the son ^H1121 of David ^H1732 king ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478 built ^H1129; it will not ^H369 be a burden ^H4853 on your shoulders ^H3802. Now ^H6258 serve ^H5647 the LORD ^H3068 your God ^H430 and His people ^H5971 Israel ^H3478. 4 Prepare ^H3559 yourselves by your fathers’ ^H1 households ^H1004 in your divisions ^H4256, according to the writing ^H3791 of David ^H1732 king ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478 and according to the writing ^H4385 of his son ^H1121 Solomon ^H8010. 5 Furthermore, stand ^H5975 in the holy ^H6944 place according to the sections ^H6391 of the fathers’ ^H1 households ^H1004 of your countrymen ^H251, the [fn]lay ^H1121 people ^H5971, and according to the Levites ^H3881, by division ^H2515 of a father’s ^H1 household ^H1004. 6 Now slaughter ^H7819 the Passover ^H6453 animals, keep ^H6942 one another consecrated ^H6942, and prepare ^H3559 for your countrymen ^H251 to act ^H6213 in accordance with the word ^H1697 of the LORD ^H3068 by Moses ^H4872.”

7 Josiah ^H2977 contributed ^H7311 to the lay ^H1121 people ^H5971, to all ^H3605 who were ^H4672 present ^H4672, flocks ^H6629 of lambs ^H3532 and young ^H1121 H5795 goats ^H1121 H5795, all ^H3605 for the Passover ^H6453 offerings ^H6453, numbering ^H4557 thirty ^H7970 thousand ^H505, plus three ^H7969 thousand ^H505 bulls ^H1241; these ^H428 were from the king’s ^H4428 property ^H7399. 8 His officers ^H8269 also contributed ^H7311 a [fn]voluntary ^H5071 offering ^H5071 to the people ^H5971, the priests ^H3548, and the Levites ^H3881. Hilkiah ^H2518, Zechariah ^H2148, and Jehiel ^H3171, the officials ^H5057 of the house ^H1004 of God ^H430, gave ^H5414 the priests ^H3548 2,600 ^{H505 H8337 H3967} from the flocks and three ^H7969 hundred ^H3967 bulls ^H1241, for the Passover ^H6453 offerings ^H6453. 9 Conaniah ^H3562 also, and his brothers ^H251 Shemaiah ^H8098 and Nethanel ^H5417, and Hashabiah ^H2811 and Jeiel ^H3262 and Jozabad ^H3107, the officers ^H8269 of the Levites ^H3881, contributed ^H7311 five ^H2568 thousand ^H505 from the flocks and five ^H2568 hundred ^H3967 bulls ^H1241 to the Levites ^H3881 for the Passover ^H6453 offerings ^H6453.

10 So the service ^H5656 was prepared ^H3559, and the priests ^H3548 stood ^H5975 at their positions ^H5977 and the Levites ^H3881 by their divisions ^H4256 according to the king’s ^H4428 command ^H4687. 11 [fn]They slaughtered ^H7819 the Passover ^H6453 animals, and while the priests ^H3548 [fn]sprinkled ^H2236 the blood ^H1818 received from their hand ^H3027, the Levites ^H3881 skinned ^H6584 the animals. 12 Then they removed ^H5493 the burnt ^H5930 offerings ^H5930 so that they might give ^H5414 them to the sections ^H4653 of the fathers’ ^H1 households ^H1004 of the lay ^H1121 people ^H5971 to present ^H7126 to the LORD ^H3068, as it is written ^H3789 in the Book ^H5612 of Moses ^H4872. They did this ^H3651 with the bulls ^H1241 as well. 13 So they roasted ^H1310 the Passover ^H6453 animals on the fire ^H784 according to the ordinance ^H4941, and they boiled ^H1310 the holy ^H6944 things ^H6944 in pots ^H5518, in kettles ^H1731, and in pans ^H6745 and carried ^H7323 them quickly ^H7323 to all ^H3605 the lay ^H1121 people ^H5971. 14 Afterward ^H310 they prepared ^H3559 for themselves and for the priests ^H3548, because ^H3588 the priests ^H3548, the sons ^H1121 of Aaron ^H175, were offering ^H5927 the burnt ^H5930 offerings ^H5930 and the fat ^H2459 until ^H5704 night ^H3915; so the Levites ^H3881 prepared ^H3559 for themselves and for the priests ^H3548, the sons ^H1121 of Aaron ^H175. 15 The singers ^H7891, the sons ^H1121 of Asaph ^H623, were also at their positions ^H4612 according to the command ^H4687 of David ^H1732, Asaph ^H623, Heman ^H1968, and Jeduthun ^H3038 the king’s ^H4428 seer ^H2374; and the gatekeepers ^H7778 at each ^H8179 gate ^H8179 did not have ^H369 to leave ^H5493 their service ^H5656, because ^H3588 their kinsmen ^H251 the Levites ^H3881 prepared ^H3559 for them.

16 So all ^H3605 the service ^H5656 of the LORD ^H3068 was prepared ^H3559 on that day ^H3117 to celebrate ^H6213 the Passover ^H6453, and to offer ^H5927 burnt ^H5930 offerings ^H5930 on the altar ^H4196 of the LORD ^H3068 according to the command ^H4687 of King ^H4428 Josiah ^H2977. 17 And the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 who were ^H4672 present ^H4672 celebrated ^H6213 the Passover ^H6453 at that time ^H6256, and the Feast ^H2282 of Unleavened ^H4682 Bread ^H4682 for seven ^H7651 days ^H3117. 18 There had not been a Passover ^H6453 celebrated ^H6213 like ^H3644 it in Israel ^H3478 since ^H4480 the days ^H3117 of Samuel ^H8050 the prophet ^H5030; nor ^H3808 had any ^H3605 of the kings ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478 celebrated ^H6213 such a Passover ^H6453 as Josiah ^H2977 did ^H6213 with the priests ^H3548, the Levites ^H3881, all ^H3605 Judah ^H3063 and Israel ^H3478 who were ^H4672 present ^H4672, and the inhabitants ^H3427 of Jerusalem ^H3389. 19 In the eighteenth ^H8083 H6240 year ^H8141 of Josiah’s ^H2977 reign ^H4438 this ^H2088 Passover ^H6453 was celebrated ^H6213.

Josiah Dies in Battle

20 After ^H310 all ^H3605 this ^H2088, when ^H834 Josiah ^H2977 had set ^H3559 the [fn]temple ^H1004 in ^H3559 order ^H3559, Neco ^H5224 king ^H4428 of Egypt ^H4714 came ^H5927 up ^H5927 to wage ^H3898 war ^H3898 at Carchemish ^H3751 on the Euphrates ^H6578, and Josiah ^H2977 went ^H3318 out ^H3318 to engage ^H7122 him.

21 But [fn]Neco sent ^H7971 messengers ^H4397 to him, saying ^H559, “[fn]What ^H4100 business do you have with me, King ^H4428 of Judah ^H3063? I am not coming against ^H5921 you today ^H3117, but against ^H413 the house ^H1004 with which I am at war ^H4421, and God ^H430 has told ^H559 me to hurry ^H926. For your own sake, stop ^H2308 interfering with God ^H430 who ^H834 is with me, so that He does not destroy ^H7843 you.” 22 However, Josiah ^H2977 would not turn ^H5437 [fn]away ^H5437 from him, but disguised ^H2664 himself in order to fight ^H3898 against him; nor ^H3808 did he listen ^H8085 to the words ^H1697 of Neco ^H5224 from the mouth ^H6310 of God ^H430, but he came ^H935 to wage ^H3898 war ^H3898 on the plain ^H1237 of Megiddo ^H4023. 23 The archers ^H3384 shot ^H3384 King ^H4428 Josiah ^H2977, and the king ^H4428 said ^H559 to his servants ^H5650, “Take ^H5674 me away ^H5674, for I am ^H2470 badly ^H3966 wounded ^H2470.” 24 So his servants ^H5650 took ^H5674 him out ^H5674 of the chariot ^H4818 and carried ^H7392 him on the second ^H4932 chariot ^H7393 which ^H834 he had, and brought ^H1980 him to Jerusalem ^H3389 [fn]where he died ^H4191 and was buried ^H6912 in the tombs ^H6913 of his fathers ^H1. All ^H3605 Judah ^H3063 and Jerusalem ^H3389 mourned ^H56 for Josiah ^H2977. 25 Then Jeremiah ^H3414 chanted ^H6969 a ^H6969 song ^H6969 of ^H6969 mourning ^H6969 for Josiah ^H2977. And all ^H3605 the male and female singers ^H7891 speak ^H559 about ^H5921 Josiah ^H2977 in their songs ^H7015 of ^H7015 mourning ^H7015 to this day ^H3117. And they made ^H5414 them an ordinance ^H2706 in Israel ^H3478; behold ^H2009, they are also written ^H3789 in the Lamentations ^H7015. 26 Now the rest ^H3499 of the acts ^H1697 of Josiah ^H2977 and his deeds ^H2617 of devotion ^H2617 as written ^H3789 in the Law ^H8451 of the LORD ^H3068, 27 and his acts ^H1697, the first ^H7223 to the last ^H314, behold ^H2009, they are written ^H3789 in the Book ^H5612 of the Kings ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478 and Judah ^H3063.