1
Then Josiah kept the Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem. The Passover lamb was slaughtered on the fourteenth day of the first month.
2
He appointed the priests to their duties, and encouraged them in the service of the house of the LORD.
3
He said to the Levites, who were teachers of all Israel and were holy to the LORD: “Put the holy ark in the house that Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, built. You need no longer carry it on your shoulders. Now serve the LORD your God and Israel, his people!
4
Prepare yourselves by your fathers’ houses and by your divisions, as it is written by David king of Israel and by Solomon his son.
5
Stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the fathers’ houses of your brothers, the lay people, with a division of the Levites for each division of your brothers.
6
Slaughter the Passover lamb, consecrate yourselves, and make ready for your brothers, so that what the LORD spoke by Moses may be done.”
7
Josiah contributed for the lay people thirty thousand sheep and goats, that is, lambs and young male goats, all for Passover offerings for all who were present. In addition, he contributed three thousand cattle. All these were from the king’s possessions.
8
His officials also made freewill offerings to the people, the priests, and the Levites. Then Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, the leaders of the house of God, gave to the priests two thousand six hundred sheep and goats for Passover offerings, and besides these three hundred cattle.
9
Then Conaniah and his brothers, Shemaiah and Nethanel, and Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad, the leaders of the Levites, contributed to the Levites five thousand sheep and goats for Passover offerings, and besides these five hundred cattle.
10
When the service was prepared, the priests stood in their places and the Levites in their divisions according to the king’s command.
11
So the Passover lamb was slaughtered, and the priests sprinkled the blood they received from the Levites, while the Levites skinned the animals.
12
Then they set aside the burnt offerings to give to the lay people according to the divisions of the fathers’ houses, to be offered to the LORD as it is written in the book of Moses. They did the same with the cattle.
13
They roasted the Passover lamb over the fire according to the ordinance, and the holy offerings they boiled in pots, cauldrons, and pans, and carried them quickly to all the lay people.
14
Afterward they prepared it for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the sons of Aaron, were busy until nightfall offering the burnt offerings and the fat portions. Therefore the Levites prepared it for themselves and for the priests, the sons of Aaron.
15
The singers, that is, the sons of Asaph, were in their places according to the command of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, the king’s seer; and also the gatekeepers were at each gate. They did not need to leave their service, because their brothers, the Levites, prepared for them.
16
So all the service of the LORD was prepared on that day to keep the Passover and to offer burnt offerings on the altar of the LORD, according to the command of King Josiah.
17
At that time the Israelites who were present there kept the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days.
18
Such a Passover had not been kept in Israel since the days of the prophet Samuel. None of the kings of Israel had ever kept a Passover like the one kept by Josiah, with the priests and the Levites, with all Judah and Israel who were present, and with the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
19
This Passover was kept in the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign.
20
After all this, after Josiah had repaired the house of the LORD, Neco king of Egypt came up to fight at Carchemish by the Euphrates River. Josiah went out to meet him.
21
He sent messengers to Josiah, saying, “What have I to do with you, king of Judah? I am not coming against you today, but against the house with which I am at war. God has commanded me to act quickly. Stop opposing God, who is with me, so that he will not destroy you!”
22
But Josiah would not turn away from him, but disguised himself to fight against him. He did not heed the words of Neco, which were from God, and he fought in the valley of Megiddo.
23
Then 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 from his chariot, put him in his spare chariot, and brought him to Jerusalem. Then he died and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.
25
Jeremiah made a lament for Josiah. And to this day all the male singers and female singers sing laments concerning Josiah, and they made it a custom in Israel. These things are written in the Laments.
26
Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and his deeds of devotion, according to what is written in the Law of the LORD,
27
that is, his acts from beginning to end, indeed they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.
🕊️🔥🩸 Summary of 2 Chronicles 35 – Josiah’s Great Passover and the King’s Tragic End
2 Chronicles 35 describes the greatest Passover since the days of the prophet Samuel, led by King Josiah. He restored worship according to the ordinances of Moses in detail, arranging the priests and the Levites, and providing sacrificial offerings for all the people. This was the climax of a national spiritual awakening in his reign. Yet at the end of the chapter, a tragic event is recorded: Josiah was killed in battle against Pharaoh Neco, even though he had been warned not to become involved. This death marked the beginning of Judah’s downfall, and closed the last golden age before the exile to Babylon.
📌 1. The Passover Restored According to the Law of Moses (verses 1–19)
➡️ In the eighteenth year of his reign, Josiah held a great Passover in Jerusalem
➡️ He arranged the priests and the Levites to serve according to the law of Moses and the divisions established by David
➡️ Josiah personally gave 30,000 sheep and 3,000 cattle for the Passover offerings
➡️ The other leaders also brought offerings for the people
➡️ The Passover was carried out in an orderly, great, and joyful manner
➡️ It is said that since the days of Samuel no Passover like it had ever been held
🎯 Worship that is in accordance with the word brings unity, joy, and great blessing to the whole nation.
📌 2. Josiah’s Tragic Death at Megiddo (verses 20–25)
➡️ After all this, Pharaoh Neco of Egypt came out against Assyria at Carchemish, and Josiah went out to meet him in battle
➡️ The Pharaoh said:
“God has commanded me to hurry! Do not oppose Him who has sent me.” (verse 21)
➡️ Josiah disguised himself and still joined the battle, but was struck by an arrow and badly wounded
➡️ He was brought back to Jerusalem and died there
➡️ All Judah and Jeremiah mourned Josiah’s death
🎯 Even a godly leader can stumble if he does not heed God’s warning — obedience must continue, not only at the beginning.
📌 3. Josiah’s Legacy and Influence (verses 26–27)
➡️ All of Josiah’s deeds are recorded in the book of the history of the kings of Israel and Judah
➡️ Remembered for his faithfulness to the law of the LORD, and the worship he restored
🎯 Josiah’s life shows that one person who is truly earnest can bring national change — though his life was short, his influence was great.
📖 Main Lessons
- True worship must return to the truth of the word, not human-made tradition
- A generous spiritual leader can stir up a revival of faith among the people
- Listening to God’s voice through warnings — even from an enemy — is a form of wisdom
- A fall can come not because of evil, but because of disobedience to divine direction
- A legacy of faith is not always determined by length of life, but by the depth of obedience
✨ Spiritual Meaning (New Testament)
“The time is coming when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth…”
➡️ Josiah restored worship according to the truth of the word of the LORD
“Let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.”
➡️ Josiah was not watchful and still went forward into battle, even though he had been warned
“Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable…”
➡️ The Passover sacrifice reflected the people’s total devotion to God
“Remember your leaders… and consider the outcome of their way of life…”
➡️ Josiah became an example, but his tragic end became a warning for all
🕊️ “That Passover had never been kept like that since the days of the prophet Samuel…” – 2 Chr 35:18
🕊️ “Do not oppose God, who has commanded me…” – 2 Chr 35:21
🕊️ “They took him from his chariot… and he died.” – 2 Chr 35:24
🕊️ “Jeremiah lamented for Josiah.” – 2 Chr 35:25
