约西亚守逾越节

35 约西亚在耶路撒冷为耶和华守逾越节。一月十四日,众人宰杀逾越节的祭牲。 他指派祭司各尽其职,鼓励他们在耶和华的殿里事奉, 又对将自己献给耶和华、负责教导以色列人的利未人说:“你们把圣约柜放在以色列王大卫的儿子所罗门建的殿里,不用再扛在肩上。现在你们去事奉你们的上帝耶和华和祂的以色列子民吧。 你们要按宗族和班次,依照以色列王大卫和他儿子所罗门所写的指示,预备自己。 你们要按你们弟兄所在宗族的班次,侍立在圣所,每个班次中要有几个利未宗族的人。 你们要宰杀逾越节的羊羔,洁净自己,为你们的弟兄做好准备,依照耶和华借摩西所吩咐的去行。”

约西亚从自己的产业中,捐出三万只绵羊羔和山羊羔,以及三千头公牛,赐给所有在场的人做逾越节的祭牲。 他的众官员也自愿为民众、祭司和利未人捐献。管理上帝殿的希勒迦、撒迦利亚和耶歇献出两千六百只羊羔和三百头牛,给祭司做逾越节的祭牲。 利未人的首领歌楠雅和他的两个兄弟示玛雅和拿坦业,及哈沙比雅、耶利、约撒拔献出五千只羊羔和五百头牛,给利未人做逾越节的祭牲。

10 一切都准备好后,依照王的吩咐,祭司站在自己的地方,利未人按照班次侍立。 11 利未人宰杀逾越节的羊羔,祭司从他们手中接过血,洒在坛上,又剥去祭牲的皮。 12 他们按照宗族把燔祭分给众人,好使他们按照摩西书上所写的,把祭物献给耶和华。献牛也是这样。 13 他们按规定用火烤逾越节的羊羔,在锅里、罐里和盆里煮圣物,然后迅速分给民众。 14 之后,利未人为自己和祭司预备祭物,因为做祭司的亚伦子孙要继续献燔祭和脂肪一直到晚上。 15 负责歌乐的亚萨子孙依照大卫、亚萨、希幔和王的先见耶杜顿的吩咐,站在自己的岗位上;殿门守卫都看守各门,不必离开工作岗位,因为他们的弟兄利未人为他们预备了祭物。

16 当天,一切事奉的事都办好了,他们就按约西亚王的命令守逾越节,又在耶和华的坛上献燔祭。 17 所有在场的以色列人都在那时守逾越节,又守除酵节七天。 18 自撒母耳先知以来,在以色列从来没有守过这样的逾越节,以色列从没有君王像约西亚、祭司、利未人、所有在场的犹大人和以色列人,以及耶路撒冷的居民这样守过逾越节。 19 这次逾越节是在约西亚执政第十八年庆祝的。

约西亚逝世

20 约西亚办理完殿里的事后,埃及王尼哥上来,要攻打幼发拉底河附近的迦基米施。约西亚出兵拦阻。 21 尼哥派使者对约西亚说:“犹大王啊,我与你没有恩怨。我今天来不是要攻击你,乃是要攻击与我作战的那一家。上帝吩咐我要速速完成,你不要与上帝作对,免得祂毁灭你,因为上帝与我同在。” 22 约西亚却不听上帝借尼哥说的话。他没有退兵,反而乔装上阵,与尼哥会战于米吉多平原。 23 约西亚王在战场上中箭受伤,就对仆人说:“我受了重伤,带我离开吧。” 24 他的仆人就扶他下战车,上另一辆战车,送到耶路撒冷。约西亚死在那里,葬在他祖先的坟墓里。所有犹大和耶路撒冷的人都为他哀悼。 25 耶利米为约西亚作了哀歌,所有的男女歌乐手至今仍用这些哀歌纪念约西亚,成了以色列的传统。这些哀歌都记在《哀歌书》上。

26 约西亚其他的事迹和他怎样忠心地遵行耶和华的律法, 27 自始至终都记在《以色列和犹大的列王史》上。

Josiah Keeps the Passover

35 (A)Josiah kept a Passover to the Lord in Jerusalem. And they slaughtered the Passover lamb (B)on the fourteenth day of the first month. He appointed the priests to their offices (C)and encouraged them in the service of the house of the Lord. And he said to the Levites (D)who taught all Israel and who were holy to the Lord, “Put the holy ark in the house that Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, built. You need not carry it on your shoulders. Now serve the Lord your God and his people Israel. Prepare yourselves (E)according to your fathers' houses by your divisions, (F)as prescribed in the writing of David king of Israel (G)and the document of Solomon his son. And (H)stand in the Holy Place (I)according to the groupings of the fathers' houses of your brothers the lay people, and according to the division of the Levites by fathers' household. And slaughter the Passover lamb, and (J)consecrate yourselves, and prepare for your brothers, to do according to the word of the Lord by[a] Moses.”

Then Josiah contributed to the lay people, as Passover offerings for all who were present, lambs and young goats from the flock to the number of 30,000, and 3,000 bulls; (K)these were from the king's possessions. And his officials contributed willingly to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. (L)Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, the chief officers of the house of God, gave to the priests for the Passover offerings 2,600 Passover lambs and 300 bulls. Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethanel his brothers, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, the chiefs of the Levites, gave to the Levites for the Passover offerings 5,000 lambs and young goats and 500 bulls.

10 When the service had been prepared for, the priests (M)stood in their place, (N)and the Levites in their divisions according to the king's command. 11 (O)And they slaughtered the Passover lamb, and the priests (P)threw the blood that they received from them (Q)while the Levites flayed the sacrifices. 12 And they set aside the burnt offerings that they might distribute them according to the groupings of the fathers' houses of the lay people, to offer to the Lord, as it is written in the Book of Moses. And so they did with the bulls. 13 (R)And they roasted the Passover lamb with fire according to the rule; and they (S)boiled the holy offerings in pots, in cauldrons, and in pans, and carried them quickly to all the lay people. 14 And afterward they prepared for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the sons of Aaron, were offering the burnt offerings and the fat parts until night; so the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests, the sons of Aaron. 15 The singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their place (T)according to the command of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king's (U)seer; (V)and the gatekeepers were at each gate. They did not need to depart from their service, for their brothers the Levites prepared for them.

16 So all the service of the Lord was prepared that day, to keep the Passover and to offer burnt offerings on the altar of the Lord, according to the command of King Josiah. 17 And the people of Israel who were present kept the Passover at that time, (W)and the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days. 18 (X)No Passover like it had been kept in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet. None of the kings of Israel had kept such a Passover as was kept by Josiah, and the priests and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 19 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah this Passover was kept.

Josiah Killed in Battle

20 (Y)After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Neco king of Egypt went up to fight at (Z)Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to meet him. 21 But he sent envoys to him, saying, “What have we to do with each other, king of Judah? I am not coming against you this day, but against the house with which I am at war. And God has commanded me to hurry. Cease opposing God, who is with me, lest he destroy you.” 22 Nevertheless, Josiah did not turn away from him, but (AA)disguised himself in order to fight with him. He did not listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God, but came to fight in the plain of (AB)Megiddo. 23 And the archers shot King Josiah. And the king said to his servants, (AC)“Take me away, for I am badly wounded.” 24 So his servants took him out of the chariot and carried him in his second chariot and brought him to Jerusalem. And he died and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. (AD)All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. 25 (AE)Jeremiah also uttered a lament for Josiah; and all (AF)the singing men and singing women have spoken of Josiah in their laments to this day. They made these a rule in Israel; behold, they are written in the Laments. 26 Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and his good deeds according to what is written in the Law of the Lord, 27 and his acts, first and last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 35:6 Hebrew by the hand of

Josiah Celebrates the Passover(A)

35 Josiah celebrated the Passover(B) to the Lord in Jerusalem, and the Passover lamb was slaughtered on the fourteenth day of the first month. He appointed the priests to their duties and encouraged them in the service of the Lord’s temple. He said to the Levites, who instructed(C) all Israel and who had been consecrated to the Lord: “Put the sacred ark in the temple that Solomon son of David king of Israel built. It is not to be carried about on your shoulders. Now serve the Lord your God and his people Israel. Prepare yourselves by families in your divisions,(D) according to the instructions written by David king of Israel and by his son Solomon.

“Stand in the holy place with a group of Levites for each subdivision of the families of your fellow Israelites, the lay people. Slaughter the Passover lambs, consecrate yourselves(E) and prepare the lambs for your fellow Israelites, doing what the Lord commanded through Moses.”

Josiah provided for all the lay people who were there a total of thirty thousand lambs and goats for the Passover offerings,(F) and also three thousand cattle—all from the king’s own possessions.(G)

His officials also contributed(H) voluntarily to the people and the priests and Levites. Hilkiah,(I) Zechariah and Jehiel, the officials in charge of God’s temple, gave the priests twenty-six hundred Passover offerings and three hundred cattle. Also Konaniah(J) along with Shemaiah and Nethanel, his brothers, and Hashabiah, Jeiel and Jozabad,(K) the leaders of the Levites, provided five thousand Passover offerings and five hundred head of cattle for the Levites.

10 The service was arranged and the priests stood in their places with the Levites in their divisions(L) as the king had ordered.(M) 11 The Passover lambs were slaughtered,(N) and the priests splashed against the altar the blood handed to them, while the Levites skinned the animals. 12 They set aside the burnt offerings to give them to the subdivisions of the families of the people to offer to the Lord, as it is written in the Book of Moses. They did the same with the cattle. 13 They roasted the Passover animals over the fire as prescribed,(O) and boiled the holy offerings in pots, caldrons and pans and served them quickly to all the people. 14 After this, they made preparations for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the descendants of Aaron, were sacrificing the burnt offerings and the fat portions(P) until nightfall. So the Levites made preparations for themselves and for the Aaronic priests.

15 The musicians,(Q) the descendants of Asaph, were in the places prescribed by David, Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun the king’s seer. The gatekeepers at each gate did not need to leave their posts, because their fellow Levites made the preparations for them.

16 So at that time the entire service of the Lord was carried out for the celebration of the Passover and the offering of burnt offerings on the altar of the Lord, as King Josiah had ordered. 17 The Israelites who were present celebrated the Passover at that time and observed the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days. 18 The Passover had not been observed like this in Israel since the days of the prophet Samuel; and none of the kings of Israel had ever celebrated such a Passover as did Josiah, with the priests, the Levites and all Judah and Israel who were there with the people of Jerusalem. 19 This Passover was celebrated in the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign.

The Death of Josiah(R)

20 After all this, when Josiah had set the temple in order, Necho king of Egypt went up to fight at Carchemish(S) on the Euphrates,(T) 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(U) 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(V) 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(W) 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.(X) These became a tradition in Israel and are written in the Laments.(Y)

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.

Passover is Josiah’s first opportunity to demonstrate his renewed devotion to God. Therefore, each detail perfectly follows His mandates for the event, from the day the offerings are slaughtered to the Levites’ specific duties. Although there is devotion in the land, apostasy will return once Josiah dies. The punishment of Israel is not averted, just delayed.

35 On the 14th day of the first month after Josiah had rededicated the nation to God, the king instituted the Eternal’s Passover feast in Jerusalem by slaughtering the Passover animals. Josiah appointed the priests and encouraged them in performing their duties for the Eternal’s temple. Then he commissioned the Levites, Israel’s teachers and the Eternal’s most holy servants, in their various duties for the feast.

Josiah: You no longer need to carry the holy covenant chest on your shoulders. Bring it to the temple which Solomon, son of King David, built and leave it there. From now on, your primary responsibility is serving the Eternal God and His people, Israel. Cleanse yourselves, as King David and his son Solomon described for you in writing, according to your lineage and duties. Then stand with your kinsmen inside the temple, dividing yourselves by the tribes and your fathers’ households under whom you serve. Once you are organized, slaughter the Passover animals, cleanse yourselves, and prepare your people to participate in the ceremonies as the Eternal’s law by Moses describes.

Josiah donated 30,000 lambs and young goats and 3,000 bulls from his own herds and flocks for the people to sacrifice as the Passover offerings. Then his officers in the True God’s temple voluntarily gave offerings for the people, priests, and Levites: Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel donated 2,600 sheep and 300 bulls for the Passover; Conaniah, Shemaiah, Nethanel and his brothers, Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad, all officers of the Levites, donated 5,000 sheep and 500 bulls to the Levites for the Passover.

10 Once the service was prepared, the priests were ready to perform their duties, and the Levites stood in their division as the king commanded. 11-13 They offered the Passover animals. The Levites skinned all the animals, the priests sprinkled the animals’ blood, and then they roasted the animals on the altar. Once the animals were roasted, they took down the carcasses and distributed them to each tribe for offerings to the Eternal, just as the book of Moses prescribed. The Levites then boiled the other holy offerings in containers and took them to the people. 14 Once the people of the nation were enjoying the feast, the Levites prepared meals for themselves and for the priests (the Aaronites, who were busy with the burnt and fat offerings until late in the evening), 15 the singers (the sons of Asaph), Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun (the king’s seer), and the gatekeepers so that none of them needed to leave their prescribed duties to enjoy the feast.

16 On that day, all the Eternal’s servants completed preparations for the Passover, giving burnt offerings on the Eternal’s altar as Josiah commanded, 17 and all the Israelites who were present in Jerusalem celebrated the Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for a full week. 18 This was the first Passover feast since Samuel was judging Israel. No other king’s festival was ever as precise or as well-attended by the priests, Levites, and all the Israelites. 19 It took place during Josiah’s 18th year as king.

20 After the incredible success of the Passover and Josiah’s organization of the temple operations, the Egyptian king, Neco, passed through Israel on his way to attack Carchemish (a Babylonian possession on the Euphrates) because of his alliance with the Assyrians. When Josiah marched out to meet Neco, 21 the Egyptian king sent his messengers.

Neco’s Message: Why are you getting involved in this dispute, king of Judah? I am simply passing through your region on my way to attack another nation, as God has asked me to do. I am not attacking you. Stop your forces from interfering with my army, or God who is with me will destroy you.

Josiah may assume that Neco is referring to his pagan gods, but what he misunderstands is that Neco is being sent into battle by the same God whom Josiah served. There aren’t Egyptian gods behind this encounter. The Lord is about to use Neco to judge Josiah.

22 But Josiah ignored Neco’s message and his warning that were from the mouth of God. Josiah disguised himself and attacked Neco’s army on Megiddo Plain. 23 Neco’s archers quickly wounded King Josiah.

Josiah (to his servants): Get me off of this battlefield. I am badly injured.

24 His servants took him out of his battle chariot and carried him to another chariot that they could drive to Jerusalem. There Josiah died and was laid to rest with his fathers. All of Judah and Jerusalem mourned his death. 25 The prophet Jeremiah even composed a lament for Josiah, which all singers remember when they sing their lamentations today, during our exile from Israel. This lament became a state anthem and is recorded in the book of Laments.

26-27 The other actions of Josiah and his loyal deeds, from his birth to his death, are recorded in the Eternal’s law and the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.