1 Josias celebrou a Páscoa ao Senhor, em Jerusalém; e mataram o cordeiro da Páscoa no décimo quarto dia do primeiro mês. 2 Estabeleceu os sacerdotes nos seus cargos e os animou a servirem na Casa do Senhor. 3 Disse aos levitas que ensinavam a todo o Israel e estavam consagrados ao Senhor: Ponde a arca sagrada na casa que edificou Salomão, filho de Davi, rei de Israel; já não tereis esta carga aos ombros; servi, pois, ao Senhor, vosso Deus, e ao seu povo de Israel. 4 Preparai-vos segundo as vossas famílias, segundo os vossos turnos, segundo a prescrição de Davi, rei de Israel, e a de Salomão, seu filho. 5 Ministrai no santuário segundo os grupos das famílias de vossos irmãos, os filhos do povo; e haja, para cada grupo, uma parte das famílias dos levitas. 6 Imolai o cordeiro da Páscoa; e santificai-vos e preparai-o para vossos irmãos, fazendo segundo a palavra do Senhor, dada por intermédio de Moisés.

7 Ofereceu Josias a todo o povo cordeiros e cabritos do rebanho, todos para os sacrifícios da Páscoa, em número de trinta mil, por todos que se achavam ali; e, de bois, três mil; tudo isto era da fazenda do rei. 8 Também fizeram os seus príncipes ofertas voluntárias ao povo, aos sacerdotes e aos levitas; Hilquias, Zacarias e Jeiel, chefes da Casa de Deus, deram aos sacerdotes, para os sacrifícios da Páscoa, dois mil e seiscentos cordeiros e cabritos e trezentos bois. 9 Conanias, Semaías e Natanael, seus irmãos, como também Hasabias, Jeiel e Jozabade, chefes dos levitas, apresentaram aos levitas, para os sacrifícios da Páscoa, cinco mil cordeiros e cabritos e quinhentos bois. 10 Assim, se preparou o serviço, e puseram-se os sacerdotes nos seus lugares e também os levitas, pelos seus turnos, segundo o mandado do rei.

11 Então, imolaram o cordeiro da Páscoa; e os sacerdotes aspergiam o sangue recebido das mãos dos levitas que esfolavam as reses. 12 Puseram de parte o que era para os holocaustos e o deram ao povo, segundo os grupos das famílias, para que estes o oferecessem ao Senhor, como está escrito no Livro de Moisés; e assim fizeram com os bois. 13 Assaram o cordeiro da Páscoa no fogo, segundo o rito; as ofertas sagradas cozeram em panelas, em caldeirões e em assadeiras; e os levitas as repartiram entre todo o povo. 14 Depois, as prepararam para si e para os sacerdotes; porque os sacerdotes, filhos de Arão, se ocuparam, até à noite, com o sacrifício dos holocaustos e da gordura; por isso é que os levitas prepararam para si e para os sacerdotes, filhos de Arão. 15 Os cantores, filhos de Asafe, estavam nos seus lugares, segundo o mandado de Davi, e de Asafe, e de Hemã, e de Jedutum, vidente do rei, como também os porteiros, a cada porta; não necessitaram de se desviarem do seu ministério; porquanto seus irmãos, os levitas, preparavam o necessário para eles.

16 Assim, se estabeleceu todo o serviço do Senhor, naquele dia, para celebrar a Páscoa e oferecer holocaustos sobre o altar do Senhor, segundo o mandado do rei Josias. 17 Os filhos de Israel que se acharam presentes celebraram a Páscoa naquele tempo e a Festa dos Pães Asmos, por sete dias. 18 Nunca, pois, se celebrou tal Páscoa em Israel, desde os dias do profeta Samuel; e nenhum dos reis de Israel celebrou tal Páscoa, como a que celebrou Josias com os sacerdotes e levitas, e todo o Judá e Israel, que se acharam ali, e os habitantes de Jerusalém. 19 No décimo oitavo ano do reinado de Josias, se celebrou esta Páscoa.

20 Depois de tudo isto, havendo Josias já restaurado o templo, subiu Neco, rei do Egito, para guerrear contra Carquemis, junto ao Eufrates. Josias saiu de encontro a ele. 21 Então, Neco lhe mandou mensageiros, dizendo: Que tenho eu contigo, rei de Judá? Não vou contra ti hoje, mas contra a casa que me faz guerra; e disse Deus que me apressasse; cuida de não te opores a Deus, que é comigo, para que ele não te destrua. 22 Porém Josias não tornou atrás; antes, se disfarçou para pelejar contra ele e, não dando ouvidos às palavras que Neco lhe falara da parte de Deus, saiu a pelejar no vale de Megido. 23 Os flecheiros atiraram contra o rei Josias; então, o rei disse a seus servos: Tirai-me daqui, porque estou gravemente ferido. 24 Seus servos o tiraram do carro, levaram-no para o segundo carro que tinha e o transportaram a Jerusalém; ele morreu, e o sepultaram nos sepulcros de seus pais. Todo o Judá e Jerusalém prantearam Josias. 25 Jeremias compôs uma lamentação sobre Josias; e todos os cantores e cantoras, nas suas lamentações, se têm referido a Josias, até ao dia de hoje; porque as deram por prática em Israel, e estão escritas no Livro de Lamentações. 26 Quanto aos atos de Josias e às suas beneficências, segundo está escrito na Lei do Senhor, 27 e aos mais atos, tanto os primeiros como os últimos, eis que estão escritos no Livro da História dos Reis de Israel e de Judá.

1 And Josiah kept a passover unto Jehovah in Jerusalem: and they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. 2 And he set the priests in their offices, and encouraged them to the service of the house of Jehovah. 3 And he said unto the Levites that taught all Israel, that were holy unto Jehovah, Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel did build; there shall no more be a burden upon your shoulders. Now serve Jehovah your God, and his people Israel; 4 and prepare yourselves after your fathers’ houses by 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 holy place according to the divisions of the fathers’ houses of your brethren the children of the people, and let there be for each a portion of a fathers’ house of the Levites. 6 And kill the passover, and sanctify yourselves, and prepare for your brethren, to do according to the word of Jehovah by Moses.

7 And Josiah gave to the children of the people, of the flock, lambs and kids, all of them for the passover-offerings, unto 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 for a freewill-offering unto the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, the rulers of the house of God, gave unto the priests for the passover-offerings two thousand and six hundred small cattle, and three hundred oxen. 9 Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethanel, his brethren, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, the chiefs of the Levites, gave unto the Levites for the passover-offerings five thousand small cattle, and five hundred oxen.

10 So the service was prepared, and the priests stood in their place, and the Levites by their courses, according to the king’s commandment. 11 And they killed the passover, and the priests sprinkled the blood which they received of their hand, and the Levites flayed them. 12 And they removed the burnt-offerings, that they might give them according to the divisions of the fathers’ houses of the children of the people, to offer unto Jehovah, as it is written in the book of Moses. And so did they with the oxen. 13 And they roasted the passover with fire according to the ordinance: and the holy offerings boiled they in pots, and in caldrons, and in pans, and carried them quickly to all the children of the people. 14 And afterward they prepared for themselves, and for the priests, because the priests the sons of Aaron were busied in offering the burnt-offerings and the fat until night: therefore the Levites prepared for themselves, and for the priests the sons of Aaron. 15 And 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 were at every gate: they needed not to depart from their service; for their brethren the Levites prepared for them.

16 So all the service of Jehovah was prepared the same day, to keep the passover, and to offer burnt-offerings upon the altar of Jehovah, according to the commandment of king Josiah. 17 And the children of Israel that were present kept the passover at that time, and the feast of unleavened bread seven days. 18 And there was no passover like to 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, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 19 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was this passover kept.

20 After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Neco king of Egypt went up to fight against Carchemish by the 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 come not against thee this day, but against the house wherewith I have war; and God hath commanded me to make haste: forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me, that he destroy thee not. 22 Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkened not unto the words of Neco from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo. 23 And the archers shot at king Josiah; and the king said to his servants, Have me away; for I am sore wounded. 24 So his servants took him out of the chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had, and 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 singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations unto this day; 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 good deeds, according to that which is written in the law of Jehovah, 27 and his acts, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.

1 Josiah celebrated the Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem, and the Passover lamb was slaughtered on the fourteenth day of the first month.

2 He appointed the priests to their duties and encouraged them in the service of the LORD's temple.

3 He said to the Levites, who instructed all Israel and who had been consecrated to the LORD: "Put the sacred ark in the temple that Solomon son of David king of Israel built. It is not to be carried about on your shoulders. Now serve the LORD your God and his people Israel.

4 Prepare yourselves by families in your divisions, according to the instructions written by David king of Israel and by his son Solomon.

5 "Stand in the holy place with a group of Levites for each subdivision of the families of your fellow Israelites, the lay people.

6 Slaughter the Passover lambs, consecrate yourselves and prepare the lambs for your fellow Israelites, doing what the LORD commanded through Moses."

7 Josiah provided for all the lay people who were there a total of thirty thousand lambs and goats for the Passover offerings, and also three thousand cattle —all from the king's own possessions.

8 His officials also contributed voluntarily to the people and the priests and Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah and Jehiel, the officials in charge of God's temple, gave the priests twenty-six hundred Passover offerings and three hundred cattle.

9 Also Konaniah along with Shemaiah and Nethanel, his brothers, and Hashabiah, Jeiel and Jozabad, the leaders of the Levites, provided five thousand Passover offerings and five hundred head of cattle for the Levites.

10 The service was arranged and the priests stood in their places with the Levites in their divisions as the king had ordered.

11 The Passover lambs were slaughtered, and the priests splashed against the altar the blood handed to them, while the Levites skinned the animals.

12 They set aside the burnt offerings to give them to the subdivisions of the families of the people to offer to the LORD, as it is written in the Book of Moses. They did the same with the cattle.

13 They roasted the Passover animals over the fire as prescribed, and boiled the holy offerings in pots, caldrons and pans and served them quickly to all the people.

14 After this, they made preparations for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the descendants of Aaron, were sacrificing the burnt offerings and the fat portions until nightfall. So the Levites made preparations for themselves and for the Aaronic priests.

15 The musicians, the descendants of Asaph, were in the places prescribed by David, Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun the king's seer. The gatekeepers at each gate did not need to leave their posts, because their fellow Levites made the preparations for them.

16 So at that time the entire service of the LORD was carried out for the celebration of the Passover and the offering of burnt offerings on the altar of the LORD, as King Josiah had ordered.

17 The Israelites who were present celebrated the Passover at that time and observed the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days.

18 The Passover had not been observed like this in Israel since the days of the prophet Samuel; and none of the kings of Israel had ever celebrated such a Passover as did Josiah, with the priests, the Levites and all Judah and Israel who were there with the people of Jerusalem.

19 This Passover was celebrated in the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign.

20 After all this, when Josiah had set the temple in order, Necho king of Egypt went up to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah marched out to meet him in battle.

21 But Necho sent messengers to him, saying, "What quarrel is there, king of Judah, between you and me? It is not you I am attacking at this time, but the house with which I am at war. God has told me to hurry; so stop opposing God, who is with me, or he will destroy you."

22 Josiah, however, would not turn away from him, but disguised himself to engage him in battle. He would not listen to what Necho had said at God's command but went to fight him on the plain of Megiddo.

23 Archers shot King Josiah, and he told his officers, "Take me away; I am badly wounded."

24 So they took him out of his chariot, put him in his other chariot and brought him to Jerusalem, where he died. He was buried in the tombs of his ancestors, and all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for him.

25 Jeremiah composed laments for Josiah, and to this day all the male and female singers commemorate Josiah in the laments. These became a tradition in Israel and are written in the Laments.

26 The other events of Josiah's reign and his acts of devotion in accordance with what is written in the Law of the LORD —

27 all the events, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.