約西亞守逾越節
1約西亞在耶路撒冷為耶和華守逾越節。一月十四日，眾人宰殺逾越節的祭牲。 2他指派祭司各盡其職，鼓勵他們在耶和華的殿裡事奉， 3又對將自己獻給耶和華、負責教導以色列人的利未人說：「你們把聖約櫃放在以色列王大衛的兒子所羅門建的殿裡，不用再扛在肩上。現在你們去事奉你們的上帝耶和華和祂的以色列子民吧。 4你們要按宗族和班次，依照以色列王大衛和他兒子所羅門所寫的指示，預備自己。 5你們要按你們弟兄所在宗族的班次，侍立在聖所，每個班次中要有幾個利未宗族的人。 6你們要宰殺逾越節的羊羔，潔淨自己，為你們的弟兄做好準備，依照耶和華藉摩西所吩咐的去行。」
7約西亞從自己的產業中，捐出三萬隻綿羊羔和山羊羔，以及三千頭公牛，賜給所有在場的人做逾越節的祭牲。 8他的眾官員也自願為民眾、祭司和利未人捐獻。管理上帝殿的希勒迦、撒迦利亞和耶歇獻出兩千六百隻羊羔和三百頭牛，給祭司做逾越節的祭牲。 9利未人的首領歌楠雅和他的兩個兄弟示瑪雅和拿坦業，及哈沙比雅、耶利、約撒拔獻出五千隻羊羔和五百頭牛，給利未人做逾越節的祭牲。
10一切都準備好後，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利未人宰殺逾越節的羊羔，祭司從他們手中接過血，灑在壇上，又剝去祭牲的皮。 12他們按照宗族把燔祭分給眾人，好使他們按照摩西書上所寫的，把祭物獻給耶和華。獻牛也是這樣。 13他們按規定用火烤逾越節的羊羔，在鍋裡、罐裡和盆裡煮聖物，然後迅速分給民眾。 14之後，利未人為自己和祭司預備祭物，因為做祭司的亞倫子孫要繼續獻燔祭和脂肪一直到晚上。 15負責歌樂的亞薩子孫依照大衛、亞薩、希幔和王的先見耶杜頓的吩咐，站在自己的崗位上；殿門守衛都看守各門，不必離開工作崗位，因為他們的弟兄利未人為他們預備了祭物。
16當天，一切事奉的事都辦好了，他們就按約西亞王的命令守逾越節，又在耶和華的壇上獻燔祭。 17所有在場的以色列人都在那時守逾越節，又守除酵節七天。 18自撒母耳先知以來，在以色列從來沒有守過這樣的逾越節，以色列從沒有君王像約西亞、祭司、利未人、所有在場的猶大人和以色列人，以及耶路撒冷的居民這樣守過逾越節。 19這次逾越節是在約西亞執政第十八年慶祝的。
約西亞逝世
20約西亞辦理完殿裡的事後，埃及王尼哥上來，要攻打幼發拉底河附近的迦基米施。約西亞出兵攔阻。 21尼哥派使者對約西亞說：「猶大王啊，我與你沒有恩怨。我今天來不是要攻擊你，乃是要攻擊與我作戰的那一家。上帝吩咐我要速速完成，你不要與上帝作對，免得祂毀滅你，因為上帝與我同在。」 22約西亞卻不聽上帝藉尼哥說的話。他沒有退兵，反而喬裝上陣，與尼哥會戰於米吉多平原。 23約西亞王在戰場上中箭受傷，就對僕人說：「我受了重傷，帶我離開吧。」 24他的僕人就扶他下戰車，上另一輛戰車，送到耶路撒冷。約西亞死在那裡，葬在他祖先的墳墓裡。所有猶大和耶路撒冷的人都為他哀悼。 25耶利米為約西亞作了哀歌，所有的男女歌樂手至今仍用這些哀歌紀念約西亞，成了以色列的傳統。這些哀歌都記在《哀歌書》上。
26約西亞其他的事蹟和他怎樣忠心地遵行耶和華的律法， 27自始至終都記在《以色列和猶大的列王史》上。
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.
