Dual Panel1Josiah <02977> observed <06213> a Passover festival <06453> for the Lord <03068> in Jerusalem <03389>. They slaughtered <07819> the Passover lambs <06453> on the fourteenth <06240> <0702> day of the first <07223> month <02320>.
2He appointed <05975> the priests <03548> to fulfill <05921> their duties <04931> and encouraged <02388> them to carry out their service <05656> in the Lord’s <03068> temple <01004>.
3He told <0559> the Levites <03881>, who instructed <0995> all <03605> Israel <03478> about things consecrated <06918> to the Lord <03068>, “Place <05414> the holy <06944> ark <0727> in the temple <01004> which <0834> King <04428> Solomon <08010> son <01121> of David <01732> of Israel <03478> built <01129>. Don’t <0369> carry it on your shoulders <03802>. Now <06258> serve <05647> the Lord <03068> your God <0430> and his people <05971> Israel <03478>!
4Prepare <03559> yourselves by your families <01> <01004> according to your divisions <04256>, as instructed <03791> by King <04428> David <01732> of Israel <03478> and his son <01121> Solomon <08010>.
5Stand in <05975> the sanctuary <06944> and, together with the Levites <03881> <01121>, represent the family <01> <01004> divisions <02515> of your countrymen <05971>.
6Slaughter <07819> the Passover lambs <06453>, consecrate <06942> yourselves, and make preparations <03559> for your countrymen <0251> to do <06213> what <01697> the Lord <03068> commanded through <03027> Moses <04872>.”
7From his own <07399> royal <04428> flocks <06629> and herds, Josiah <02977> supplied <07311> the people <05971> with 30,000 <0505> <07970> lambs <03532> and goats <05795> for the Passover sacrifice <06453>, as well as 3,000 <0505> <07969> cattle <01241>.
8His officials <08269> also willingly contributed <05071> to the people <05971>, priests <03548>, and Levites <03881>. Hilkiah <02518>, Zechariah <02148>, and Jehiel <03171>, the leaders <05057> of God’s <0430> temple <01004>, supplied <05414> 2,600 <03967> <08337> <0505> Passover sacrifices <06453> and 300 <03967> <07969> cattle <01241>.
9Konaniah <03562> and his brothers <0251> Shemaiah <08098> and Nethanel <05417>, along with Hashabiah <02811>, Jeiel <03273>, and Jozabad <03107>, the officials <08269> of the Levites <03881>, supplied <07311> the Levites <03881> with 5,000 <0505> <02568> Passover sacrifices <06453> and 500 <03967> <02568> cattle <01241>.
10Preparations <05656> <03559> were made <05975>, and the priests <03548> stood <05975> at <05921> their posts and the Levites <03881> in <05921> their divisions <04256> as prescribed <04687> by the king <04428>.
11They slaughtered <07819> the Passover lambs <06453> and the priests <03548> splashed <02236> the blood, while the Levites <03881> skinned <06584> the animals.
12They reserved <05493> the burnt offerings <05930> and the cattle <01241> for the family <01> <01004> divisions <04653> of the people <05971> <01121> to present <07126> to the Lord <03068>, as prescribed <03789> in the scroll <05612> of Moses <04872>.
13They cooked <01310> the Passover sacrifices <06453> over the open fire <0784> as prescribed <04941> and cooked <01310> the consecrated offerings <06944> in pots <05518>, kettles <01731>, and pans <06745>. They quickly served <07323> them to all <03605> the people <05971> <01121>.
14Afterward <0310> they made preparations <03559> for themselves <01992> and for the priests <03548>, because <03588> the priests <03548>, the descendants <01121> of Aaron <0175>, were offering <05927> burnt sacrifices <05930> and fat <02459> portions until <05704> evening <03915>. The Levites <03881> made preparations <03559> for themselves <01992> and for the priests <03548>, the descendants <01121> of Aaron <0175>.
15The musicians <07891>, the descendants <01121> of Asaph <0623>, manned their posts <04612>, as prescribed <04687> by <05921> David <01732>, Asaph <0623>, Heman <01968>, and Jeduthun <03038> the king’s <04428> prophet <02374>. The guards <07778> at the various gates <08179> <08179> did not <0369> need to leave <05493> their posts <05656>, for <03588> their fellow <0251> Levites <03881> made preparations <03559> for them.
16So all <03605> the preparations <03559> for the Lord’s <03068> service <05656> were made <03559> that <01931> day <03117>, as the Passover <06453> was observed <06213> and the burnt sacrifices <05930> were offered <05927> on <05921> the altar <04196> of the Lord <03068>, as prescribed <04687> by King <04428> Josiah <02977>.
17So the Israelites <03478> <01121> who were present <04672> observed <06213> the Passover <06453> at that <01931> time <06256>, as well as the Feast <02282> of Unleavened Bread <04682> for seven <07651> days <03117>.
18A Passover <06453> like <03644> this had not <03808> been observed <06213> in Israel <03478> since the days <03117> of Samuel <08050> the prophet <05030>. None <03605> of the kings <04428> of Israel <03478> had observed <06213> a Passover <06453> like the one celebrated <06213> by Josiah <02977>, the priests <03548>, the Levites <03881>, all <03605> the people of Judah <03063> and Israel <03478> who were there <04672>, and the residents <03427> of Jerusalem <03389>.
19This <02088> Passover <06453> was observed <06213> in the eighteenth <06240> <08083> year <08141> of Josiah’s <02977> reign <04438>.
20After <0310> Josiah <02977> had done <03559> all <03605> this <02063> for the temple <01004>, King <04428> Necho <05224> of Egypt <04714> marched up <05927> to do battle <03898> at Carchemish <03751> on <05921> the Euphrates <06578> River. Josiah <02977> marched out <03318> to oppose <07125> him.
21Necho sent <07971> messengers <04397> to <0413> him, saying <0559>, “Why <04100> are you opposing me, O king <04428> of Judah <03063>? I am not <03808> attacking <05921> you <0859> today <03117>, but <03588> the kingdom <01004> with <0413> which I am at war <04421>. God <0430> told <0559> me to hurry <0926>. Stop <02308> opposing God <0430>, who <0834> is with <05973> me, or <0408> else he will destroy <07843> you.”
22But Josiah <02977> did not <03808> turn back <05437> from <04480> him; he disguised <02664> himself for battle <03898>. He did not <03808> take seriously <08085> the words <01697> of Necho <05224> which he had received from God <0430>; he went <0935> to fight <03898> him in the Plain <01237> of Megiddo <04023>.
23Archers <03384> shot <03384> King <04428> Josiah <02977>; the king <04428> ordered <0559> his servants <05650>, “Take <05674> me out <05674> of this chariot, for <03588> I am seriously <03966> wounded <02470>.”
24So his servants <05650> took <05674> him out of <04480> the chariot <04818>, put <07392> him in <05921> another <04932> chariot <07393> that <0834> he owned, and brought <01980> him to Jerusalem <03389>, where he died <04191>. He was buried <06912> in the tombs <06913> of his ancestors <01>; all <03605> the people of Judah <03063> and Jerusalem <03389> mourned <056> Josiah <02977>.
25Jeremiah <03414> composed laments <06969> for <05921> Josiah <02977> which all <03605> the male <07891> and female <07891> singers <07891> <07891> use to mourn <07015> Josiah <02977> to <05704> this very day <03117>. It has become <05414> customary <02706> in <05921> Israel <03478> to sing these; they are recorded <03789> in <05921> the Book of Laments <07015>.
26The rest <03499> of the events <01697> of Josiah’s <02977> reign, including the faithful acts <02617> he did in obedience <02617> to what is written <03789> in the law <08451> of the Lord <03068>
27and his accomplishments <01697>, from start <07223> to finish <0314>, are recorded <03789> in <05921> the Scroll <05612> of the Kings <04428> of Israel <03478> and Judah <03063>.