2 Chronicles 35

1 Then Josiah [whom Jehovah heals] celebrated the Passover [a Jewish festival, a time of remembrance] to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] in Jerusalem [the city of peace, the capital of Judah], and the Passover lamb [the sacrifice, the animal slaughtered] was slaughtered [killed, sacrificed] on the fourteenth [14th, a specific day] day of the first [primary, initial] month. word study 2 He appointed [set in order, established] the priests [spiritual leaders, those who serve God] to their duties [charges, responsibilities] and encouraged [strengthened, exhorted] them in the service [work, ministry] of the house [temple, dwelling place] of the LORD [Yehovah, the sovereign God]. word study 3 To the Levites [were sanctified to the Lord] who taught all Israel and were holy [set apart, sanctified] to the LORD, Josiah said: “Put the holy [sacred, set apart] ark [a box or chest, the Ark of the Covenant] in the temple [the Holy Place, a sacred or set-apart area] built by Solomon [a king of Israel] son of David [the youngest son of Jesse, a king of Israel] king of Israel. It is not to be carried around on your shoulders [the upper end of the arm, where garments hang]. Now [at this time, from now on] serve [to work, to minister] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God] and His people [a nation, a group of individuals] Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, referring to his descendants]. word study 4 Prepare [get ready, make yourselves ready] yourselves by [according to, in accordance with] families [houses of your fathers, clans] in your divisions [courses, sections], according to the instructions [writing, written rules] written by David [the king, leader] king of Israel [the people of God, Jacob’s descendants] and Solomon [his successor, son] his son [descendant, heir]. word study 5 Moreover, stand [in a strong sense, like a sentinel] in the Holy Place [a sacred or set-apart area, the temple] by the divisions [sections, parts] of the families of your kinsmen [brothers, relatives] the lay people [non-Levites, common people], and by the divisions [groups, portions] of the families of the Levites [descendants of Levi, temple servants]. word study 6 Slaughter [kill, put to death] the Passover [the Jewish festival, the animal sacrificed] lambs, consecrate [set apart as holy, sanctify] yourselves, and make preparations [establish, set up] for your fellow countrymen [brothers, close relatives] to carry out the word [command, instruction] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] given by Moses [the Israelite leader, lawgiver].” word study 7 From his own flocks [domesticated cattle or oxen] and herds [a group of animals] Josiah [whom Jehovah heals] contributed [to give or provide generously] 30,000 [thirty thousand, a large number] lambs [young rams] and goats [female goats, often used for sacrifice] plus [in addition to] 3,000 [three thousand, a multitude] bulls [strong and powerful animals, used for sacrifice] for the Passover [a Jewish festival, commemorating liberation] offerings [sacrifices or gifts, given to God] for all [everything, the whole] the people [a nation or community, in this case, the Israelites] who were present [found or gathered, in attendance]. word study 8 His officials [princes, leaders] also contributed willingly [with a voluntary spirit, freely] to the people [nation, community] and priests [spiritual leaders, mediators] and Levites [descendants of Levi, temple servants]. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, the administrators [rulers, leaders] of the house [temple, dwelling place] of God [Elohim, the supreme Lord], gave the priests 2,600 [two thousand six hundred] Passover offerings [sacrifices, commemorative animals] and 300 [three hundred] bulls [oxen, cattle]. word study 9 Additionally, Conaniah [a leader, chief] and his brothers [relatives, kin] Shemaiah and Nethanel, as well as Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad, officers [rulers, captains] of the Levites [descendants of Levi, priestly tribe], donated [gave, provided] to the Levites [ministers, worship leaders] 5,000 [five thousand, a large number] Passover offerings [sacrifices, atonement] and 500 [five hundred, a significant amount] bulls [cattle, oxen, used for sacrifice]. word study 10 So the service [ministry, work of worship] was prepared; the priests [spiritual leaders, mediators] stood in their places [assigned stations, posts] and the Levites [descendants of Levi, temple servants] in their divisions [courses, sections] according to the king’s [royal, sovereign] command [instruction, law]. word study 11 And they slaughtered [killed, put to death] the Passover [the Jewish festival, the lamb sacrificed] lambs, while the priests [the spiritual leaders, mediators] sprinkled [scattered, poured out] the blood handed [given, received] to them and the Levites [the descendants of Levi, the temple servants] skinned [stripped, flayed] the animals [the sacrifices, the offerings]. word study 12 They set aside [removed, turned aside] the burnt offerings [sacrifices completely consumed by fire, ascending to God] to be given to the divisions [groups, classifications] of the families [households, clans] of the people [nation, community] to offer [present, bring near] to the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God], as is written [recorded, inscribed] in the Book of Moses [the law, God’s instructions]; and they did the same [thus, in like manner] with the bulls [oxen, cattle, used for sacrifice]. word study 13 They roasted the Passover [the Jewish festival, commemorating Israel’s redemption] animals on the fire [burning, flame] according to the regulation [justice, or righteous judgment], and they boiled the other holy offerings [sacred sacrifices, set apart for God] in pots [vessels for cooking], kettles [large containers for boiling], and bowls [flat, protracted objects for serving] and quickly [with haste, to run or rush] brought them to all [everything, the entire congregation] the people [a nation]. word study 14 Afterward [following the previous events], they made preparations [established, set up] for themselves and for the priests [descendants of Aaron, spiritual leaders], since the priests [ministers, servants of God], the descendants of Aaron [the first high priest], were offering up [presenting, sacrificing] burnt offerings [total dedications to God] and fat [the richest part] until nightfall [the end of the day, darkness]. So the Levites [assistants to the priests, descendants of Levi] made preparations [established, set up] for themselves and for the priests [spiritual leaders], the descendants of Aaron [the brother of Moses]. word study 15 The singers [musicians, descendants of Asaph], the descendants of Asaph [gatherer, a Levite], were at their stations [office, position] according to the command [law, instruction] of David [the youngest son of Jesse, a king of Israel], Asaph [a Levite, the father of Hezekiah’s secretary], Heman [a Levite, a temple musician], and Jeduthun [a Levite, the king’s seer, a prophet] the king’s [royal, belonging to the king] seer [prophet, one who receives visions from God]. And the gatekeepers [porters, doorkeepers] at each gate [door, entrance] did not need to leave their position [service, work], because their fellow [brotherly, related] Levites [descendants of Levi, a tribe of Israel] made preparations [established, set up] for them. word study 16 So on that day [at the exact moment, in the same instant] the entire [all-inclusive, comprehensive] service [worship, ministry] of the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] was carried out [prepared, established] for celebrating [keeping, observing] the Passover [a Jewish festival, a memorial of God’s redemption] and offering [presenting, sacrificing] burnt offerings [totally consumed, completely dedicated] on the altar [a place of sacrifice] of the LORD [the one true God], according to the command [instruction, directive] of King [the ruler, the sovereign] Josiah [whom Jehovah heals, a king of Judah]. word study 17 The Israelites [children of Israel, descendants of Jacob] who were present [found, gathered] also observed [kept, celebrated] the Passover [the festival of liberation] at that time [in that season, then], as well as [and also] the Feast [festival, celebration] of Unleavened Bread [sweet bread without yeast] for seven [a complete cycle of] days [a period of time, 24-hour periods]. word study 18 No such Passover [like the one kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet] had been observed in Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, also referring to his descendants] since the days of Samuel [Shemuel, a judge and prophet of Israel] the prophet [someone who speaks for God]. None of the kings [royal persons, rulers] of Israel ever observed a Passover [the Jewish festival or the animal sacrificed during it] like the one that Josiah [whom Jehovah heals, a king of Judah] observed with the priests [persons who serve God and lead others in worship], the Levites [descendants of Levi, one of Jacob’s 12 sons], all Judah [the tribe descended from Judah, the son of Jacob], the Israelites [descendants of Jacob, also referring to the northern kingdom] who were present, and the people of Jerusalem [the capital city of Palestine, also known as the city of peace]. word study 19 In the eighteenth [almost eighteen, about eighteen years] year of Josiah’s [whom Jehovah heals, King of Judah] reign [royal power, kingdom], this [specific, particular] Passover [Jewish festival, commemoration of Israel’s deliverance] was observed [kept, celebrated, made]. word study 20 After all this [everything that had happened], when Josiah [whom Jehovah heals] had set [established, prepared] the temple [house of worship] in order, Neco king of Egypt [a major power in the region] marched up [ascended, went up] to fight [engage in battle, wage war] at Carchemish [a major city in Syria] by [near, alongside] the Euphrates [a major river in western Asia], and Josiah went out [came out, proceeded] to confront [meet, encounter] him. word study 21 But Neco sent messengers [representatives] to him, saying, “What is the issue [what have I to do with thee, what argument is there] between you and me, O king [royal ruler, monarch] of Judah? I have not come against you today, but I am fighting [at war, in battle] another dynasty [house, kingdom]. God [Elohim, the one supreme God] told me to hurry [to make haste, to go quickly]; so stop opposing [cease, forbear] God, who is with me [on my side, accompanying me], or He will destroy [ruin, annihilate] you!” word study 22 Josiah, however, did not [refused to] turn away [change direction, withdraw] from him; instead, in order to engage [meet, confront] him in battle [war, combat], he disguised [concealed, hid] himself. He did not [would not, refused to] listen [hear, obey] to Neco’s [the Egyptian king, Pharaoh Neco] words [messages, commands] from the mouth [lip, voice] of God [Elohim, the supreme Ruler], but went [proceeded, marched] to fight [engage in combat, wage war] him on the Plain [valley, level area] of Megiddo [a strategic location, a place of battle]. word study 23 There the archers [shooters, bowmen] shot King Josiah [whom Jehovah heals], who said to his servants [attendants, slaves], “Take me away [carry me out, remove me], for I am badly [severely, sorely] wounded [weak, sick]!” word study 24 So his servants [attendants, those who served him] took him out of his chariot [vehicle, means of transportation], put him in his second [another, spare] chariot, and brought him to Jerusalem [the city of peace, capital of Judah], where he died [passed away, came to an end]. And Josiah [whom Jehovah heals] was buried [laid to rest, interred] in the tomb [sepulchre, grave] of his fathers [ancestors, forefathers], and all [every, the whole] Judah [the tribe, region] and Jerusalem [the city, capital] mourned [lamented, grieved] for him [on his behalf, because of him]. word study 25 Then Jeremiah [the prophet, whom Jehovah has appointed] lamented [chanted a dirge, wailed] over Josiah [whom Jehovah heals], and to this day [until now, as far as] all the choirs [singing men and women] of men and women sing [chant, wail] laments [dirges, songs of sorrow] over Josiah [in his memory]. They established [gave, set] them as a statute [decree, law] for Israel [the descendants of Jacob], and indeed they are written [recorded, inscribed] in the Book of Laments [dirges, lamentations]. word study 26 As for the rest [remainder, what is left] of the acts [chronicles, events] of Josiah [whom Jehovah heals], along with his deeds [goodness, kind acts] of loving devotion [mercy, kindness, loyalty] according to what is written [recorded, inscribed] in the Law [instruction, Torah] of the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God]— word study 27 his acts [deeds, matters, and events] from beginning [first, the start] to end [last, the final part]—they are indeed written [recorded, inscribed] in the Book [scroll, written document] of the Kings [rulers, monarchs] of Israel [the descendants of Jacob] and Judah [the tribe and region, the son of Jacob]. word study