Entonces Josías celebró la Pascua al SEÑOR^a en Jerusalén, y mataron los animales de la Pascua el día catorce del mes primero^b. 2 Y puso a los sacerdotes en sus oficios y los animó al servicio de la casa del SEÑOR^a. 3 También dijo a los levitas que enseñaban a todo Israel^a y que estaban consagrados al SEÑOR: Poned el arca santa en la casa que edificó Salomón, hijo de David, rey de Israel; no será más una carga sobre vuestros hombros^b. Ahora servid al SEÑOR vuestro Dios y a su pueblo Israel. 4 Y preparaos según vuestras casas paternas en vuestras clases^a, conforme a lo escrito por David^b, rey de Israel, y conforme a lo escrito por su hijo Salomón. 5 Además, estad en el lugar santo conforme a las secciones de las casas paternas de vuestros hermanos, los hijos del pueblo, y conforme a los levitas, según la división de una casa paterna^a. 6 Ahora pues, matad los animales de la Pascua^a, santificaos^b y haced las preparaciones para que vuestros hermanos hagan conforme a la palabra del SEÑOR dada por Moisés.

7 Y Josías contribuyó para los hijos del pueblo, para todos los que estaban presentes, rebaños de corderos y cabritos en número de treinta mil, más tres mil bueyes, todo para las ofrendas de la Pascua; todo ello de las posesiones del rey. 8 También sus jefes contribuyeron con una ofrenda voluntaria al pueblo, a los sacerdotes y a los levitas. Hilcías, Zacarías y Jehiel, oficiales de la casa de Dios^a, dieron a los sacerdotes dos mil seiscientas ovejas y trescientos bueyes para las ofrendas de la Pascua. 9 Asimismo Conanías^a, y Semaías y Natanael sus hermanos, y Hasabías, Jeiel y Josabad, jefes de los levitas, contribuyeron para los levitas cinco mil ovejas y quinientos bueyes para las ofrendas de la Pascua.

10 Así fue preparado el servicio; los sacerdotes se colocaron en sus puestos y los levitas según sus clases, conforme al mandato del rey^a. 11 Y los levitas mataron los animales de la Pascua^a, y mientras los sacerdotes rociaban la sangre^1b recibida de la mano de ellos, los levitas los desollaban^c. 12 Entonces quitaron los holocaustos para dárselos a las secciones de las casas paternas de los hijos del pueblo, para que los presentaran al SEÑOR, como está escrito en el libro de Moisés. Hicieron esto también con los bueyes. 13 Y asaron los animales de la Pascua sobre el fuego conforme a la ordenanza^a, y cocieron las cosas consagradas^b en calderos, ollas y sartenes, y las llevaron rápidamente a todos los hijos del pueblo. 14 Después hicieron las preparaciones, para sí y para los sacerdotes, porque los sacerdotes, hijos de Aarón, estuvieron ofreciendo los holocaustos y la grosura hasta la noche; por eso los levitas prepararon para sí y para los sacerdotes, hijos de Aarón. 15 También los cantores, los hijos de Asaf, estaban en sus puestos conforme a lo ordenado por David, Asaf, Hemán, y Jedutún^a, vidente del rey; y los porteros en cada puerta no tenían que apartarse de su servicio, porque sus hermanos los levitas preparaban para ellos^b.

16 Así se preparó todo el servicio del SEÑOR en aquel día para celebrar la Pascua y para ofrecer holocaustos sobre el altar del SEÑOR, conforme al mandato del rey Josías. 17 Y los hijos de Israel que estaban presentes celebraron la Pascua en ese tiempo, y la fiesta de los panes sin levadura¹ por siete días^a. 18 No se había celebrado una Pascua comoesta en Israel^a desde los días del profeta Samuel; tampoco ninguno de los reyes de Israel había celebrado una Pascua como la que celebró Josías con los sacerdotes, los levitas y todos los de Judá e Israel que estaban presentes, y los habitantes de Jerusalén. 19 Esta Pascua se celebró en el año dieciocho del reinado de Josías.

20 Después de todo esto, cuando Josías había reparado el templo¹, Necao, rey de Egipto, subió para combatir en Carquemis junto al Eufrates, y Josías^a salió para enfrentarse a él^b. 21 Pero él le envió mensajeros, diciendo: ¿Qué tenemos que ver el uno con el otro, oh rey de Judá? No vengo hoy contra ti, sino contra la casa con la que estoy en guerra, y Dios me ha ordenado que me apresure. Por tu propio bien, deja de oponerte a Dios, que está conmigo, para que Él no te destruya^a. 22 Sin embargo, Josías no quiso retirarse¹ de él, sino que se disfrazó para combatir contra él^a; tampoco escuchó las palabras de Necao que venían de boca de Dios^b, sino que vino a entablar batalla en la llanura de Meguido^c. 23 Y los arqueros hirieron¹ al rey Josías, y el rey dijo a sus siervos: Llevadme, porque estoy gravemente herido. 24 Sus siervos lo sacaron del carro y lo llevaron en el segundo carro que él tenía, y lo trajeron a Jerusalén donde¹ murió, y fue sepultado en los sepulcros de sus padres. Y todo Judá y Jerusalén hicieron duelo^a por Josías. 25 Entonces Jeremías entonó una elegía^a por Josías. Y todos los cantores y cantoras en sus lamentaciones hablan de Josías hasta hoy. Y las establecieron como ordenanza en Israel; he aquí, también están escritas en las Lamentaciones. 26 Los demás hechos de Josías y sus obras piadosas conforme a lo escrito en la ley del SEÑOR, 27 y sus hechos, primeros y postreros, he aquí, están escritos en el libro de los reyes de Israel y de Judá.

Then Josiah ^acelebrated the Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem, and ^bthey slaughtered the Passover animals on the fourteenth day of the first month. 2 He appointed the priests to their offices and ^aencouraged them in the service of the house of the LORD. 3 He also said to ^athe Levites who taught all Israel and who were holy to the LORD, “Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel built; ^bit will not be a burden on your shoulders. Now serve the LORD your God and His people Israel. 4 ^aPrepare yourselves by your fathers’ households in your divisions, according to the writing of David king of Israel and ^baccording to the writing of his son Solomon. 5 Furthermore, ^astand in the holy place according to the sections of the fathers’ households of your countrymen, the ¹lay people, and according to the Levites, by division of a father’s household. 6 Now ^aslaughter the Passover animals, ^bkeep one another consecrated, and prepare for your countrymen to act in accordance with the word of the LORD by Moses.”

7 Josiah contributed to the lay people, to all who were present, flocks of lambs and young goats, all for the Passover offerings, numbering thirty thousand, plus three thousand bulls; these were from the king’s property. 8 His officers also contributed a ¹voluntary offering to the people, the priests, and the Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, ^athe officials of the house of God, gave the priests 2,600 from the flocks and three hundred bulls, for the Passover offerings. 9 ^aConaniah also, and his brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, the officers of the Levites, contributed five thousand from the flocks and five hundred bulls to the Levites for the Passover offerings.

10 So the service was prepared, and ^athe priests stood at their positions and the Levites by their divisions according to the king’s command. 11 ^1aThey slaughtered the Passover animals, and while ^bthe priests ²sprinkled the blood received from their hand, ^cthe Levites skinned the animals. 12 Then they removed the burnt offerings so that they might give them to the sections of the fathers’ households of the lay people to present to the LORD, as it is written in the Book of Moses. They did this with the bulls as well. 13 So ^athey roasted the Passover animals on the fire according to the ordinance, and they boiled ^bthe holy things in pots, in kettles, and in pans and carried them quickly to all the lay people. 14 Afterward they prepared for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the sons of Aaron, were offering the burnt offerings and the fat until night; so the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests, the sons of Aaron. 15 The singers, the sons of Asaph, were also at their positions ^aaccording to the command of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer; and ^bthe gatekeepers at each gate did not have to leave their service, because their kinsmen the Levites prepared for them.

16 So all the service of the LORD was prepared on that day to celebrate the Passover, and to offer burnt offerings on the altar of the LORD according to the command of King Josiah. 17 And ^athe sons of Israel who were present celebrated the Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days. 18 ^aThere had not been a Passover celebrated like it in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet; nor had any of the kings of Israel celebrated such a Passover as Josiah did with the priests, the Levites, all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 19 In the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign this Passover was celebrated.

20 ^aAfter all this, when Josiah had set the ¹temple in order, Neco king of Egypt came up to wage war at ^bCarchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to engage him. 21 But ¹Neco sent messengers to him, saying, “^2aWhat business do you have with me, King of Judah? I am not coming against you today, but against the house with which I am at war, and God has told me to hurry. For your own sake, stop interfering with God who is with me, so that He does not destroy you.” 22 However, Josiah would not turn ¹away from him, but ^adisguised himself in order to fight against him; nor did he listen to the words of Neco ^bfrom the mouth of God, but he came to wage war on the plain of ^cMegiddo. 23 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 carried him on the second chariot which he had, and brought him to Jerusalem ¹where he died and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. ^aAll Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. 25 Then ^aJeremiah chanted a song of mourning for Josiah. And all the male and female singers speak about Josiah in their songs of mourning to this day. And they made them an ordinance in Israel; behold, they are also written in the Lamentations. 26 Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and his deeds of devotion as written in the Law of the LORD, 27 and his acts, the first to the last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.

Josiah ^acelebrated the Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem; ^bthey slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of the first month. 2 He appointed the priests to their positions and ^aencouraged them in the service of the house of the LORD. 3 To ^athe Levites who taught all Israel and were holy to the LORD he said, “Put the holy ark in the house (temple) which Solomon the son of David king of Israel built; ^bit shall not be a burden carried on your shoulders any longer. Now serve the LORD your God and His people Israel. 4 ^aPrepare yourselves according to your fathers’ (ancestors’) households by your divisions, in accordance with ^bthe instructions of David king of Israel, and the instructions of his son Solomon. 5 And ^astand in the holy place of the priests according to the sections of the fathers’ households of your fellow kinsmen the lay people, and according to the Levites, by division of the families of a father’s household. 6 ^aSlaughter the Passover lambs and ^bconsecrate yourselves, and prepare for your fellow countrymen to carry out (obey) the word of the LORD given by Moses.”

7 Then Josiah contributed to the lay people, to all who were present, flocks of lambs and young goats numbering 30,000, all as Passover offerings, and 3,000 bulls—these were from the king’s property. 8 His officers also contributed a voluntary offering to the people, the priests and the Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, ^athe officials of the house of God, gave to the priests for the Passover offerings 2,600 from the flocks of lambs and young goats, and 300 bulls. 9 ^aConaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethanel, his brothers, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, officers of the Levites, contributed to the Levites for the Passover offerings 5,000 from the flocks of lambs and young goats, and 500 bulls.

10 When the service was ready, ^athe priests stood in their assigned places and the Levites by their divisions, in accordance with the king’s command. 11 ^aThey slaughtered the Passover lambs, and while ^bthe priests sprinkled the blood received from their hand, ^cthe Levites skinned the animals. 12 Then they removed the burnt offerings, to distribute them to the sections of the fathers’ households of the lay people to offer to the LORD, as it is written in the Book of Moses. They did the same with the bulls. 13 So ^athey roasted the Passover lambs on the fire according to the ordinance; and they cooked ^bthe holy offerings in pots, in kettles, and in pans, and quickly brought them to all the lay people. 14 Afterward the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the sons of Aaron, were busy offering the burnt offerings and the fat until night; so the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests, the sons of Aaron. 15 The singers, the sons of Asaph, were also in their places ^ain accordance with the command of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer; and ^bthe gatekeepers at each gate did not need to leave their service, because their kinsmen the Levites prepared for them.

16 So all the service of the LORD was prepared on that day to celebrate the Passover, and to offer burnt offerings on the altar of the LORD, in accordance with the command of King Josiah. 17 Thus ^athe sons of Israel who were present celebrated the Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days. 18 ^aNo Passover like it had been celebrated in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet; nor had any of the kings of Israel celebrated such a Passover as Josiah did with the priests, the Levites, all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 19 In the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign this Passover was celebrated.

20 ^aAfter all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Neco king of Egypt came up to make war at ^bCarchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to meet him. 21 But Neco sent messengers to Josiah, saying, “^aWhat business do we have with each other, O King of Judah? I am not coming against you today, but against the house with which I am at war, and God has ordered me to hurry. Stop for your own sake from interfering with God who is with me, so that He will not destroy you.” 22 Yet Josiah would not turn away from him, but ^adisguised himself in order to fight against him. He did not listen to the words of Neco ^bfrom the mouth of God, but came to fight against him on the plain of ^cMegiddo. 23 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 carried him in the second chariot which he had, and brought him to Jerusalem where he died and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. ^aAll Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. 25 Then ^aJeremiah sung a lament (funeral song) for Josiah, and all the male and female singers have spoken about Josiah in their laments to this day. They made the songs an ordinance in Israel; behold, they are written in the Lamentations. Lam 4:20 26 Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and his deeds of devotion and godly achievements as written in the Law of the LORD, 27 and his acts, from the first to the last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.