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。

35 Forsooth Josiah made pask to the Lord in Jerusalem, the which pask was offered in the fourteenth day of the first month; (And Josiah kept a Passover to the Lord in Jerusalem, and the Passover beasts were killed on the fourteenth day of the first month;)

and he ordained priests in their offices; and commanded them for to serve in the house of the Lord. (and he ordained the priests in their offices; and encouraged them to do their service well in the House of the Lord.)

And he spake to the deacons, at whose teaching all Israel was hallowed to the Lord, Set ye, he said, the ark of the Lord in the saintuary of the temple, that Solomon, king of Israel, the son of David builded; for ye shall no more bear it about (And he said to the Levites, who taught all Israel, and were dedicated to the Lord, Put ye the Ark of the Lord in the sanctuary of the Temple, that Solomon, the king of Israel, the son of David, built; for no more shall ye carry it about). But now serve ye the Lord your God, and his people Israel,

and make you(rselves) ready by your houses and families, in the partings of each by himself (in each of your divisions), as David, king of Israel, commanded, and as Solomon, his son, ordained;

and serve ye in the saintuary by the families and (the) companies of (the) deacons,

and be ye hallowed, and offer ye (the) pask; also make ready your brethren, that they may do after the words, which the Lord spake by the hand of Moses. (and be ye consecrated, or purified, and kill ye the Passover lambs; and prepare for your kinsmen, to do after the words, which the Lord spoke through Moses.)

Furthermore Josiah gave to all the people, that was found there in the solemnity of pask, that is, to make the solemnity, lambs and kids of the flocks, and of residue sheep he gave thirty thousand, and of oxes three thousand; these things were given of the substance of the king. (And Josiah gave to all the people who were there for the Passover Feast, that is, to all who were there to keep the Feast, lambs and goat kids of the flocks, and he gave thirty thousand sheep, and three thousand oxen; these things were given out of the king’s substance, or from his own possessions.)

And his dukes offered those things which they avowed by their free will, as well to the people, as to priests and deacons (And his leaders offered those things which they vowed by their own free will, to the people, as well as to the priests, and the Levites). And Hilkiah, and Zechariah, and Jehiel, princes of the house of the Lord, gave to [the] priests, to make (the) pask in common, two thousand and six hundred sheep, and three hundred oxen.

And Conaniah, and Shemaiah, and Nethaneel, and his brethren, and also Hashabiah, and Jeiel, and Jozabad, the princes of deacons, gave to other deacons, to make [the] pask, five thousand of sheep, and five hundred oxen. (And Conaniah, and Shemaiah, and Nethaneel, and his kinsmen, and also Hashabiah, and Jeiel, and Jozabad, the leaders of the Levites, gave to the other Levites, to make the Passover, five thousand sheep, and five hundred oxen.)

10 And the service was made ready; and [the] priests stood in their office, and deacons in their companies (and the Levites in their divisions), by the commandment of the king;

11 and pask was offered. And [the] priests sprinkled their hands with blood, and deacons drew off the skins of sacrificed beasts, (and so the Passover beasts were killed. And the priests sprinkled the blood with their hands, and the Levites drew off the skins of the sacrificed beasts,)

12 and they parted those sacrifices, for to give them by the houses and families of all men that were come thither to make (the) pask; and that those sacrifices should be offered to the Lord, as it is written in the book of Moses; and of oxen they did in like manner. (and they separated those sacrifices, in order to distribute them by the houses and the families of all those who were come there to keep the Passover; and so that those sacrifices should be offered to the Lord, as it is written in The Book of Moses; and they did in like manner with the oxen.)

13 And they roasted the pask lamb upon the fire, after that that is written in the law. And they seethed peaceable sacrifices in pans, and in cauldrons, and in pots, and in haste they dealed it to all the people; (And they roasted the Passover lamb upon the fire, after what is written in the Law. And they boiled the peace offerings in pans, and cauldrons, and pots, and then they gave it out hastily, or quickly, to all the people;)

14 but they made ready afterward to themselves, and to priests; for the priests were occupied unto [the] night in the offering of burnt sacrifices and of the inner fatnesses. Wherefore the deacons made ready their part at the last to themselves, and to the priests, the sons of Aaron. (and afterward the Levites prepared for themselves, and for the priests; for the priests were occupied into the night in offering the burnt sacrifices and the inner fatnesses. And so the Levites prepared their portion lastly for themselves, and for the priests, the sons of Aaron.)

15 And [the] singers, the sons of Asaph, stood in their order, by the commandment of David, and of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, the prophets of the king; but the porters kept their office by each gate, so that they went not away from their service, soothly (not) in a point, that is, they were in no time absent from their office; wherefore and the deacons, their brethren, made ready meats to them (and the guards, or the doorkeepers, kept watch at each gate, so that they went not away from their service, truly at no point, that is, they were never absent from their station; and so the Levites, their kinsmen, prepared their meats).

16 Therefore all the religion of the Lord was fulfilled rightfully in that day, that they made pask (And so all the service of the Lord was rightfully done on that day, so that they kept the Passover), and offered burnt sacrifices upon the altar of the Lord, by the commandment of king Josiah.

17 And the sons of Israel, that were found there, made pask in that time, and the solemnity of therf loaves seven days. (And the Israelites, who were found there, kept the Passover at that time, and then the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days.)

18 No pask was like this in Israel, from the days of Samuel, the prophet; but neither any of the kings of Israel made pask as Josiah did, to [the] priests and deacons, and to all Judah and Israel, that was found there, and to the dwellers of Jerusalem. (There was no Passover like this in Israel, since the days of the prophet Samuel; nor did any of the kings of Israel keep such a Passover as Josiah did, with the priests and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel, who were found there, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.)

19 This pask was hallowed in the eighteenth year of the realm of Josiah. (This Passover was kept in the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign.)

20 After that Josiah had repaired the temple, Necho, the king of Egypt, went up to fight in Charchemish beside Euphrates; and Josiah went forth into his meeting. (After that Josiah had repaired the Temple, Necho, the king of Egypt, went up to fight in Charchemish, which was on the banks of the Euphrates River; and Josiah went out against him.)

21 And Necho said by messengers sent to Josiah, King of Judah, what cause of strife is to me and to thee? I come not against thee today, but I fight against another household, to which God bade me go in haste; cease thou to do thus against God, that is with me, lest he slay thee. (And Necho sent messengers who said to Josiah, King of Judah, what cause of strife is there between me and thee? I did not come against thee today, but I fight against another household, to whom God hath ordered me to go in haste; cease thou to do thus against God, who is with me, lest he kill thee.)

22 But Josiah would not turn again, but he made ready battle against him; and he assented not to the words of Necho, by God’s mouth, but he went for to fight in the field of Megiddo. (But Josiah would not turn back, but he prepared battle array against him; and he assented not to the words of Necho, which were from God’s mouth, but he went out to fight in the field of Megiddo.)

23 And there he was wounded of archers, and Josiah said to his servants, Lead ye me out of the battle, for I am wounded greatly. (And there he was wounded by archers, and Josiah said to his servants, Lead ye me out of the battle, for I am greatly wounded.)

24 And they bare him over from that chariot into another chariot, that followed him, by custom of the king, and they brought him forth into Jerusalem; and he died there, and was buried in the sepulchre of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem bewailed him,

25 Jeremy most (of all), of whom all [the] singers and singeresses till into [the] present day rehearse (his) lamentations, either wailings, on Josiah (and Jeremiah bewailed him most of all, and all the singers and singeresses recite his lamentations, or his wailings, upon Josiah unto this present day); and it came forth as a law in Israel, Lo! it is said written in [the] Lamentations.

26 Forsooth the residue of [the] words of Josiah, and of his mercies, that be commanded in the law of the Lord, (And the rest of the words concerning Josiah, and the mercies that he did, that is, his righteous works, which be commanded in the Law of the Lord,)

27 and his works, the first and the last, be written in the book of [the] kings of Israel and of Judah. (and his first and last works, be written in The Book of the Kings of Judah and of Israel.)