The Death of Josiah^(A)

²⁰ After all this, when Josiah had set the temple in order, Necho king of Egypt went up to fight at Carchemish^(B) on the Euphrates,^(C) and Josiah marched out to meet him in battle. ²¹ But Necho sent messengers to him, saying, “What quarrel is there, king of Judah, between you and me? It is not you I am attacking at this time, but the house with which I am at war. God has told^(D) me to hurry; so stop opposing God, who is with me, or he will destroy you.”

²² Josiah, however, would not turn away from him, but disguised^(E) himself to engage him in battle. He would not listen to what Necho had said at God’s command but went to fight him on the plain of Megiddo.

²³ Archers^(F) shot King Josiah, and he told his officers, “Take me away; I am badly wounded.” ²⁴ So they took him out of his chariot, put him in his other chariot and brought him to Jerusalem, where he died. He was buried in the tombs of his ancestors, and all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for him.

²⁵ Jeremiah composed laments for Josiah, and to this day all the male and female singers commemorate Josiah in the laments.^(G) These became a tradition in Israel and are written in the Laments.^(H)

²⁶ The other events of Josiah’s reign and his acts of devotion in accordance with what is written in the Law of the Lord— ²⁷ all the events, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. 36 ¹ And the people^(I) of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and made him king in Jerusalem in place of his father.

Jehoahaz King of Judah^(A)

³¹ Jehoahaz^(B) was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Hamutal^(C) daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. ³² He did evil^(D) in the eyes of the Lord, just as his predecessors had done. ³³ Pharaoh Necho put him in chains at Riblah^(E) in the land of Hamath^(F) so that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and he imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents^[a] of silver and a talent^[b] of gold. ³⁴ Pharaoh Necho made Eliakim^(G) son of Josiah king in place of his father Josiah and changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt, and there he died.^{(H) 35} Jehoiakim paid Pharaoh Necho the silver and gold he demanded. In order to do so, he taxed the land and exacted the silver and gold from the people of the land according to their assessments.^(I)

Jehoiakim King of Judah^(J)

³⁶ Jehoiakim^(K) was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah; she was from Rumah. ³⁷ And he did evil^(L) in the eyes of the Lord, just as his predecessors had done.