Josija svin Pashu
1 Josija Jeruzālemē svinēja Pashu savam Kungam un ziedoja pirmā mēneša četrpadsmitajā dienā, 2 izrīkojis Kunga templī svinīgi saposušos priesteru maiņas. 3 Un viņš teica Israēla tempļa kalpotājiem levītiem, lai tie svētī sevi Kunga svētā šķirsta vietai Kunga templī, ko cēlis ķēniņš Sālamans, Dāvida dēls: 4 “Jums nebūs celt šķirstu plecos, un kalpojiet tagad Kungam, savam Dievam, un aprūpējiet viņa Israēla tautu, un kārtojieties pēc savām dzimtām un ciltīm pēc Dāvida, Israēla ķēniņa, priekšraksta un Sālamana, viņa dēla, dižuma, 5 un, stājušies templī pēc jūsu levītu dzimtu kārtām jūsu brāļu, Israēla dēlu, priekšā, 6 ziedojiet, kā pienākas, Pashai un sagatavojiet ziedojumu jūsu brāļiem, vadiet Pashu pēc Kunga norādījuma, kas dots Mozum.” 7 Un Josija dāvāja sanākušajiem ļaudīm trīs tūkstošus jēru un kazu un trīs tūkstošus teļu; tie no ķēniņa, kā solīts, dāvāti ļaudīm, priesteriem un levītiem. 8 Arī Helkija, Zaharija un Isiils, tempļa pārvaldnieki, iedeva priesteriem Pashai divi tūkstoši seši simti avju un trīs simti teļu. 9 Arī hiliarhi Jehonija, Sameja un Natanaēls, viņa brālis, arī Asabija, Ohiils un Jorāms Pashai iedeva piecus tūkstošus avju un septiņsimt teļu. 10 Un šajā notikumā priesteri un levīti stāvēja, kā pieklājas, pēc ciltīm un dzimtu kārtām, 11 turot macu ļaužu priekšā, 12 lai, kā rakstīts Mozus grāmatā, sniegtu to Kungam, un tas bija rīta agrumā. 13 Un viņi izcepa Pashas upuri ugunī, kā pieklājas, sacepa upurus ar smaržvielām vara katlos un traukos un aiznesa visiem ļaudīm. 14 Pēc tam viņi pagatavoja paši sev un priesteriem, saviem brāļiem, Ārona dēliem: jo priesteri pienesa taukumus līdz vēlam vakaram, un levīti gatavoja sev un saviem brāļiem priesteriem, Ārona dēliem. 15 Un svēto psalmu dziedātāji Āsāfa dēli bija savās vietās pēc Dāvida nolikuma – gan Āsāfs, gan Zaharija, gan Edinus – visi no ķēniņa puses; arī sargi pie visām ieejām; nevienam nebija ļauts pārtraukt kalpošanu Dievam, jo ēdamo viņiem gatavoja brāļi levīti. 16 Šajā dienā viss tika ziedots Kungam – veltīts Pashai un pienesti ziedojumi uz Kunga altāra, kā noteicis ķēniņš Josija. 17 Un Israēla dēli, kas bija tur šajā laikā, ziedoja Pashai un svinēja Neraudzētās maizes svētkus septiņas dienas. 18 Tādi svētki Israēlā nebija svinēti kopš pravieša Samuēla laikiem, 19 neviens Israēla ķēniņš nebija svinējis tādu Pashu kā Josija un priesteri, un levīti, un jūdi, un ikviens no Israēla ļaudīm, kas dzīvoja Jeruzālemē. 20 Pasha tika svinēta Josijas valdīšanas astoņpadsmitajā gadā. 21 Tā Josijas veiktais no dievbijības pilnās sirds Kunga priekšā izdevās. 22 Un ir pierakstīti viņa laika agrāko gadu notikumi par Kunga negodātājiem un grēciniekiem viņa priekšā – vairāk nekā jebkurā tautā un ķēniņvalstī – un par to, kā tie savā apziņā Kungu zaimojuši un kā viņa vārdi cēlušies pret Israēlu.
23 Pēc visām šīm norisēm faraons, Ēģiptes ķēniņš, ieradās ar karu Harkamisā pie Eifrātas, un Josija stājās tam pretī. 24 Ēģiptes ķēniņš nosūtīja viņam šādu ziņu: “Kādēļ gan man un tev, Jūdejas ķēniņ, cīnīties? 25 Ne jau pret tevi Dievs Kungs mani sūtījis, karš risinās Eifrātas krastos; Kungs šobrīd ir ar mani un mani atbalsta, atkāpies un nepretojies Kungam.” 26 Taču Josija nepagriezās ar saviem kaujas ratiem, bet sataisījās karot, neuzklausīdams caur pravieti Jeremiju Kunga teiktos vārdus. 27 Viņš sāka kauju pret to Magedausas ielejā, un pie ķēniņa Josijas sapulcējās vadoņi. 28 Ķēniņš sacīja saviem kalpotājiem: aizvediet mani no kaujas lauka, jo esmu pārlieku saguris. Un viņa kalpi tūdaļ aizveda viņu no ierindas. 29 Tā viņš kāpa citos savos kararatos un, atgriezies Jeruzālemē, atstāja šo dzīvi un tika apbedīts savu tēvu kapavietā. 30 Un visā Jūdejā sēroja par Josiju, viņu apraudāja pravietis Jeremija, un priekšstāvji, un viņu sievas raudāja par viņu līdz šai dienai, un tā tam likts būt mūžam visā Israēlā. 31 Tas viss pierakstīts grāmatā, kas vēsta par Jūdejas ķēniņiem: gan Josijas darbi, gan viņa slava, gan viņa sapratne par Kunga bauslību; viņa iepriekšējie veikumi un arī šie ir atstāstīti Israēla un Jūdas ķēniņu grāmatā.
32 Tad ļaudis izvēlējās un par ķēniņu tēva Josijas vietā iecēla Jehoniju, Josijas dēlu, divdesmit trīs gadu vecumā. 33 Un viņš valdīja Jūdejā un Jeruzālemē trīs mēnešus, bet Ēģiptes ķēniņš atcēla viņa valdīšanu Jeruzālemē
Pēdējais ķēniņš Jūdā
34 un piesprieda tautai sodu – simts sudraba un vienu zelta talantu. 35 Par Jūdejas un Jeruzālemes ķēniņu Ēģiptes valdnieks noteica savu brāli Joakimu. 36 Un Joakims sasēja augstmaņus, bet Zariju, savu brāli, notvēra un izraidīja uz Ēģipti.
37 Joakimam bija divdesmit pieci gadi, kad viņš valdīja Jūdejā un Jeruzālemē, un viņš Kunga priekšā darīja nekrietnas lietas. 38 Pret viņu cēlās Bābeles ķēniņš Nebūkadnecars un, vara važās to saistījis, aizveda uz Bābeli. 39 Un, paņēmis arī dažus Kunga svētos priekšmetus, Nebūkadnecars tos aizveda un novietoja savā templī Bābelē. 40 Stāsti par viņu un viņu bezgodību un zaimu darbiem aprakstīti grāmatā par ķēniņu laikiem.
41 Viņa vietā par ķēniņu nāca Joakims, viņa dēls; stājoties pie varas, viņam bija astoņpadsmit gadu, 42 viņš valdīja Jeruzālemē trīs mēnešus un desmit dienas un darīja nekrietnības Kunga priekšā.
43 Pēc gada Nebūkadnecars, sūtījis pēc viņa, aizveda to sev līdzi uz Bābeli kopā ar Kunga svētajām mantām 44 un par Jūdejas un Jeruzālemes ķēniņu nozīmēja Sedekiju, divdesmit viena gada vecumā, viņš valdīja vienpadsmit gadus. 45 Viņš darīja nekrietnības Kunga priekšā un nepievērsās Kunga teiktajiem vārdiem caur pravieti Jeremiju. 46 Zvērējis valdniekam Nebūkadnecaram Kunga vārdā, viņš lauza zvērestu kā atkritējs un, nocietinājis savu kaklu un sirdi, pārkāpa Israēla Dieva Kunga bauslību. 47 Arī tautas un priesteru priekšstāvji darīja daudz bezdievīga – pārkāpa likumus vairāk par visiem cittautiešiem un apgānīja Kungam iesvētīto templi Jeruzālemē. 48 Un viņu tēvu Dievs sūtīja savu vēstnesi, lai pievērstu tos ticībai, tā žēlodams viņus un savu namu. 49 Taču šie ņirgājās par viņa vēstnešiem un dienā, kad Kungs tos uzrunāja, izākstīja viņa praviešus; tad, sadusmojies uz savu cilti bezdievību dēļ, Kungs lika pret viņiem iet kaldiešu ķēniņiem. 50 Tie ar zobeniem apkāva viņu jaunekļus visapkārt svētajam templim un nesaudzēja ne jaunekli, ne jaunavu, ne vecu vīru, ne jaunāku cilvēku, visi nonāca to rokās. 51 Un, savākuši visus Kunga svētos priekšmetus, lielus un mazus, un Kunga šķirstu, un ķēniņu dārgumus, tie visu aizveda uz Bābeli. 52 Tie nodedzināja arī Kunga namu, sadragāja Jeruzālemes mūrus, aizdedzināja to torņus 53 un visu tās greznību pilnīgi nolīdzināja; pēc slaktiņa dzīvus palikušos tie aizveda uz Bābeli. 54 Tur viņi kalpoja viņam un viņa dēliem līdz persiešu valdīšanai, piepildot Kunga teikto caur Jeremiju: 55 kamēr zeme labvēlībā nepieņems savus sabatus, visu tās pamestības laiku tā svinēs tos septiņdesmit gadus.
Josiah Celebrates the Passover
(2 Kings 23.21-232 Chronicles 35.1-9)1 King Josiah celebrated the Passover at Jerusalem in honor of the Lord; on the fourteenth day of the first month they killed the animals for the festival. 2 Josiah assigned the priests, dressed in their priestly robes, to serve in the Temple according to the daily order. 3 He also instructed the Levites, the Temple servants, to purify themselves for the Lord's service, so that they could put the sacred Covenant Box of the Lord in the Temple that King Solomon, the son of David, had built. 4 Josiah said to them, “You must no longer carry it from place to place, but you are to serve the Lord your God and minister to his people Israel. Get ready by family and clan to carry out your duties 5 according to the directions given by King David and the splendid way that they were carried out by his son King Solomon. Take your places in the Temple in proper order according to your family divisions as Levites serving the Lord for the people of Israel. 6 Kill the Passover lambs and goats and prepare the sacrifices for your people. Then celebrate the Passover according to the instructions that the Lord gave to Moses.”
7 Josiah gave to the people who were present 30,000 young sheep and goats and 3,000 calves. These were a gift from the royal estates to carry out the promise he had made to the people, the priests, and the Levites. 8 The officials in charge of the Temple—Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel—also gave the priests 2,600 sheep and 300 calves for the sacrifices during the festival. 9 And the army commanders—Conaniah, Shemaiah and his brother Nethanel, Hashabiah, Ochiel, and Joram—contributed 5,000 sheep and 700 calves for the Levites to offer as sacrifices.
10-11 Here is what happened. The priests and the Levites, dressed in the proper manner and carrying the unleavened bread, came that morning to present the offerings to the Lord according to the instructions in the Law of Moses. They took their positions in front of the people in the order of tribal and family divisions. 12 The Levites roasted the Passover sacrifices and then boiled them in pots and kettles, making a pleasant smell. 13 Then they distributed the meat to all the people. After that was done, they took meat for themselves and for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, 14 because the priests were kept busy until night burning the fat of the sacrifices. 15-16 The guards at the Temple gates and the Temple singers of the Levite clan of Asaph (with Asaph, Zechariah, and Eddinus, who were representatives of the king) remained at the places assigned to them by King David's instructions. They did not need to leave their posts, because the other Levites prepared the Passover for them.
17-18 So, as King Josiah had commanded, everything that related to the sacrifices offered to the Lord was done that day; the Passover Festival was celebrated, and the sacrifices were offered on the altar. 19 All the people of Israel who were present at that time kept the Passover and observed the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days. 20 Since the days of the prophet Samuel, the Passover had never been celebrated so well. 21-22 None of the former kings of Israel had ever celebrated a Passover like this one celebrated by King Josiah in Jerusalem in the eighteenth year of his reign; it was celebrated by the priests, the Levites, and all the people of Judah and Israel.
The End of Josiah's Reign
(2 Kings 23.28-302 Chronicles 35.20-27)23 The Lord was pleased with everything Josiah did, for he was a very religious man. 24 But the ancient records also tell the story of those who sinned and rebelled against the Lord during Josiah's reign. They sinned more than any other nation or kingdom and did things that offended the Lord so much that his judgment fell on the people of Israel.
25 After Josiah had done all these things, the king of Egypt led an army to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates River. Josiah tried to stop him, 26 but the king of Egypt sent Josiah this message: “The war I am fighting does not concern you, King of Judah. 27 The Lord God did not send me to fight you; my battle is on the Euphrates River. The Lord is with me, and he is urging me on; so withdraw your troops and don't oppose the Lord.” 28 But Josiah did not go back to his chariot and withdraw. He refused to listen to what the Lord had said through the prophet Jeremiah and decided to fight. 29 He went into battle on the plain of Megiddo, and the Egyptian commanders attacked him.
30 King Josiah ordered his servants, “Take me off the battlefield; I'm badly hurt.” So they took him out of the line of battle immediately, 31 and he got into a second chariot and was taken back to Jerusalem. There he died and was buried in the royal tomb. 32 All the people of Judah mourned his death.
The prophet Jeremiah composed a lament for King Josiah. It has become a custom in Israel for the leaders and their wives to sing this song when they mourn for him. 33 These things are recorded in The History of the Kings of Judah. Everything that Josiah did, how he gained his fame and his understanding of the Law, what he did earlier and what is told here, is all recorded in The History of the Kings of Israel and Judah.
King Joahaz of Judah
(2 Kings 23.30-352 Chronicles 36.1-4)34 The people of Judah chose Josiah's son Joahaz and made him king. Joahaz was twenty-three years old, 35 and he ruled Judah and Jerusalem for three months. Then the king of Egypt deposed him 36 and made the nation pay 7,500 pounds of silver and 75 pounds of gold as tribute. 37 The king of Egypt appointed Joahaz's brother Jehoiakim king of Judah and Jerusalem. 38 Jehoiakim put the leading men of the nation in prison, then had his brother Zarius arrested and brought back from Egypt.
King Jehoiakim of Judah
(2 Kings 23.36—24.72 Chronicles 36.5-8)39 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king of Judah and Jerusalem. He sinned against the Lord. 40 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia invaded Judah, captured Jehoiakim, and took him to Babylonia in bronze chains. 41 Nebuchadnezzar also carried off some of the sacred utensils from the Temple and put them in his own temple in Babylon. 42 The stories about Jehoiakim, his depravity, and the godless way he lived are recorded in The Chronicles of the Kings.
King Jehoiachin of Judah
(2 Kings 24.8-172 Chronicles 36.92 10)43 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he succeeded his father Jehoiakim as king, 44 and he ruled in Jerusalem for three months and ten days. He too sinned against the Lord. 45 A year later King Nebuchadnezzar had Jehoiachin taken to Babylonia as a prisoner; Nebuchadnezzar also carried off sacred utensils from the Temple. 46 Then he made Zedekiah king of Judah and Jerusalem.
King Zedekiah of Judah
(2 Kings 24.18-202 Chronicles 36.112 12Jeremiah 52.1-3a)Zedekiah was then twenty-one years old, and he ruled for eleven years. 47 He sinned against the Lord and refused to listen to the prophet Jeremiah, who spoke the word of the Lord.
The Fall of Jerusalem
(2 Kings 25.1-212 Chronicles 36.13-21Jeremiah 52.3b-11)48 Although King Nebuchadnezzar had forced Zedekiah to swear in the Lord's name that he would be loyal to him, Zedekiah broke his oath and rebelled against him. He stubbornly refused to obey the commands of the Lord, the God of Israel. 49 In addition, the leaders of the people and even the chief priests did more godless and lawless things than all the corrupt heathen; they defiled the Temple of the Lord, which he had made holy. 50 The God of their ancestors had continued to send prophets to call them back from their sins, because he wanted to spare them and the Temple. 51 But when the Lord spoke through his prophets, the people made fun of them and laughed. 52 At last the Lord became so angry with his people and their depraved ways that he ordered the kings of Babylonia to attack them. 53 The Babylonians killed the young men of Judah all around the Temple and did not spare anyone, young or old, man or woman. The Lord handed them all over to their enemies. 54 The Babylonians carried off all the sacred utensils from the Temple, the treasure chests, and the wealth of the king; they took everything away to Babylon, leaving nothing behind. 55 They burned down the Temple, broke down the city wall, set fire to its towers, 56 and completely destroyed all its beauty. Nebuchadnezzar forced all the survivors to be led away to Babylon, 57 where they served him and his descendants as slaves until the rise of the Persian Empire. And so what the Lord had foretold through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: 58 “The land will lie desolate for seventy years to make up for the Sabbath rest that has not been observed.”
