Josias befaler, at der skal holdes påske igen
2.Kong. 23,21-23
1Josias bekendtgjorde nu, at der skulle fejres påske i Jerusalem på den 14. dag i årets første måned. På den dag skulle påskelammene slagtes. 2Som en del af forberedelserne indsatte han præsterne i deres tjeneste og opmuntrede dem til at tage vare på deres arbejde i templet. 3Til levitterne, som skulle undervise Israels folk og var indviet til at tjene Herren, sagde han: „Da pagtens ark nu står i det tempel, Salomon fik bygget, og da I derfor ikke længere skal bruge tid og kræfter på at bære rundt på den, skal I i stedet bruge jeres tid på at tjene Herren og hans folk, Israel. 4I skal fordele arbejdet efter de skiftehold, som kong David og hans søn Salomon i sin tid etablerede, og som bygger på, hvilke slægter I kommer fra. 5Hvert hold skal så tage opstilling på deres angivne plads og hjælpe dem, der kommer for at ofre i templet. 6I skal slagte påskelammene og sørge for at være indviet til tjeneste, så I kan hjælpe hele folket, mens I følger alle forskrifterne i Moses’ lov.”
7Kongen skænkede personligt 30.000 stykker småkvæg, enten lam eller gedekid, samt 3000 stykker hornkvæg til festen. 8Kongens embedsmænd og andre ledere gav også rundhåndet af, hvad de ejede, til præsterne, levitterne og de øvrige festdeltagere. Hilkija, Zekarja og Jehiel, som havde overopsyn med templet, forærede præsterne 2600 stykker småkvæg og 300 stykker hornkvæg. 9De levitiske ledere Konanja, hans brødre Shemaja og Netanel, Hashabja, Jeiel og Jozabad skænkede 5000 stykker småkvæg og 500 stykker hornkvæg til levitterne.
10Da alle forberedelser til påskefesten var fuldført, stillede præsterne sig på deres post i templet, og levitterne tog opstilling i hold, som kongen havde befalet. 11Levitterne slagtede påskelammene og gav det opsamlede blod til præsterne, der stænkede det på alteret, mens levitterne flåede og parterede dyrene. 12De dele, der skulle bringes som brændofre, blev givet til familieoverhovederne, som så bragte dem til præsterne til ofring ifølge forskrifterne i Moses’ lov. De andre dyr blev på tilsvarende måde slagtet, flået og parteret i løbet af ugen. 13De dele fra påskelammet, som folk måtte spise, blev stegt og givet til folk. Kødet fra de øvrige dyr blev derimod kogt i gryder, kar og pander og derefter givet til folket. 14Da folket havde fået deres påskelam, tilberedte levitterne påskelammet til sig selv og præsterne, der hele dagen havde haft travlt med at ofre fedtet og det, der ellers skulle brændes på brændofferalteret.
15Sangerne, som kom fra Asafs slægt, var på plads ifølge de regler, som kong David, Asaf, Heman og profeten Jedutun århundreder forinden havde bestemt. Portvagterne stod vagt, og de behøvede ikke at forlade deres post, for andre levitter klarede påskeofferet for dem.
16Sådan blev der holdt påske for Herren den dag efter alle forskrifterne. Lammene blev slagtet og brændofrene bragt på det store alter, som kong Josias havde befalet. 17Alle de israelitter, som boede i Jerusalem eller var rejst derhen, tog del i påskefesten, som de næste syv dage efterfulgtes af de usyrnede brøds fest. 18Ikke siden profeten Samuels tid havde man fejret påske i Israel efter alle forskrifterne. Ingen konge før Josias havde holdt en så storslået påskehøjtid sammen med præsterne, levitterne og folk fra hele Jerusalem, Juda og Israel. 19Denne begivenhed fandt sted i kong Josias’ 18. regeringsår.
Resten af Josias’ regeringstid
2.Kong. 23,28-30a
20Nogle år efter at Josias havde restaureret templet, var kong Neko af Egypten på vej mod Karkemish ved Eufratfloden med sin hær. Josias drog ud med sin hær for at standse ham, 21men Neko sendte følgende besked til Josias: „Denne krig angår ikke dig, judæerkonge! Lad mig være, så jeg kan koncentrere mig om at bekæmpe min fjende, for Gud har sagt, at jeg skal skynde mig. Lad være med at komme på tværs af Guds planer, ellers bliver du dræbt.”
22Men Josias ville ikke lytte til den advarsel, som Gud gav ham gennem Neko. Han førte sin hær til kamp på sletten ved Megiddo. Af sikkerhedshensyn tog han dog sin kongedragt af, før kampen begyndte. 23Alligevel blev han ramt af en dødbringende pil. „Hurtigt,” råbte han til sine livvagter, „tag mig væk fra fronten. Jeg er hårdt såret.”
24Mændene skyndte sig at bære ham over i en anden stridsvogn, og derefter kørte de ham hjem til Jerusalem, hvor han døde kort efter. Han blev begravet i det kongelige gravsted tæt ved sine forfædre, og hele Juda og Jerusalem sørgede over hans død.
25Profeten Jeremias digtede en sørgesang over kong Josias. Siden har mange sangere, både mænd og kvinder, sunget denne sørgesang, og den er nedskrevet i bogen med klagesange.
26-27Resten af kong Josias’ liv og virke fra begyndelsen til enden, inklusive hans iver efter at tjene Herren og følge Toraen i et og alt, er beskrevet i Israels og Judas kongers krønikebog.
1Moreover Josiah kept a passover unto the LORD in Jerusalem: and they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. 2And he set the priests in their charges, and encouraged them to the service of the house of the LORD, 3And said unto the Levites that taught all Israel, which were holy unto the LORD, Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel did build; it shall not be a burden upon your shoulders: serve now the LORD your God, and his people Israel, 4And prepare yourselves by the houses of your fathers, after your courses, according to the writing of David king of Israel, and according to the writing of Solomon his son. 5And stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the families of the fathers of your brethren the people, and after the division of the families of the Levites.35.5 the families of the fathers: Heb. the house of the fathers35.5 the people: Heb. the sons of the people 6So kill the passover, and sanctify yourselves, and prepare your brethren, that they may do according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses. 7And Josiah gave to the people, of the flock, lambs and kids, all for the passover offerings, for all that were present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand bullocks: these were of the king’s substance.35.7 gave: Heb. offered 8And his princes gave willingly unto the people, to the priests, and to the Levites: Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, rulers of the house of God, gave unto the priests for the passover offerings two thousand and six hundred small cattle, and three hundred oxen.35.8 gave willingly: Heb. offered, etc 9Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethaneel, his brethren, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, chief of the Levites, gave unto the Levites for passover offerings five thousand small cattle, and five hundred oxen.35.9 gave: Heb. offered 10So the service was prepared, and the priests stood in their place, and the Levites in their courses, according to the king’s commandment. 11And they killed the passover, and the priests sprinkled the blood from their hands, and the Levites flayed them. 12And they removed the burnt offerings, that they might give according to the divisions of the families of the people, to offer unto the LORD, as it is written in the book of Moses. And so did they with the oxen. 13And they roasted the passover with fire according to the ordinance: but the other holy offerings sod they in pots, and in caldrons, and in pans, and divided them speedily among all the people.35.13 divided…: Heb. made them run 14And afterward they made ready for themselves, and for the priests: because the priests the sons of Aaron were busied in offering of burnt offerings and the fat until night; therefore the Levites prepared for themselves, and for the priests the sons of Aaron. 15And the singers the sons of Asaph were in their place, according to the commandment of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer; and the porters waited at every gate; they might not depart from their service; for their brethren the Levites prepared for them.35.15 place: Heb. station 16So all the service of the LORD was prepared the same day, to keep the passover, and to offer burnt offerings upon the altar of the LORD, according to the commandment of king Josiah. 17And the children of Israel that were present kept the passover at that time, and the feast of unleavened bread seven days.35.17 present: Heb. found 18And there was no passover like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; neither did all the kings of Israel keep such a passover as Josiah kept, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel that were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.35.18 present: Heb. found 19In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was this passover kept.
20¶ After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Carchemish by Euphrates: and Josiah went out against him.35.20 temple: Heb. house 21But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, What have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? I come not against thee this day, but against the house wherewith I have war: for God commanded me to make haste: forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me, that he destroy thee not.35.21 the house…: Heb. the house of my war 22Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkened not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo. 23And the archers shot at king Josiah; and the king said to his servants, Have me away; for I am sore wounded.35.23 wounded: Heb. made sick 24His servants therefore took him out of that chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had; and they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died, and was buried in one of the sepulchres of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.35.24 in one…: or, among the sepulchres
25¶ And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they are written in the lamentations. 26Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and his goodness, according to that which was written in the law of the LORD,35.26 goodness: Heb. kindnesses 27And his deeds, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.
