THE SECOND BOOK OF THE
CHRONICLES
2 Chronicles 35 ©
Josiah, setting the worship of God in order, keeps the feast of the Passover with great solemnity, v. 1, etc. Undertakes an unnecessary war against Pharaoh Necho, 20. Wherein he is mortally wounded, and dies, 23. He is exceedingly lamented, 24, The close of his history, 26.
MOREOVER Josiah kepta1a passover unto the LORD in Jerusalem: and they killed the 2passover 3on the fourteenth day of the 4first month.
And he set the priests in their charges, and 5encouraged them to the service of the house of the LORD,
And said unto the Levites that taught all Israel, which were 6holy unto the LORD, 7Put the 8holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel did build; it shall 9not be a burden upon your shoulders: serve now the LORD your God, and his people Israel,
And prepare yourselves by the houses of your fathers, after your courses, according to the writing of David king of Israel, and accordingb to the writing of Solomon his son.
And stand 10in the holy place according to the divisions of the families of the fathers of your brethren 11the people, and after the division of the families of the Levites.
So kill 12the passover, and sanctify yourselves, and prepare your brethren, that they may do according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.
Andc Josiah 13gave to the people, of the flock, lambs and 14kids, all for the passover offerings, 15for all that were present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand 16bullocks: these were of the king's substance.
And his 17princes gave 18willingly unto the people, to the priests, and to the Levites: 19Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, rulers of the house of God, gave unto the priests for the passover offerings two thousand and six hundred 20small cattle, and three hundred oxen.
Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethaneel, his brethren, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, chief of the Levites, gave unto the Levites for passover offerings five thousand small cattle, and five hundred oxen.
So the service was prepared, and the priests stood in their place, and the Levites in their courses, according to the king's commandment.
And they killed the passover, and the priests 21sprinkled the blood 22from their hands, and the Levites flayed them.
And 23they removed the 24burnt offerings, that they might 25give according to the divisions of the families of 26the people, to offer unto the LORD, as it is written in the book of Moses. And so did they with the oxen.
Andd they 27roasted the passover with fire according to the ordinance: but 28the other holy offerings 29sod they in pots, and in caldrons, and in pans, and 30divided them speedily among all the people.
And afterward they 31made ready for themselves, and for the priests: because the priests the sons of Aaron were busied in offering of burnt offerings and the fat until night; 32therefore the Levites prepared for themselves, and for the priests the sons of Aaron.
And the singers the sons of Asaph were in their place, 33according to the commandment of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun 34the king’s seer; and the porters waited 35at every gate; they might not depart from their service; for their brethren the Levites prepared for them.
So all the service of the LORD was prepared the same day, to keep the passover, and to offer 36burnt offerings upon the altar of the LORD, according to the commandment of king Josiah.
And the children of Israel that were present kept the passover at that time, and the feast of unleavened bread seven days.
And 37there was no passover like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; neither did all 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, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
In thee eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was this passover kept.
¶After all this, when Josiah had prepared 38the temple, 39Necho king of Egypt camef up to fight against Carchemish by Euphrates: and Josiah went out against him.
But 40he sent ambassadors to him, saying, 41What have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? I come not against thee this day, but against 42the house wherewith I have war: for God commanded me to make haste: forbear thee 43from meddling with God, who is with me, that he destroy thee not.
Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but 44disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkened not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the 45valley of Megiddo.
And the archers shot at king Josiah; and the king said to his servants, Have me away; for I am sore 46wounded.
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, and he died, and was buried in one of the 47sepulchres of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem 48mourned for Josiah.
¶And Jeremiah 49lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations 50to this day, and made them 51an ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they are written 52in the 53lamentations.
Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and his 54goodness, 55according to that which was written in the law of the LORD,
And his deeds, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.