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Josiah Dies in War

20 (A)After all this, when Josiah had set the [a]house in order, Neco king of Egypt went up to make war at (B)Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to meet him. 21 But [b]Neco sent messengers to him, saying, “(C)What have I to do with you, O King of Judah? I am not coming against you today but against the house with which I am at war, and God has said for me to hurry. Stop for your own sake from interfering with God who is with me, so that He will not bring you to ruin.” 22 However, Josiah would not turn [c]away from him, but (D)disguised himself in order to make war with him; nor did he listen to the words of Neco (E)from the mouth of God, but came to make war on the plain of (F)Megiddo. 23 Then the archers shot King Josiah, and the king said to his servants, “Take me away, for I am badly wounded.” 24 So his servants took him out of the chariot and drove him in the second chariot which he had, and brought him to Jerusalem [d]where he died, and he was buried in the tombs of his fathers. (G)And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. 25 Then (H)Jeremiah chanted a lament for Josiah. And all the male and female singers speak about Josiah in their lamentations to this day. And they made them a statute in Israel; behold, they are also written in the lamentations. 26 Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and his deeds of lovingkindness according to what was written in the law of Yahweh, 27 and his acts, first to last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 35:20 Or temple
  2. 2 Chronicles 35:21 Lit he
  3. 2 Chronicles 35:22 Lit his face
  4. 2 Chronicles 35:24 Lit and

Josiah’s death

20 After all of these things, when Josiah had finished restoring the temple, Egypt’s King Neco marched against Carchemish by the Euphrates, and Josiah marched out against him. 21 But Neco sent messengers to Josiah. “What do you want with me, king of Judah?” he asked. “I haven’t come to attack you today. I’m after the dynasty that wars with me. God told me to hurry, and he is on my side. Get out of God’s way, or he will destroy you.”

22 But Josiah wouldn’t turn back. Instead, he camouflaged himself in preparation for battle, refusing to listen to Neco’s words from God’s own mouth, and went to fight Neco on the plain of Megiddo. 23 When archers shot King Josiah, he said to his servants, “Take me away; I’m badly wounded!” 24 So his servants took him out of his chariot, placed him in another one, and brought him to Jerusalem, where he died and was buried in the tombs of his ancestors. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. 25 Jeremiah composed a funeral song[a] for Josiah, and to this day every singer, man or woman, continues to remember Josiah in their funeral songs. They are now traditional in Israel and are written down among the funeral songs.

26 The rest of Josiah’s deeds, including his faithfulness in acting according to what is written in the Lord’s Instruction, 27 and everything else he did, from beginning to end, are written in the official records of Israel’s and Judah’s kings.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 35:25 Or lament, twice more in this verse