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 Daarna het Jos¡a in Jerusalem die pasga tot eer van die HERE gehou; en hulle het die pasga geslag op die veertiende van die eerste maand.

2 En hy het die priesters hulle dienspligte laat waarneem en hulle versterk vir die diens in die huis van die HERE.

3 Ook het hy aan die Leviete, die onderwysers van die hele Israel, wat heilig was aan die HERE, gesê: Sit die heilige ark in die huis wat Salomo, die seun van Dawid, die koning van Israel, gebou het; julle hoef niks meer op die skouers te dra nie: dien nou die HERE julle God en sy volk Israel;

4 en hou julle gereed volgens julle families, volgens julle afdelings, ooreenkomstig die voorskrif van Dawid, die koning van Israel, en die verordening van sy seun Salomo:

5 gaan staan in die heiligdom volgens die afdelings van die families van julle broers, die volksgenote, naamlik vir elkeen daarvan 'n afdeling van 'n Levitiese familie;

6 en slag die pasga en heilig julle en berei dit vir julle broers, om te doen volgens die woord van die HERE deur die diens van Moses.

7 En Jos¡a het aan die mense uit die volk afgegee kleinvee, skaaplammers en boklammers, dit alles as paasoffers, aan almal wat daar aanwesig was, dertig duisend in getal, en drie duisend beeste; dit was uit die besitting van die koning.

8 Ook sy vorste het aan die volk, aan die priesters en die Leviete vrywillig afgegee. Hilk¡a en Sagar¡a en J,hiël, die vorste oor die huis van God, het aan die priesters as paasoffers twee duisend ses honderd stuks kleinvee en drie honderd beeste gegee.

9 En Kon nja en sy broers Sem ja en Net neël, en Has bja en Je‹-el en Josabad, die owerstes van die Leviete, het aan die Leviete as paasoffers vyf duisend stuks kleinvee en vyf honderd beeste afgegee.

10 Die diens is toe gereël: die priesters het op hul plek gaan staan, en die Leviete volgens hulle afdelings, volgens die bevel van die koning.

11 Daarna het hulle die pasga geslag, en die priesters het die bloed uit die Leviete se hand geneem en dit uitgegooi, onderwyl die Leviete besig was om af te slag.

12 En hulle het wat vir die brandoffer bestem was, afgesonder om dit aan die familie-afdelings van die mense van die volk te gee om aan die HERE te offer, soos geskrywe is in die boek van Moses; en net so met die beeste.

13 En hulle het die pasga op die vuur gebraai volgens die voorskrif, maar die heilige gawes in potte en in kanne en in skottels gekook en gou aan al die mense van die volk gebring.

14 Daarna het hulle dit ook vir hulleself berei en vir die priesters; want die priesters, die seuns van A„ron, was tot in die nag besig met die offer van die brandoffer en die vetstukke; daarom het die Leviete dit vir hulleself en vir die priesters, die seuns van A„ron, berei.

15 En die sangers, die seuns van Asaf, was op hulle plek volgens die bevel van Dawid en van Asaf en Heman en Jedutun, die siener van die koning, en die poortwagters by elke poort; hulle het nie nodig gehad om van hulle diens af weg te gaan nie, want hulle broers, die Leviete, het dit vir hulle berei.

16 Die hele diens van die HERE is toe op die dag gereël -- om die pasga te hou en brandoffers te bring op die altaar van die HERE volgens die gebod van koning Jos¡a.

17 En die kinders van Israel wat aanwesig was, het die pasga gehou in die tyd, en ook die fees van die ongesuurde brode, sewe dae lank.

18 So 'n pasga soos die is in Israel nie gehou van die dae van die profeet Samuel af nie, en al die konings van Israel het nie so 'n pasga gehou as wat Jos¡a en die priesters en die Leviete en die hele Juda en Israel wat aanwesig was, en die inwoners van Jerusalem gehou het nie.

19 In die agttiende jaar van die regering van Jos¡a is hierdie pasga gehou.

20 N dit alles, toe Jos¡a die huis herstel het, het Nego, die koning van Egipte, opgetrek om te veg by K rkemis aan die Eufraat, en Jos¡a het uitgetrek hom tegemoet.

21 Toe stuur hy boodskappers na hom om te sê: Wat het ek met jou te doen, koning van Juda? Ek kom nie vandag teen jou nie, maar teen die huis wat gedurig teen my oorlog voer; en God het gesê ek moet gou maak. Verset jou nie teen God wat met my is, dat Hy jou nie vernietig nie.

22 Jos¡a het egter sy gesig nie van hom afgewend nie, maar homself onkenbaar gemaak om teen hom te veg; hy het nie geluister na die woorde van Nego uit die mond van God nie, en aangekom om te veg in die laagte van Meg¡ddo.

23 En die skutters het koning Jos¡a raak geskiet. Toe sê die koning aan sy dienaars: Bring my weg, want ek is swaar gewond.

24 Sy dienaars bring hom toe van die strydwa af weg en laat hom op sy tweede wa ry en vervoer hom na Jerusalem; en hy het gesterwe en is begrawe in die grafte van sy vaders, terwyl die hele Juda en Jerusalem oor Jos¡a gerou het.

25 En Jerem¡a het 'n klaaglied op Jos¡a gedig, en al die sangers en sangeresse het in hulle klaagliedere van Jos¡a gespreek tot vandag toe en dit tot 'n insetting in Israel gemaak; en kyk, dit is beskrywe in die Klaagliedere.

26 En die verdere geskiedenis van Jos¡a en sy vrome dade, volgens wat geskrywe is in die wet van die HERE,

27 sy geskiedenis dan, die vroeëre en die latere, kyk, dit is beskrywe in die Boek van die konings van Israel en Juda.