1 Moreover Josiah kept a passover unto the LORD in Jerusalem: and they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. 2 And he set the priests in their charges, and encouraged them to the service of the house of the LORD, 3 And 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, 4 And 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. 5 And 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. 6 So 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. 7 And 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. 8 And 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. 9 Conaniah 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. 10 So the service was prepared, and the priests stood in their place, and the Levites in their courses, according to the king’s commandment. 11 And they killed the passover, and the priests sprinkled the blood from their hands, and the Levites flayed them . 12 And 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. 13 And 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. 14 And 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. 15 And 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. 16 So 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. 17 And the children of Israel that were present kept the passover at that time, and the feast of unleavened bread seven days. 18 And 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. 19 In 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. 21 But 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. 22 Nevertheless 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. 23 And the archers shot at king Josiah; and the king said to his servants, Have me away; for I am sore wounded. 24 His 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.
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. 26 Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and his goodness, according to that which was written in the law of the LORD, 27 And his deeds, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.
Pashas svētki
(2Ķēn 23:21–23)1 Jošijāhu Jeruzālemē rīkoja Kunga Pashas svētkus – pirmā mēneša četrpadsmitajā dienā kāva Pashas jēru. 2 Viņš noteica priesteriem pienākumus un mudināja viņus kalpot Kunga namā. 3 Viņš sacīja levītiem, kas svēti Kungam un māca visu Israēlu: “Lieciet svēto šķirstu templī, ko uzcēlis Sālamans, Dāvida dēls, Israēla ķēniņš, – tas vairs nav jānēsā uz pleciem! Kalpojiet Kungam, savam Dievam, un viņa tautai Israēlam! 4 Lai visi ir gatavi pēc iedalījuma tēvu namos, pēc Israēla ķēniņa Dāvida un viņa dēla Sālamana priekšrakstiem. 5 Nostājieties svētvietā pēc jūsu brāļu, vienkāršo ļaužu, tēvu namu vienībām un pēc levītu tēvu namu vienībām. 6 Kaujiet Pashas jēru, svētījieties paši un sagatavojiet to saviem tuvākajiem – dariet, kā Mozus noteicis Kunga vārdā!”
7 Jošijāhu dāvināja visiem klātesošajiem no tautas sīklopus Pashas upurim – trīsdesmit tūkstošus jēru un kazlēnu un trīs tūkstošus vēršu – tas bija no ķēniņa īpašuma. 8 Arī augstmaņi labprātīgi dāvināja tautai, priesteriem un levītiem – Dieva nama pārvaldnieki Hilkija, Zeharjahu un Jehiēls deva priesteriem divus tūkstošus seši simti sīklopu un trīs simti vēršu Pashas upurim. 9 Arī brāļi Kenanjāhu, Šemaja, Netanēls, kā arī levītu augstmaņi Hašabjāhu, Jeiēls un Jehozābāds dāvināja levītiem piecus tūkstošus sīklopu un piecus simtus vēršu Pashas upurim. 10 Kad kalpošanai viss bija gatavs, priesteri nostājās savās vietās un levīti savās vienībās, kā ķēniņš bija pavēlējis. 11 Tie kāva Pashas jēru, priesteri ņēma un slacīja asinis, bet levīti dīrāja ādas. 12 Tie atlika malā sadedzināmos upurus, lai dotu tos ļaužu tēvu namu vienībām, kuras tos upurētu Kungam, kā rakstīts Mozus grāmatā. Tāpat darīja ar vēršiem. 13 Pashas jēru tie cepa uz uguns, kā noteikts, bet svētīto daļu vārīja katlos, podos un bļodās un naski nesa visiem ļaudīm. 14 Pēc tam viņi gatavoja sev un priesteriem, jo priesteri, Ārona dēli, upurēja sadedzināmos upurus un taukus līdz pat naktij. Tāpēc levīti gatavoja sev un arī priesteriem, Ārona dēliem. 15 Dziedātāji, Āsāfa dēli, nostājās savās vietās, kā bija pavēlējis Dāvids, Āsāfs, Hēmāns un ķēniņa redzētājs Jedūtūns. Pie visiem vārtiem stāvēja vārtu sargi, tiem nevajadzēja pārtraukt darbu, jo levīti, viņu brāļi, gatavoja arī viņiem. 16 Todien tika nostiprināta kalpošana Kungam, svinēti Pashas svētki un upurēti sadedzināmie upuri uz Kunga altāra, kā pavēlējis ķēniņš Jošijāhu. 17 Tolaik israēlieši, kas nāca uz Pashas svētkiem, septiņas dienas svinēja Neraudzētās maizes svētkus. 18 Pashas svētki tā nebija svinēti kopš pravieša Samuēla dienām. Neviens Israēla ķēniņš nebija tā svinējis Pashas svētkus, kā Jošijāhu kopā ar priesteriem, levītiem, visu Jūdu, no Israēla sanākušajiem un Jeruzālemes iemītniekiem. 19 Šī Pasha tika svinēta Jošijāhu astoņpadsmitajā valdīšanas gadā.
Jošijāhu nāve
(2Ķēn 23:28–30)20 Vēlāk, kad Jošijāhu bija atjaunojis templi, Ēģiptes ķēniņš Neho devās karot uz Karkemīšu pie Eifrātas. Jošijāhu izgāja viņam pretī, 21 bet tas sūtīja vēstnešus teikt: “Kas tev pret mani, Jūdas ķēniņ?! Šoreiz neesmu nācis pret tevi, bet pret tiem, ar kuriem man ir karš. Dievs man ir teicis, lai nekavējos, tāpēc nenostājies pret Dievu, kurš ir ar mani, ka tas tevi neiznīdē!” 22 Bet Jošijāhu neatkāpās. Pārģērbies nepazīstams, viņš devās pret to karā. Jošijāhu neklausījās Neho vārdos, kas bija nākuši no Dieva mutes, un devās kaujā Megido līdzenumā.
23 Loka šāvēji sašāva ķēniņu Jošijāhu, un viņš teica saviem kalpiem: “Vediet mani projām, jo esmu stipri ievainots.” 24 Viņa kalpi to izcēla no ratiem, lika citos ratos un atveda uz Jeruzālemi. Viņš nomira un tika apbedīts savu tēvu kapenēs. Visa Jūda un Jeruzāleme apraudāja Jošijāhu.
25 Jeremija sacerēja raudu dziesmu par Jošijāhu – visi dziedātāji un dziedātājas līdz pat šai dienai apdzied Jošijāhu žēlabu dziesmās. Israēlā tas kļuvis par paradumu un aprakstīts žēlabu dziesmās.
26 Pārējie Jošijāhu darbi un viņa uzticība tam, kas rakstīts Kunga bauslībā, 27 redzi, no pirmā līdz pēdējam aprakstīti Israēla un Jūdas ķēniņu grāmatā!
