2 Chronicles 35

1And Josiah kept a passover unto Jehovah in Jerusalem: and they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.

1Josiah celebrated the Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem; they killed the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of the first month.

2And he set the priests in their offices, and encouraged them to the service of the house of Jehovah.

2He assigned the priests to their duties and encouraged them in their service at the LORD’s temple.

3And 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;

3He told the Levites-who taught all Israel and were set apart for the LORD-'Put the holy chest in the temple built by Solomon son of David, the king of Israel. You no longer have to carry it on your shoulders. Now serve the LORD your God and his people Israel.

4and 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.

4Organize yourselves by your families and divisions, following the written instructions of King David of Israel and his son Solomon.

5And 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 father’s house of the Levites.

5Stand in the holy place according to the family groups of the laypeople, so that there is a group of Levites for every family division of the people.

6And kill the passover, and sanctify yourselves, and prepare for your brethren, to do according to the word of Jehovah by Moses.

6Kill the Passover lambs, consecrate yourselves, and prepare the animals for your fellow Israelites, doing exactly what the LORD commanded through Moses.'

7And 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.

7Josiah provided the people with thirty thousand lambs and young goats for the Passover offerings, along with three thousand bulls. All these came from the king’s own property.

8And 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.

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

9Conaniah 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.

9Also Conaniah, along with his brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel, and Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad, the leaders of the Levites, gave the Levites five thousand Passover offerings and five hundred bulls.

10So the service was prepared, and the priests stood in their place, and the Levites by their courses, according to the king’s commandment.

10When the preparations were finished, the priests stood in their places and the Levites stood in their divisions according to the king’s command.

11And they killed the passover, and the priests sprinkled the blood which they received of their hand, and the Levites flayed them.

11They killed the Passover lambs, and while the Levites skinned the animals, the priests splashed the blood they had received from them.

12And 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.

12They set aside the burnt offerings to give them to the family groups of the people to offer to the LORD, as written in the Book of Moses. They did the same with the bulls.

13And 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.

13They roasted the Passover lambs over the fire according to the regulation, and they boiled the holy offerings in pots, kettles, and pans, quickly serving them to all the people.

14And 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.

14Afterward, the Levites prepared meat for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the descendants of Aaron, were busy offering burnt offerings and fat until dark. So the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests.

15And 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.

15The singers, the descendants of Asaph, were in their assigned places according to the command of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer. The gatekeepers were at every gate; they did not need to leave their posts because their fellow Levites prepared the food for them.

16So 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.

16So the whole service of the LORD was carried out that day to celebrate the Passover and to offer burnt offerings on the altar of the LORD, just as King Josiah had ordered.

17And the children of Israel that were present kept the passover at that time, and the feast of unleavened bread seven days.

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

18And 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.

18No Passover like this had been celebrated in Israel since the time of Samuel the prophet. None of the kings of Israel had ever kept a Passover like the one Josiah kept with the priests, the Levites, all Judah and Israel who were there, and the people of Jerusalem.

19In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was this passover kept.

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

20After 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.

20After Josiah had finished repairing the temple, King Neco of Egypt went up to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates River, and Josiah marched out to meet him in battle.

21But 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.

21But Neco sent messengers to him, saying, 'What is this between you and me, king of Judah? I am not attacking you today, but the kingdom I am at war with. God told me to hurry. Stop interfering with God, who is with me, or he will destroy you.'

22Nevertheless 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.

22However, Josiah would not turn back. He disguised himself to go into battle, refusing to listen to what Neco said at God’s command. He went to fight on the plain of Megiddo.

23And the archers shot at king Josiah; and the king said to his servants, Have me away; for I am sore wounded.

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

24So 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.

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

25And 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.

25Jeremiah composed a funeral song for Josiah, and to this day all the male and female singers remember Josiah in their laments. These became a tradition in Israel and are written in the collection of Laments.

26Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and his good deeds, according to that which is written in the law of Jehovah,

26The rest of the events of Josiah’s reign and his acts of devotion, in line with what is written in the Law of the LORD,

27and his acts, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.

27and his deeds from beginning to end, are recorded in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.