2 Chronicles 35:11-27

35:11 They slaughtered the Passover lambs and the priests splashed the blood, ¹  while the Levites skinned the animals. 35:12 They reserved the burnt offerings and the cattle for the family divisions of the people to present to the Lord, as prescribed in the scroll of Moses. ²  35:13 They cooked the Passover sacrifices over the open fire as prescribed and cooked the consecrated offerings in pots, kettles, and pans. They quickly served them to all the people. 35:14 Afterward they made preparations for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the descendants of Aaron, were offering burnt sacrifices and fat portions until evening. The Levites made preparations for themselves and for the priests, the descendants of Aaron. 35:15 The musicians, the descendants of Asaph, manned their posts, as prescribed by David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s prophet. ³  The guards at the various gates did not need to leave their posts, for their fellow Levites made preparations for them. 35:16 So all the preparations for the Lord’s service were made that day, as the Passover was observed and the burnt sacrifices were offered on the altar of the Lord, as prescribed by King Josiah. 35:17 So the Israelites who were present observed the Passover at that time, as well as the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days. 35:18 A Passover like this had not been observed in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet. None of the kings of Israel had observed a Passover like the one celebrated by Josiah, the priests, the Levites, all the people of Judah and Israel who were there, and the residents of Jerusalem. 35:19 This Passover was observed in the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign.

Josiah’s Reign Ends

35:20 After Josiah had done all this for the temple, ⁴  King Necho of Egypt marched up to do battle at Carchemish on the Euphrates River. ⁵  Josiah marched out to oppose him. 35:21 Necho ⁶  sent messengers to him, saying, “Why are you opposing me, O king of Judah? ⁷  I am not attacking you today, but the kingdom with which I am at war. ⁸  God told me to hurry. Stop opposing God, who is with me, or else he will destroy you.” ⁹  35:22 But Josiah did not turn back from him; ¹⁰  he disguised himself for battle. He did not take seriously ¹¹  the words of Necho which he had received from God; he went to fight him in the Plain of Megiddo. ¹²  35:23 Archers shot King Josiah; the king ordered his servants, “Take me out of this chariot, ¹³  for I am seriously wounded.” 35:24 So his servants took him out of the chariot, put him in another chariot that he owned, and brought him to Jerusalem, ¹⁴  where he died. He was buried in the tombs of his ancestors; ¹⁵  all the people of Judah and Jerusalem mourned Josiah. 35:25 Jeremiah composed laments for Josiah which all the male and female singers use to mourn Josiah to this very day. It has become customary in Israel to sing these; they are recorded in the Book of Laments.

35:26 The rest of the events of Josiah’s reign, including the faithful acts he did in obedience to what is written in the law of the Lord ¹⁶  35:27 and his accomplishments, from start to finish, are recorded ¹⁷  in the Scroll of the Kings of Israel and Judah.

¹ tn Heb “from their hand.”

² tn Heb “and they put aside the burnt offering[s] to give them to the divisions of the house of the fathers for the sons of the people to bring near to the Lord as it is written in the scroll of Moses – and the same with the cattle.”

³ tn Or “seer.”

⁴ tn Heb “After all this, [by] which Josiah prepared the temple.”

⁵ tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Neco) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁷ tn Heb “What to me and to you, king of Judah?”

⁸ tn Heb “Not against you, you, today, but against the house of my battle.”

⁹ tn Heb “Stop yourself from [opposing] God who is with me and let him not destroy you.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “and Josiah did not turn his face from him.”

¹¹ tn Heb “listen to.”

¹² map For location see Map1-D4; Map2-C1; Map4-C2; Map5-F2; Map7-B1.

¹³ tn Heb “carry me away.”

¹⁴ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

¹⁵ tn Heb “fathers.”

¹⁶ tn Heb “and his faithful acts according to what is written in the law of the Lord.”

¹⁷ tn Heb “look, they are written.”