Josiah Celebrates the Passover Feast
1Josiah celebrated the Passover Feast in Jerusalem to honor the Lord. The Passover lamb was killed on the 14th day of the first month. 2Josiah appointed the priests to their duties. He cheered them up as they served the Lord at his temple. 3The Levites taught all the people of Israel. The Levites had been set apart to the Lord. Josiah said to them, “Put the sacred ark of the covenant in the temple Solomon built. He was the son of David and king of Israel. The ark must not be carried around on your shoulders. Serve the Lord your God. Serve his people Israel. 4Prepare yourselves by families in your groups. Do it based on the directions written by David, the king of Israel, and by his son Solomon.
5“Stand at the temple. Stand there with a group of Levites for each group of families among your people. 6Kill the Passover lambs. Set yourselves apart to the Lord. Prepare the lambs for your people. Do what the Lord commanded through Moses.”
7Josiah provided animals for the Passover offerings. He gave them for all the people who were there. He gave a total of 30,000 lambs and goats and 3,000 oxen. He gave all of them from his own possessions.
8His officials also gave freely. They gave to the people and the priests and Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah and Jehiel were in charge of God’s temple. They gave the priests 2,600 Passover lambs and 300 oxen. 9Konaniah and his brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel also gave offerings. So did Hashabiah, Jeiel and Jozabad. All of them were the leaders of the Levites. They gave 5,000 Passover lambs and 500 oxen for the Levites.
10The Passover service was arranged. The priests stood in their places. The Levites were in their groups. That’s what the king had ordered. 11The Passover lambs were killed. The priests splashed against the altar the blood handed to them. The Levites skinned the animals. 12They set the burnt offerings to one side. These offerings were for the smaller family groups to offer to the Lord. That’s what was written in the Book of Moses. The Levites did the same thing with the oxen. 13They cooked the Passover animals over the fire, just as the law required. They boiled the holy offerings in pots, large kettles and pans. They served the offerings quickly to all the people. 14After that, they got things ready for themselves and the priests. That’s because the priests, who were from the family line of Aaron, were busy until dark. They were sacrificing the burnt offerings and the fat parts. The Levites got things ready for themselves and for the priests, who belonged to Aaron’s family line.
15Those who played music were from the family line of Asaph. They were in the places that had been set up by David, Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun. Jeduthun had been the king’s prophet. The guards at each gate didn’t have to leave their places. That’s because their brother Levites got things ready for them.
16So at that time the entire service to honor the Lord was carried out. The Passover Feast was celebrated. The burnt offerings were sacrificed on the Lord’s altar. That’s what King Josiah had ordered. 17The Israelites who were there celebrated the Passover Feast at that time. They observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days. 18The Passover Feast hadn’t been observed like that in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet. None of the kings of Israel had ever celebrated a Passover Feast like Josiah’s. He celebrated it with the priests and Levites. All the people of Judah and Israel were there along with the people of Jerusalem. He celebrated it with them too. 19That Passover Feast was celebrated in the 18th year of Josiah’s rule.
Josiah Dies
20Josiah had put the temple in order. After all of that, Necho went up to fight at Carchemish. He was king of Egypt. Carchemish was on the Euphrates River. Josiah marched out to meet Necho in battle. 21But Necho sent messengers to him. They said, “Josiah king of Judah, there isn’t any trouble between you and me. I’m not attacking you at this time. I’m at war with another country. God told me to hurry. He’s with me. So stop opposing him. If you don’t, he’ll destroy you.”
22But Josiah wouldn’t turn away from Necho. Josiah wore different clothes so people wouldn’t recognize him. He wanted to go to war against Necho. He wouldn’t listen to what God had commanded Necho to say. Instead, Josiah went out to fight him on the plains of Megiddo.
23Men who had bows shot arrows at King Josiah. After he was hit, he told his officers, “Take me away. I’m badly wounded.” 24So they took him out of his chariot. They put him in his other chariot. They brought him to Jerusalem. There he died. He was buried in the tombs of his family. All the people of Judah and Jerusalem mourned for him.
25Jeremiah wrote songs of sadness about Josiah. To this day all the male and female singers remember Josiah by singing those songs. That became a practice in Israel. The songs are written down in the Book of the Songs of Sadness.
26Josiah did many things that showed he was faithful to the Lord. Those things and the other events of Josiah’s rule were in keeping with what is written in the Law of the Lord. 27All the events from beginning to end are written down. They are written in the records of the kings of Israel and Judah.
Yosia Di Twam Afahyɛ No
1Yosia dii Awurade Twam Afahyɛ no wɔ Yerusalem na wokum Twam guamma no wɔ ɔsram a edi kan no da a ɛto so dunan. 2Yosia maa asɔfo no kɔɔ wɔn nnwuma so, na ɔhyɛɛ wɔn nkuran wɔ wɔn dwumadi mu wɔ Awurade Asɔredan mu hɔ. 3Ɔhyɛɛ Lewifo a wɔayi wɔn asi hɔ sɛ wɔnsom Awurade, na wɔyɛ akyerɛkyerɛfo wɔ Israel no se, “Esiane sɛ mprempren Apam Adaka no wɔ Salomo Asɔredan mu, na ɛho nhia sɛ mobɛsoa wɔ mo mmati so de adi akɔneaba nti, momfa mo mmere nsom Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn ne ne nkurɔfo Israel. 4Monkɔ mo nnwuma so sɛnea mo agyanom mmusua nkyekyɛmu no te, ne sɛnea Israelhene Dawid ne ne babarima Salomo ahyɛde a wɔakyerɛw no kyerɛ.
5“Munnyinagyina kronkronbea a wɔayi ama mo no, na mommoa mmusua a wɔde wɔn ahyɛ mo nsa no bere a wɔde wɔn afɔre aba Asɔredan mu no. 6Munkum Twam nguamma no, na munnwira mo ho, na mommoa wɔn a wɔbɛba no. Ahyɛde biara a Awurade nam Mose so de mae no, munni so.”
7Na Yosia fii nea ɔwɔ mu, maa nguantenmma ne mmirekyimma mpem aduasa ne anantwinini mpem abiɛsa sɛ nnipa no Twam afɔrebɔde.
8Ɔhene no mpanyimfo nso fi wɔn pɛ mu boaa ɔmanfo, asɔfo ne Lewifo no. Hilkia, Sakaria ne Yehiel a wɔyɛ Onyankopɔn Asɔredan no ho mpanyimfo nso maa asɔfo no nguantenmma ne mmirekyimma mpem abien ne ahansia ne anantwinini ahaasa sɛ Twam afɔrebɔde. 9Lewifo ntuanofo Kenania ne ne nuanom mmarima Semaia, Netanel, Hasabia, Yeiel ne Yosabad maa Lewifo nguantenmma ne mmirekyimma mpem anum ne anantwinini ahannum sɛ wɔn Twam afɔrebɔde.
10Bere a Twam Afahyɛ no ho ahosiesie baa awiei no, asɔfo ne Lewifo no gyinagyinaa wɔn afa sɛnea ɔhene no ahyehyɛ ama akuwakuw no. 11Lewifo no kunkum Twam nguamma no, na wɔde mogya no maa asɔfo no, na wɔde petee afɔremuka no so bere a na Lewifo no regua mmoa no. 12Wɔkyekyɛɛ ɔhyew afɔrebɔde no maa ɔmanfo no sɛnea wɔn mmusua nkyekyɛmu no te, na wɔatumi de abɔ afɔre ama Awurade, sɛnea mmara a wɔakyerɛw agu Mose nhoma no mu no kyerɛ. Saa ara na wɔyɛɛ anantwinini no nso. 13Wɔtotoo Twam nguamma no sɛnea wɔakyerɛ no, na wɔnoaa afɔrebɔde kronkron no wɔ nkuku, dadesɛn ne nkankyee mu de baa ntɛm so sɛnea ɔmanfo no betumi awe. 14Akyiri no, Lewifo yɛɛ wɔn ne asɔfo no aduan, efisɛ na asɔfo no ayɛ adwuma fi anɔpa kosi anadwo a wɔrebɔ ɔhyew afɔre no na wɔrehyew srade no. Saa ahosiesie yi nyinaa, Lewifo no na wogye too wɔn ho so yɛe.
15Asaf asefo nnwom ho nimdefo no nso, na wɔwɔ wɔn nnwuma so, sɛnea Dawid, Asaf, Heman ne Yedutun, ɔhene adehuni no kyerɛɛ wɔn no. Aponanohwɛfo no wɛn apon no a na ɛho nhia sɛ wofi wɔn nnwuma so, efisɛ na wɔn mfɛfo Lewifo no de wɔn nnuan kɔma wɔn wɔ hɔ.
16Awurade Twam Afahyɛ no baa awiei da no. Wɔbɔɔ ɔhyew afɔre no nyinaa wɔ Awurade afɔremuka no so, sɛnea ɔhene Yosia hyɛe no. 17Israelfo a wɔwɔ Yerusalem de nnanson dii Twam ne Apiti Afahyɛ no. 18Efi odiyifo Samuel bere so no, wonnii Twam sɛɛ da. Israel ahemfo no mu biara mpo anni Twam sɛnea Yosia yɛe a ɔmaa asɔfo, Lewifo, ɔmanfo a wɔwɔ Yerusalem ne nnipa a wofi Yuda ne Israel nyinaa bɛkaa ho. 19Wodii saa Twam Afahyɛ yi wɔ Yosia ahenni mfirihyia dunwɔtwe so.35.19 Afe a ɛto so dunwɔtwe. Afe koro no ara mu na wohuu Mmara Nhoma no (34.8,14).
Yosia Wu Wɔ Akono
20Yosia siesiee Asɔredan no wiei no, Misraimhene Neko dii nʼakofo anim fii Misraim, sɛ wɔrebɛko wɔ Karkemis wɔ asu Eufrate ano. Na Yosia ne nʼakofo nso sii mu sɛ wɔne no rekɔko. 21Nanso ɔhene Neko tuu abɔfo de nkra yi kɔmaa Yosia: “Dɛn na wo Yudahene hwehwɛ afi me nkyɛn? Me ne wo nni akasakasa nnɛ! Nea mehwehwɛ ne sɛ, me ne ɔman a matu ne so sa no bɛko. Na Onyankopɔn aka akyerɛ me se, menyɛ no ntɛm. Ntwintwan Onyankopɔn a ɔka me ho no anan mu, anyɛ saa a ɔbɛsɛe wo.”
22Nanso Yosia antie Neko a Onyankopɔn akasa akyerɛ no ampa ara no, annan nʼani. Mmom, odii nʼakofo anim kɔkoo wɔ Megido tataw so. Ɔworɔw nʼahentade no guu nkyɛn baabi sɛnea atamfo no renhu no.
23Nanso atamfo agyantowfo no tow bɛmma ma ɛwɔɔ ɔhene Yosia, piraa no. Ɔteɛɛ mu frɛɛ ne mmarima se, “Momfa me mfi akono ha, efisɛ mapira pira bɔne.” 24Enti woyii Yosia fii ne teaseɛnam mu, de no too teaseɛnam foforo mu. Na wɔde no kɔɔ Yerusalem, na ɛhɔ na owui. Wosiee no hɔ wɔ adehye amusiei. Na Yuda ne Yerusalem nyinaa yɛɛ no ayi.
25Odiyifo Yeremia too kwadwom maa Yosia, na ebesi nnɛ yi, nnwontofo to saa kwadwom a ɛfa ne wu no ho no. Saa kwadwom yi abɛyɛ amanne a wɔakyerɛw ahyɛ Kwadwom Nhoma mu.
26Yosia ahenni ho nsɛm nkae ne nʼahofama sɛnea Awurade mmara te no, 27fi mfiase kosi awiei no, wɔakyerɛw agu Israel ne Yuda Ahemfo Nhoma mu.
