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2 Chronicles 35:1-17

Josiah Keeps the Passover

1 ^aJosiah kept a Passover to the Lord in Jerusalem. And they slaughtered the Passover lamb ^bon the fourteenth day of the first month. 2 He appointed the priests to their offices ^cand encouraged them in the service of the house of the Lord. 3 And he said to the Levites ^dwho taught all Israel and who were holy to the Lord, “Put the holy ark in the house that Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, built. You need not carry it on your shoulders. Now serve the Lord your God and his people Israel. 4 Prepare yourselves ^eaccording to your fathers’ houses by your divisions ^fas prescribed in the writing of David king of Israel ^gand the document of Solomon his son. 5 And ^hstand in the Holy Place ⁱaccording to the groupings of the fathers’ houses of your brothers the lay people, and according to the division of the Levites by fathers’ household. 6 And slaughter the Passover lamb, and ^jconsecrate yourselves, and prepare for your brothers, to do according to the word of the Lord by Moses.”

7 Then Josiah contributed to the lay people, as Passover offerings for all who were present, lambs and young goats from the flock to the number of 30,000, and 3,000 bulls; ^kthese were from the king’s possessions. 8 And his officials contributed willingly to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. ^lHilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, the chief officers of the house of God, gave to the priests for the Passover offerings 2,600 Passover lambs and 300 bulls. 9 Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethanel his brothers, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, the chiefs of the Levites, gave to the Levites for the Passover offerings 5,000 lambs and young goats and 500 bulls.

10 When the service had been prepared for, the priests ^mstood in their place, ⁿand the Levites in their divisions according to the king’s command. 11 ^oAnd they slaughtered the Passover lamb, and the priests ^pthrew the blood that they received from them ^qwhile the Levites flayed the sacrifices. 12 And they set aside the burnt offerings that they might distribute them according to the groupings of the fathers’ houses of the lay people, to offer to the Lord, as it is written in the Book of Moses. And so they did with the bulls. 13 ^rAnd they roasted the Passover lamb with fire according to the rule; and they ^sboiled the holy offerings in pots, in cauldrons, and in pans, and carried them quickly to all the lay people. 14 And afterward they prepared for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the sons of Aaron, were offering the burnt offerings and the fat parts until night; so the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests, the sons of Aaron. 15 The singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their place ^taccording to the command of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s ^useer; ^vand the gatekeepers were at each gate. They did not need to depart from their service, for their brothers the Levites prepared for them.

16 So all the service of the Lord was prepared 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 And the people of Israel who were present kept the Passover at that time, ^wand the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days.