1 Josias celebrou a páscoa a Jeová em Jerusalém: e mataram o cordeiro da páscoa no décimo quarto dia do primeiro mês.2 Estabeleceu os sacerdotes nos seus cargos e animou-os a servirem na casa de Jeová.3 Disse aos levitas que ensinavam a todo o Israel e que estavam consagrados a Jeová: Ponde a arca sagrada na casa que Salomão, filho de Davi, rei de Israel, edificou; não será mais uma carga sobre os vossos ombros. Agora servi a Jeová vosso Deus e ao seu povo de Israel.4 Preparai-vos pelas vossas famílias, pelas vossas turmas, conforme o que escreveram Davi, rei de Israel, e seu filho Salomão.5 Ministrai no santo lugar segundo as divisões das famílias de vossos irmãos, filhos do povo, e haja para cada divisão uma parte de uma família de levitas.6 Matai o cordeiro pascoal, santificai-vos e preparai a páscoa para vossos irmãos, fazendo conforme a palavra de Jeová, dada por meio de Moisés.7 Josias deu aos filhos do povo, a todos os que se achavam presentes, cordeiros e cabritos do rebanho, em número de trinta mil, todos para as ofertas pascoais, e três mil novilhos: tudo da fazenda do rei.8 Os seus príncipes fizeram dávivas ao povo, aos sacerdotes e aos levitas, para as ofertas voluntárias. Hilquias, Zacarias e Jeiel, chefes da casa de Deus, deram aos sacerdotes para as ofertas pascoais duas mil e seiscentas reses de gado miúdo, e trezentos bois.9 Também Conanias, Semaías e Natanael, seus irmãos, e Hasabias, Jeiel e Jozabade, chefes dos levitas, deram aos levitas para as ofertas pascoais cinco mil reses de gado miúdo e quinhentos bois.10 Assim se preparou o serviço, e os sacerdotes se puseram em seu lugar, como também os levitas pelas suas turmas, segundo o mandado do rei.11 Imolou-se a páscoa; os sacerdotes aspergiam o sangue que lhes era entregue, e os levitas esfolavam as reses.12 Removeram os holocaustos, para os distribuírem segundo as divisões dos filhos do povo, a fim de fazerem ofertas a Jeová como está escrito no livro de Moisés. Assim fizeram com os bois.13 Assaram a páscoa no fogo segundo a ordenança; as ofertas sagradas cozeram-nas em panelas, em caldeirões e em tachos, e distribuíram-nas prontamente a todo o povo.14 Depois as prepararam para si e para os sacerdotes; porque os sacerdotes, filhos de Aarão, estavam ocupados até a noite em oferecerem os holocaustos e a gordura. Por isso os levitas prepararam para si e para os sacerdotes, filhos de Aarão.15 Os cantores, filhos de Asafe, estavam no seu lugar, segundo o mandado de Davi, de Asafe, de Hemã e de Jedutum, vidente do rei; e os porteiros estavam a cada porta; não tinham necessidade de abandonarem o seu serviço, porque os levitas, seus irmãos, prepararam para eles.16 Estabeleceu-se naquele dia todo o serviço de Jeová, para celebrar a páscoa e para oferecer os holocaustos sobre o altar de Jeová segundo o mandado do rei Josias.17 Os filhos de Israel que se achavam presentes celebraram a páscoa naquele tempo, e a festa dos pães asmos por sete dias.18 Não se celebrou em Israel uma festa semelhante a essa desde os dias do profeta Samuel; e nenhum dos reis de Israel celebrou tal páscoa qual celebrou Josias, com os sacerdotes e os levitas e todo o Judá e Israel, que se achavam presentes, os habitantes de Jerusalém.19 Foi celebrada esta páscoa no décimo oitavo ano do reinado de Josias.20 Depois de tudo isto, havendo Josias já preparado o templo, subiu Neco, rei do Egito, para pelejar contra Carquemis junto ao Eufrates. Josias saiu-lhe ao encontro.21 Mas Neco mandou-lhe mensageiros, que lhe dissessem: Que tenho eu contigo, rei de Judá? não venho contra ti hoje, mas contra a casa, à qual faço guerra; Deus me mandou que me apressasse. Deixa de te opores a Deus, que está comigo, não suceda que ele te mate.22 Todavia não quis virar dele o seu rosto, mas disfarçou-se, para pelejar contra ele e, não dando ouvidos às palavras que Neco lhe falou da parte de Deus, veio pelejar no vale de Megido.23 Os flecheiros atiraram contra o rei Josias. Disse o rei ao seus servos: Tirai-me daqui; pois estou gravemente ferido.24 Os seus servos o removeram do carro, o puseram no segundo carro que lhe pertencia, e o levaram para Jerusalém. Ele morreu, e sepultaram-no nos sepulcros de seus pais. Todo o Judá e Jerusalém prantearam a Josias.25 Jeremias fez uma lamentação sobre Josias. Todos os cantores e cantoras nas suas lamentações têm falado de Josias até o dia de hoje: estabeleceram-nas como costume em Israel, e estão escritas nas lamentações.26 Ora o resto dos atos de Josias, e as suas boas obras, segundo o que está escrito na lei de Jeová,27 e os seus atos, tanto os primeiros como os últimos, estão escritos no livro dos reis de Israel e de Judá.

1 And Josias kept a phase to the Lord in Jerusalem, and it was sacrificed on the fourteenth day of the first month.2 And he set the priests in their offices, and exhorted them to minister in the house of the Lord.3 And he spoke to the Levites, by whose instruction all Israel was sanctified to the Lord, saying: Put the ark in the sanctuary of the temple, which Solomon the son of David king of Israel built : for you shall carry it no more: but minister now to the Lord your God, and to his people Israel.4 And prepare yourselves by your houses, and families according to your courses, as David king of Israel commanded, and Solomon his son hath written.5 And serve ye in the sanctuary by the families and companies of Levi.6 And being sanctified kill the phase, and prepare your brethren, that they may do according to the words which the Lord spoke by the hand of Moses.7 And Josias gave to all the people that were found there in the solemnity of the phase, of lambs and of kids of the flocks, and of other small cattle thirty thousand, and of oxen three thousand, all these were of the king's substance.8 And his princes willingly offered what they had vowed, both to the people and to the priests and the Levites. Moreover Helcias, and Zacharias, and Jahiel rulers of the house of the Lord, gave to the priests to keep the phase two thousand six hundred small cattle, and three hundred oxen.9 And Chonenias, and Semeias and Nathanael, his brethren, and Hasabias, and Jehiel, and Jozabad princes of the Levites, gave to the rest of the Levites to celebrate the phase five thousand small cattle, and five hundred oxen.10 And the ministry was prepared, and the priests stood in their office: the Levites also in their companies, according to the king's commandment.11 And the phase was immolated: and the priests sprinkled the blood with their hand, and the Levites flayed the holocausts:12 And they separated them to give them by the houses and families of every one, and to be offered to the Lord, as it is written in the book of Moses, and with the oxen they did in like manner.13 And they roasted the phase with fire, according to that which is written in the law: but the victims of peace offerings they boiled in caldrons, and kettles, and pots, and they distributed them speedily among all the people.14 And afterwards they made ready for themselves, and for the priests: for the priests were busied in offering of holocausts and the fat until night: wherefore the Levites prepared for themselves, and for the priests the sons of Aaron last.15 And the singers the sons of Asaph stood in their order, according to the commandment of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Idithun the prophets of the king: and the porters kept guard at every gate, so as not to depart one moment from their service: and therefore their brethren the Levites prepared meats for them.16 So all the service of the Lord was duly accomplished that day, both in keeping the phase, and offering holocausts upon the altar of the Lord, according to the commandment of king Josias.17 And the children of Israel that were found there, kept the phase at that time, and the feast of unleavened bread seven days.18 There was no phase like to this in Israel, from the days of Samuel the prophet: neither did any of all the kings of Israel keep such a phase as Josias kept, with the priests, and the Levites, and all Juda, and Israel that were found, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.19 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josias was this phase celebrated.20 After that Josias had repaired the temple, Nechao king of Egypt came up to fight in Charcamis by the Euphrates: and Josias went out to meet him.21 But he sent messengers to him, saying: What have I to do with thee, O king of Juda? I come not against thee this day, but I fight against another house, to which God hath commanded me to go in haste : forbear to do against God, who is with me, lest he kill thee.22 Josias would not return, but prepared to fight against him, and hearkened not to the words of Nechao from the mouth of God, I but went to fight in the field of Mageddo.23 And there he was wounded by the archers, and he said to his servants: Carry me out of the battle, for I am grievously wounded.24 And they removed him from the chariot into another, that followed him after the manner of kings, and they carried him away to Jerusalem, and he died, and was buried in the monument of his fathers, and all Juda and Jerusalem mourned for him,25 Particularly Jeremias: whose lamentations for Josias all the singing men and singing women repeat unto this day, and it became like a law in Israel: Behold it is found written in the Lamentations.26 Now the rest of the acts of Josias and of his mercies, according to what was commanded by the law of the Lord:27 And his works first and last, are written in the book of the kings of Juda and Israel.