Josiah keepeth a most solemn Passover.

1 ¶ Moreover Josiahº keptºª a passoverº unto the LORDº in Jerusalem:º and they killedºª the passoverº on the fourteenthºº [day] of the firstº month.º 2 And he setºª the priestsº in² their charges,º and encouragedºª them to the serviceº of the houseº of the LORD,º 3 And saidºª unto the Levitesº that taughtº¹ªª all² Israel,º which were holyº unto the LORD,º Putºª² the holyº arkº in the houseº which² Solomonº the sonº of Davidº kingº of Israelº did build;ºª [it shall] not² [be] a burdenº upon [your] shoulders:º serveºª now²² the LORDº your God,º and his peopleº Israel,º 4 And prepareºªªª [yourselves] by the housesº of your fathers,º after your courses,º according to the writingº of Davidº kingº of Israel,º and according to the writingº of Solomonº his son.º 5 And stand² in¹ª the holyº [place] according to the divisionsº of the familiesº of the fathersº of your brethrenº the people,ºº and [after] the divisionº of the familiesºº of the Levites.º 6 So killºª the passover,º and sanctify¹ª yourselves,² and prepareºª your brethren,º that [they] may doºª according to the wordº of the LORDº by the handº of Moses.º 7 And Josiahº gaveºª to the people,ºº of the flock,º lambsº and kids,ºº all² for the passover offerings,º for all² that were present,ºª to the numberº of thirtyº thousand,º and threeº thousandº bullocks:º these² [were] of the king'sº substance.º² 8 And his princesº gaveºª willinglyº unto the people,º to the priests,º and to the Levites:º Hilkiahº and Zechariahº and Jehiel,º rulersº of the houseº of God,º gaveºª unto the priestsº for the passover offeringsº two thousandº and sixº hundredº [small cattle], and threeº hundredº oxen.º 9 Conaniahº also, and Shemaiahº and Nethaneel,º his brethren,º and Hashabiahº and Jeielº and Jozabad,º chiefº of the Levites,º gaveºª unto the Levitesº for passover offeringsº fiveº thousandº [small cattle], and fiveº hundredº oxen.º 10 So the serviceº was prepared,ºª and the priestsº stoodºª in² their place,º and the Levitesº in² their courses,º according to the king'sº commandment.º 11 And they killedºª the passover,º and the priestsº sprinkledºª [the blood] from their hands,º² and the Levitesº flayedºª [them]. 12 And they removedºª the burnt offerings,º that they might giveºª according to the divisionsº of the familiesºº of the people,ºº to offerºª unto the LORD,º as [it is] writtenºª in the bookº of Moses.º And so² [did they] with the oxen.º 13 And they roastedºª the passoverº with fireº according to the ordinance:º but the [other] holyº [offerings] sodºª they in pots,º and in caldrons,º and in pans,º and divided [them] speedilyºª among all² the people.ºº 14 And afterwardº they made readyºª for themselves, and for the priests:º because² the priestsº the sonsº of Aaronº [were busied] in offeringºª of burnt offeringsº and the fatº until² night;º therefore the Levitesº preparedºª for themselves, and for the priestsº the sonsº of Aaron.º 15 And the singersºª the sonsº of Asaphº [were] in² their place,º according to the commandmentº of David,º and Asaph,º and Heman,º and Jeduthunº the king'sº seer;º and the portersº [waited] at every gate;º they might not² departºª from²² their service;º for² their brethrenº the Levitesº preparedºª for them. 16 So all² the serviceº of the LORDº was preparedºª the same² day,º to keepºª the passover,º and to offerºª burnt offeringsº upon² the altarº of the LORD,º according to the commandmentº of kingº Josiah.º 17 And the childrenº of Israelº that were presentºª keptºª² the passoverº at that² time,º and the feastº of unleavened breadº sevenº days.º 18 And there was no² passoverº like¹ to² that keptºª in Israelº from the daysº² of Samuelº the prophet;º neither² didºª all² the kingsº of Israelº keepºª such a passoverº as² Josiahº kept,ºª and the priests,º and the Levites,º and all² Judahº and Israelº that were present,ºª and the inhabitantsºª of Jerusalem.º 19 In the eighteenthºº yearº of the reignº of Josiahº was this² passoverº kept.ºª

He, provoking Pharaoh-necho, is slain at Megiddo.

20 ¶ Afterº all² this,² when² Josiahº had preparedºª² the temple,º Nechoº kingº of Egyptº came upºª to fightºª against Carchemishº by² Euphrates:º and Josiahº went outºª againstºª him. 21 But he sentºª ambassadorsº to² him, saying,ºª What² have I to do with thee, thou kingº of Judah?º [I come] not² against² thee² this day,º but² against² the houseº wherewith I have war:º for Godº commandedºª me to make haste:ºª forbearºª thee from [meddling with] God,º² who² [is] with² me, that he destroyºª thee not.² 22 Nevertheless Josiahº would not² turnºª his faceº from² him, but² disguised¹ª himself,² that he might fightºª with him, and hearkenedºª not² unto² the wordsº of Nechoº from the mouthº² of God,º and cameºª to fightºª in the valleyº of Megiddo.º 23 And the archersºª shotºª at kingº Josiah;º and the kingº saidºª to his servants,º Have me away;ºª for² I am sore¹ wounded.ºª² 24 His servantsº therefore tookºª him out of² that chariot,º and putºª him in² the secondº chariotº that² he had; and they brought¹ª² him to Jerusalem,º and he died,ºª and was buriedºª in [one of] the sepulchresº of his fathers.º And all² Judahº and Jerusalemº mournedºª for² Josiah.º

Lamentations for Josiah.

25 ¶ And Jeremiahº lamentedºª for² Josiah:º and all² the singing menºª and the singing womenºª spakeºª of² Josiahº in their lamentationsº to² this day,º and madeºª them an ordinanceº in² Israel:º and, behold,² they [are] writtenºª in² the lamentations.º 26 Now the restº of the actsº of Josiah,º and his goodness,º according to [that which was] writtenºª in the lawº of the LORD,º 27 And his deeds,º firstº and last,º behold,² they [are] writtenºª in² the bookº of the kingsº of Israelº and Judah.º