2. Tarihler 35

¹Ve Yoşiya, Rabbi Tanrısı için Fısıh bayramını kutladı ve birinci ayın on dördüncü gününde Fısıh kurbanını kesti.

²Kâhinleri nöbet yerlerine atadı ve onları Rab'bin tapınağındaki hizmetleri için güçlendirdi.

³Bütün İsrail'de kendilerini Rab için kutsamaya yetkin olan Levilere şöyle dedi: "Kutsal sandığı, İsrail Kralı Davut oğlu Süleyman'ın inşa ettiği tapınağa yerleştirin; artık omuzlarınızda taşıyacağınız hiçbir şey yoktur. Şimdi Tanrınız Rab'be ve O'nun halkı İsrail'e hizmet edin.

⁴Babalarınızın aile soylarına ve nöbet bölüklerinize göre, İsrail Kralı Davut'un yazılı buyruğuna ve oğlu Süleyman'ın eliyle bildirilene göre hazırlanın.

⁵Tapınakta, halktan olan kardeşlerinizin baba soylarının bölümlerine göre durun ve her Levili aile grubuna baba soyundan bir pay düşsün.

⁶Fısıh kurbanını kesin ve Musa'nın eli aracılığıyla bildirilen Rab'bin sözünü yerine getirmek üzere kardeşleriniz için hazırlık yapın."

⁷Yoşiya, orada bulunan halktan olanlar için kendi mülkünden Fısıh kurbanı olarak koyunlardan, kuzulardan ve keçi yavrularından otuz bin hayvan ile üç bin sığır bağışladı; bunların hepsi kralın kendi varlığındandı.

⁸Onun önderleri de halka, kâhinlere ve Levilere gönüllü sunular verdiler. Tanrı Tapınağı'nın yöneticileri Hilkiya, Zekeriya ve Yehiel, kâhinlere Fısıh kurbanı olarak iki bin altı yüz koyun, kuzu ve oğlak ile üç yüz sığır verdiler.

⁹Levilerin önderleri Konanya, Banayas, Şemaya ve kardeşi Netanel, Haşabya, Yehiel ve Yozabat da Levilere Fısıh kurbanı olarak beş bin koyun ve beş yüz sığır bağışladılar.

¹⁰Böylece tapınak hizmeti düzene sokuldu; kralın buyruğu uyarınca kâhinler kendi mevkilerini aldılar, Leviler de bölüklerine göre dizildiler.

¹¹Fısıh kurbanını kestiler; kâhinler kanı onların ellerinden alıp sunağa döktüler, Leviler de hayvanların derilerini yüzdüler.

¹²Musa'nın kitabında yazıldığı gibi, Rab'be sunulmak üzere halkın aile bölüklerine dağıtılacak yakmalık sunuları hazırladılar; sabah vaktine kadar böyle yaptılar.

¹³Fısıh kurbanını kurala göre ateşte pişirdiler; kutsal sunuları ise tencerelerde ve kazanlarda haşladılar; iş başarıyla tamamlandı ve hızlıca halkın bütün çocuklarına dağıttılar.

¹⁴Bundan sonra kendileri ve kâhinler için hazırlık yaptılar; çünkü kâhinler geceye kadar yakmalık sunuları ve yağları sunmakla meşguldüler. Bu yüzden Leviler hem kendileri hem de Harun soyundan olan kâhin kardeşleri için hazırlık yaptılar.

¹⁵Asaf soyundan olan ezgiciler, Davut'un, Asaf'ın, Heman'ın ve kralın peygamberi Yedutun'un buyrukları uyarınca kendi mevkilerindeydiler. Kapıcılar da her kapıdaydı; kutsal hizmet yerlerinden ayrılmalarına gerek kalmadı, çünkü Levili kardeşleri onlar için hazırlık yapmıştı.

¹⁶Böylece Kral Yoşiya'nın buyruğu uyarınca, Fısıh bayramını kutlamak ve Rab'bin sunağı üzerinde yakmalık sunuları sunmak için Rab'be yapılan tüm hizmetler o gün düzene sokuldu ve hazırlandı.

¹⁷Orada bulunan İsrailliler o sırada Fısıh bayramını ve yedi gün boyunca Mayasız Ekmek bayramını kutladılar.

¹⁸Peygamber Samuel'in günlerinden beri İsrail'de böyle bir Fısıh bayramı kutlanmamıştı. İsrail krallarından hiçbiri; Yoşiya'nın, kâhinlerin, Levilerin, orada bulunan bütün Yahuda ve İsrail halkının ve Yeruşalim'de oturanların Rab için kutladığı bu Fısıh bayramı gibi bir bayram kutlamamıştı.

¹⁹Bu Fısıh bayramı, Yoşiya'nın krallığının on sekizinci yılında kutlandı.

⁰19α Kral Yoşiya, kâhin Hilkiya'nın Rab'bin tapınağında bulduğu kitapta yazılı olan yasanın sözlerini yerine getirmek amacıyla, Yahuda ülkesinde ve Yeruşalim'de bulunan medyumları, falcıları, aile putlarını, putları ve tapınak fahişelerini ateşe verip yok etti.

⁰19β Musa'nın bütün yasasına uyarak Rab'be bütün yüreğiyle, bütün canıyla ve bütün gücüyle dönen onun gibi bir kral ne ondan önce vardı, ne de ondan sonra onun gibisi ortaya çıktı.

⁰19γ Yine de Rab, Manaşşe'nin kendisini öfkelendirdiği bütün o kışkırtıcı eylemler yüzünden Yahuda'ya karşı alevlenen o büyük ve şiddetli öfkesinden dönmedi.

⁰19δ Rab şöyle dedi: "İsrail'i huzurumdan uzaklaştırdığım gibi, Yahuda'yı da uzaklaştıracağım; seçtiğim bu kenti, Yeruşalim'i ve 'Adım orada olacak' dediğim bu tapınağı reddedeceğim."

²⁰Mısır Kralı Firavun Nechao, Asur kralına karşı Fırat Irmağı'na doğru sefere çıktı. Kral Yoşiya onunla savaşmak üzere karşılamaya çıktı.

²¹Ama Nechao ona ulaklar göndererek şöyle dedi: "Ey Yahuda Kralı, aramızda ne var? Bugün seninle savaşmaya gelmedim; Tanrı acele etmemi buyurdu. Benimle olan Tanrı'ya karşı gelmekten sakın ki seni yok etmesin."

²²Ancak Yoşiya ondan yüzünü geri döndürmedi, aksine onunla savaşmak için kendini kararlı kıldı. Tanrı'nın ağzından çıkan Nechao'nun sözlerine kulak asmadı ve Megiddo ovasında savaşmaya gitti.

²³Okçular Kral Yoşiya'yı vurdular. Kral hizmetkârlarına, "Beni buradan çıkarın, çünkü şiddetle acı çekiyorum" dedi.

²⁴Hizmetkârları onu savaş arabasından çıkarıp kendisine ait ikinci arabaya bindirdiler ve Yeruşalim'e götürdüler. Yoşiya öldü ve atalarının mezarlığına gömüldü. Bütün Yahuda ve Yeruşalim halkı Yoşiya için yas tuttu.

²⁵Yeremya da Yoşiya için bir ağıt yaktı. Bütün erkek ve kadın önderler bugüne dek ağıtlarında Yoşiya'yı andılar. Bu, İsrail'de bir kural haline geldi; bu ağıtlar Ağıtlar Kitabı'nda yazılıdır.

²⁶Yoşiya'nın geri kalan işleri ve onun umudu, Rab'bin yasasında yazılı olanlardır.

²⁷Onun ilk ve son yaptıkları, İsrail ve Yahuda krallarının tarihinde yazılıdır.

¹ΚΑΙ ἐποίησεν ᾿Ιωσίας τὸ φασὲκ τῷ Κυρίῳ Θεῷ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔθυσε τὸ φασὲκ τῇ τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ μηνὸς τοῦ πρώτου.

²καὶ ἔστησε τοὺς ἱερεῖς ἐπὶ τὰς φυλακὰς αὐτῶν καὶ κατίσχυσεν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὰ ἔργα οἴκου Κυρίου.

³καὶ εἶπε τοῖς Λευίταις τοῖς δυνατοῖς ἐν παντὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ τοῦ ἁγιασθῆναι αὐτοὺς τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ ἔθηκαν τὴν κιβωτὸν τὴν ἁγίαν εἰς τὸν οἶκον, ὃν ᾠκοδόμησε Σαλωμὼν υἱὸς Δαυὶδ τοῦ βασιλέως ᾿Ισραήλ. καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς· οὐκ ἔστιν ὑμῖν ἐπ’ ὤμων ἆραι οὐδέν· νῦν οὖν λειτουργήσατε τῷ Κυρίῳ Θεῷ ὑμῶν καὶ τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ ᾿Ισραὴλ

⁴καὶ ἑτοιμάσθητε κατ’ οἴκους πατριῶν ὑμῶν καὶ κατὰ τὰς ἐφημερίας ὑμῶν κατὰ τὴν γραφὴν Δαυὶδ βασιλέως ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ διὰ χειρὸς Σαλωμὼν υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ

⁵καὶ στῆτε ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ κατὰ τὰς διαιρέσεις οἴκων πατριῶν ὑμῶν τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ὑμῶν υἱοῖς τοῦ λαοῦ, καὶ μερὶς οἴκου πατριᾶς τοῖς Λευίταις,

⁶καὶ θύσατε τὸ φασὲκ καὶ ἑτοιμάσατε τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ὑμῶν τοῦ ποιῆσαι κατὰ τὸν λόγον Κυρίου διὰ χειρὸς Μωυσῆ.

⁷καὶ ἀπήρξατο ᾿Ιωσίας τοῖς υἱοῖς τοῦ λαοῦ πρόβατα καὶ ἀμνοὺς καὶ ἐρίφους ἀπὸ τῶν τέκνων τῶν αἰγῶν, πάντα εἰς τὸ φασέκ, καὶ πάντας τοὺς εὑρεθέντας εἰς ἀριθμὸν τριάκοντα χιλιάδας καὶ μόσχων τρεῖς χιλιάδας· ταῦτα ἀπὸ τῆς ὑπάρξεως τοῦ βασιλέως.

⁸καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες αὐτοῦ ἀπήρξαντο τῷ λαῷ καὶ τοῖς ἱερεῦσι καὶ τοῖς Λευίταις· ἔδωκε δὲ Χελκίας καὶ Ζαχαρίας καὶ ᾿Ιιὴλ οἱ ἄρχοντες τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν οἴκου Θεοῦ καὶ ἔδωκεν εἰς τὸ φασὲκ πρόβατα καὶ ἀμνοὺς καὶ ἐρίφους δισχίλια ἑξακόσια καὶ μόσχους τριακοσίους.

⁹καὶ Χωνενίας καὶ Βαναίας καὶ Σαμαίας καὶ Ναθαναὴλ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ᾿Ασαβίας καὶ ᾿Ιιὴλ καὶ ᾿Ιωζαβὰδ ἄρχοντες τῶν Λευιτῶν ἀπήρξαντο τοῖς Λευίταις εἰς τὸ φασὲκ πρόβατα πεντακισχίλια καὶ μόσχους πεντακοσίους.

¹⁰καὶ κατωρθώθη ἡ λειτουργία, καὶ ἔστησαν οἱ ἱερεῖς ἐπὶ τὴν στάσιν αὐτῶν καὶ οἱ Λευῖται ἐπὶ τὰς διαιρέσεις αὐτῶν κατὰ τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ βασιλέως

¹¹καὶ ἔθυσαν τὸ φασέκ, καὶ προσέχεαν οἱ ἱερεῖς τὸ αἷμα ἐκ χειρὸς αὐτῶν, καὶ οἱ Λευῖται ἐξέδειραν.

¹²καὶ ἡτοίμασαν τὴν ὁλοκαύτωσιν παραδοῦναι αὐτοῖς κατὰ τὴν διαίρεσιν κατ’ οἴκους πατριῶν τοῖς υἱοῖς τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦ προσάγειν τῷ Κυρίῳ, ὡς γέγραπται ἐν βίβλῳ Μωυσῆ, καὶ οὕτως εἰς τὸ πρωΐ.

¹³καὶ ὤπτησαν τὸ φασὲκ ἐν πυρὶ κατὰ τὴν κρίσιν καὶ τὰ ἅγια ὕψησαν ἐν τοῖς χαλκείοις καὶ ἐν τοῖς λέβησι· καὶ εὐωδώθη, καὶ ἔδραμον πρὸς πάντας τοὺς υἱοὺς τοῦ λαοῦ.

¹⁴καὶ μετὰ τὸ ἑτοιμάσαι αὐτοῖς καὶ τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν, ὅτι οἱ ἱερεῖς ἐν τῷ ἀναφέρειν τὰ ὁλοκαυτώματα καὶ τὰ στέατα ἕως νυκτός, καὶ οἱ Λευῖται ἡτοίμασαν αὐτοῖς καὶ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς αὐτῶν υἱοῖς ᾿Ααρών.

¹⁵καὶ οἱ ψαλτῳδοὶ υἱοὶ ᾿Ασὰφ ἐπὶ τῆς στάσεως αὐτῶν κατὰ τὰς ἐντολὰς Δαυὶδ καὶ ᾿Ασὰφ καὶ Αἰμὰν καὶ ᾿Ιδιθὼμ οἱ προφῆται τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες καὶ οἱ πυλωροὶ πύλης καὶ πύλης, οὐκ ἦν αὐτοῖς κινεῖσθαι ἀπὸ τῆς λειτουργίας τῶν ἁγίων, ὅτι ἀδελφοὶ αὐτῶν οἱ Λευῖται ἡτοίμασαν αὐτοῖς.

¹⁶καὶ κατωρθώθη καὶ ἡτοιμάσθη πᾶσα ἡ λειτουργία Κυρίου ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ τοῦ ποιῆσαι τὸ φασὲκ καὶ ἐνεγκεῖν τὰ ὁλοκαυτώματα ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον Κυρίου κατὰ τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ βασιλέως ᾿Ιωσίου.

¹⁷καὶ ἐποίησαν οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ οἱ εὑρεθέντες τὸ φασὲκ ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ καὶ τὴν ἑορτὴν τῶν ἀζύμων ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας.

¹⁸καὶ οὐκ ἐγένετο φασὲκ ὅμοιον αὐτῷ ἐν ᾿Ισραὴλ ἀπὸ ἡμερῶν Σαμουὴλ τοῦ προφήτου καὶ παντὸς βασιλέως ᾿Ισραὴλ οὐκ ἐποίησαν τὸ φασέκ, ὃ ἐποίησεν ᾿Ιωσίας καὶ οἱ ἱερεῖς καὶ οἱ Λευῖται καὶ πᾶς ᾿Ιούδα καὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ ὁ εὑρεθεὶς καὶ οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ τῷ Κυρίῳ.

¹⁹τῷ ὀκτωκαιδεκάτῳ ἔτει τῆς βασιλείας ᾿Ιωσίου ἐποιήθη τὸ φασὲκ τοῦτο. 19α καὶ τοὺς ἐγγαστριμύθους καὶ τοὺς γνώστας καὶ τὰ θεραφὶν καὶ τὰ εἴδωλα καὶ τὰ καρησίμ, ἃ ἦν ἐν γῇ ᾿Ιούδα καὶ ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ ἐνεπύρισεν ὁ βασιλεὺς ᾿Ιωσίας, ἵνα στήσῃ τοὺς λόγους τοῦ νόμου τοὺς γεγραμμένους ἐπὶ τοῦ βιβλίου, οὗ εὗρε Χελκίας ὁ ἱερεὺς ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ Κυρίου. 19β ὅμοιος αὐτῷ οὐκ ἐγενήθη ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ, ὃς ἐπέστρεψε πρὸς Κύριον ἐν ὅλῃ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν ὅλῃ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ ἰσχύϊ αὐτοῦ κατὰ πάντα τὸν νόμον Μωυσῆ, καὶ μετ’ αὐτὸν οὐκ ἀνέστη ὅμοιος αὐτῷ· 19γ πλὴν οὐκ ἀπεστράφη Κύριος ἀπὸ ὀργῆς θυμοῦ αὐτοῦ τοῦ μεγάλου, οὗ ὠργίσθη θυμῷ Κύριος ἐν τῷ ᾿Ιούδᾳ, ἐπὶ πάντα τὰ παροργίσματα αὐτοῦ, ἃ παρώργισε Μανασσῆς. 19δ καὶ εἶπε Κύριος· καί γε τὸν ᾿Ιούδαν ἀποστήσω ἀπὸ προσώπου μου, καθὼς ἀπέστησα τὸν ᾿Ισραήλ, καὶ ἀπωσάμην τὴν πόλιν, ἣν ἐξελεξάμην τὴν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ, καὶ τὸν οἶκον ὃν εἶπα· ἔσται τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐκεῖ.

²⁰Καὶ ἀνέβη φαραὼ Νεχαὼ βασιλεὺς Αἰγύπτου ἐπὶ τὸν βασιλέα ᾿Ασσυρίων ἐπὶ τὸν ποταμὸν Εὐφράτην, καὶ ἐπορεύθη βασιλεὺς ᾿Ιωσίας εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτῷ.

²¹καὶ ἀπέστειλε πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀγγέλους λέγων· τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί, βασιλεῦ ᾿Ιούδα; οὐκ ἐπὶ σὲ ἥκω σήμερον πόλεμον πολεμῆσαι, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς εἶπε τοῦ κατασπεῦσαί με· πρόσεχε ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ μετ’ ἐμοῦ μὴ καταφθείρῃ σε.

²²καὶ οὐκ ἀπέστρεψεν ᾿Ιωσίας τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ, ἀλλ’ ἢ πολεμεῖν αὐτὸν ἐκραταιώθη καὶ οὐκ ἤκουσε τῶν λόγων Νεχαὼ διά στόματος Θεοῦ καὶ ἦλθε τοῦ πολεμῆσαι ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ Μαγεδδώ.

²³καὶ ἐτόξευσαν οἱ τοξόται ἐπὶ βασιλέα ᾿Ιωσίαν· καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῖς παισὶν αὐτοῦ· ἐξαγάγετέ με, ὅτι ἐπόνεσα σφόδρα.

²⁴καὶ ἐξήγαγον αὐτὸν οἱ παῖδες αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἅρματος καὶ ἀνεβίβασαν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὸ ἅρμα τὸ δευτεραῖον, ὃ ἦν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἤγαγον αὐτὸν εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλήμ· καὶ ἀπέθανε καὶ ἐτάφη μετὰ τῶν πατέρων αὐτοῦ. καὶ πᾶς ᾿Ιούδα καὶ ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ ἐπένθησαν ἐπὶ ᾿Ιωσίαν,

²⁵καὶ ἐθρήνησεν ῾Ιερεμίας ἐπὶ ᾿Ιωσίαν, καὶ εἶπαν πάντες οἱ ἄρχοντες καὶ αἱ ἄρχουσαι θρῆνον ἐπὶ ᾿Ιωσίαν ἕως τῆς σήμερον· καὶ ἔδωκαν αὐτὸν εἰς πρόσταγμα ἐπὶ ᾿Ισραήλ, καὶ ἰδοὺ γέγραπται ἐπὶ τῶν θρήνων.

²⁶καὶ ἦσαν οἱ λοιποὶ λόγοι ᾿Ιωσίου καὶ ἡ ἐλπὶς αὐτοῦ γεγραμμένα ἐν νόμῳ Κυρίου·

²⁷καὶ οἱ λόγοι αὐτοῦ οἱ πρῶτοι καὶ οἱ ἔσχατοι ἰδοὺ γεγραμμένοι ἐπὶ βιβλίῳ βασιλέων ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ ᾿Ιούδα.

¹And Josias kept a passover to the Lord his God; and sacrificed the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.

²And he appointed the priests at their charges, and encouraged them for the services of the house of the Lord.

³And he told the Levites that were able [to act] in all Israel, that they should consecrate themselves to the Lord: and they put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel built: and the king said, Ye must not carry anything on your shoulders: now then minister to the Lord your God, and to his people Israel.

⁴And prepare yourselves according to the houses of your families, and according to your daily courses, according to the writing of David king of Israel, and [the order] by the hand of his son Solomon.

⁵And stand ye in the house according to the divisions of the houses of your families for your brethren the sons of the people; [so] also let there be for the Levites a division of the house of their family.

⁶And kill ye the passover, and prepare [it] for your brethren, to do according to the word of the Lord, by the hand of Moses.

⁷And Josias gave as an offering to the children of the people, sheep, and lambs, and kids of the young of the goats, all for the passover, [even for] all that were found, in number [amounting to] thirty thousand, and three thousand calves, these [were] of the substance of the king.

⁸And his princes gave an offering to the people, and to the priests, and to the Levites: and Chelcias and Zacharias and Jeiel the chief men gave to the priests of the house of God, they even gave for the passover sheep, and lambs, and kids, two thousand six hundred, and three hundred calves.

⁹And Chonenias, and Banaeas, and Samaeas, and Nathanael his brother, and Asabias, and Jeiel, and Jozabad, heads of the Levites, gave an offering to the Levites for the passover, of five thousand sheep and five hundred calves.

¹⁰And the service was duly ordered, and the priests stood in their place, and the Levites in their divisions, according to the command of the king.

¹¹And they slew the passover, and the priests sprinkled the blood from their hand, and the Levites flayed [the victims].

¹²And they prepared the whole-burnt-offering to give to them, according to the division by the houses of families, [even] to the sons of the people, to offer to the Lord, as it is written in the book of Moses.

¹³And thus [they did] till the morning. And they roasted the passover with fire according to the ordinance; and boiled the holy [pieces] in copper vessels and caldrons, and [the feast] went on well, and they quickly served all the children of the people.

¹⁴And after they had prepared for themselves and for the priests, for the priests [were engaged] in offering the whole-burnt-offerings and the fat until night, then the Levites prepared for themselves, and for their brethren the sons of Aaron.

¹⁵And the sons of Asaph the psalm-singers [were] at their post according to the commands of David, and Asaph, and Aeman, and Idithom, the prophets of the king: also, the chiefs and the porters of the several gates;-- it was not for them to stir from the service of the holy things, for their brethren the Levites prepared for them.

¹⁶So all the service of the Lord was duly ordered and prepared in that day, for keeping the passover, and offering the whole-burnt-sacrifices on the altar of the Lord, according to the command of king Josias.

¹⁷And the children of Israel that were present kept the passover at that time, and the feast of unleavened bread seven days.

¹⁸And there was no passover like it in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet, or any king of Israel: they kept not such a passover as Josias, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Juda and Israel that were present, and the dwellers in Jerusalem, kept to the Lord.

¹⁹In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josias this passover was kept, after all these things that Josias did in the house. 19α And king Josias burnt those who had in them a divining spirit, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and the sodomites which were in the land of Juda and in Jerusalem, that he might confirm the words of the law that were written in the book which Chelcias the priest found in the house of the Lord. 19β There was no [king] like him before him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, and all his soul, and all his strength, according to all the law of Moses, and after him there rose up none like him. 19γ Nevertheless the Lord turned not from the anger of his fierce wrath, wherewith the Lord was greatly angry against Juda, for all the provocations wherewith Manasses provoked him: 19δ and the Lord said, I will even remove Juda also from my presence, as I have removed Israel, and I have rejected the city which I chose, [even] Jerusalem, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there.

²⁰And Pharao Nechao king of Egypt went up against the king of the Assyrians to the river Euphrates, and king Josias went to meet him.

²¹And he sent messengers to him, saying, What have I to do with thee, O king of Juda? I am not come to-day to war against thee; and God has told me to hasten: beware of the God that is with me, lest he destroy thee.

²²However, Josias turned not his face from him, but strengthened himself to fight against him, and hearkened not to the words of Nechao by the mouth of God, and he came to fight in the plain of Mageddo.

²³And the archers shot at king Josias; and the king said to his servants, Take me away, for I am severely wounded.

²⁴And his servants lifted him out of the chariot, and put him in the second chariot which he had, and brought him to Jerusalem; and he died, and was buried with his fathers: and all Juda and Jerusalem lamented over Josias.

²⁵And Jeremias mourned over Josias, and all the chief men and chief women uttered a lamentation over Josias until this day: and they made it an ordinance for Israel, and, behold, it is written in the lamentations.

²⁶And the rest of the acts of Josias, and his hope, are written in the law of the Lord.

²⁷And his acts, the first and the last, behold, [they are] written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.