On the 14th day of the first month after Josiah had rededicated the nation to God, the king instituted the Eternal’s Passover feast in Jerusalem by slaughtering the Passover animals. 2 Josiah appointed the priests and encouraged them in performing their duties for the Eternal’s temple. 3 Then he commissioned the Levites, Israel’s teachers and the Eternal’s most holy servants, in their various duties for the feast. Josiah: You no longer need to carry the holy covenant chest on your shoulders. Bring it to the temple which Solomon, son of King David, built and leave it there. From now on, your primary responsibility is serving the Eternal God and His people, Israel. 4 Cleanse yourselves, as King David and his son Solomon described for you in writing, according to your lineage and duties. 5 Then stand with your kinsmen inside the temple, dividing yourselves by the tribes and your fathers’ households under whom you serve. 6 Once you are organized, slaughter the Passover animals, cleanse yourselves, and prepare your people to participate in the ceremonies as the Eternal’s law by Moses describes. 7 Josiah donated 30,000 lambs and young goats and 3,000 bulls from his own herds and flocks for the people to sacrifice as the Passover offerings. 8 Then his officers in the True God’s temple voluntarily gave offerings for the people, priests, and Levites: Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel donated 2,600 sheep and 300 bulls for the Passover; 9 Conaniah, Shemaiah, Nethanel and his brothers, Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad, all officers of the Levites, donated 5,000 sheep and 500 bulls to the Levites for the Passover. 10 Once the service was prepared, the priests were ready to perform their duties, and the Levites stood in their division as the king commanded. 11-13 They offered the Passover animals. The Levites skinned all the animals, the priests sprinkled the animals’ blood, and then they roasted the animals on the altar. Once the animals were roasted, they took down the carcasses and distributed them to each tribe for offerings to the Eternal, just as the book of Moses prescribed. The Levites then boiled the other holy offerings in containers and took them to the people. 14 Once the people of the nation were enjoying the feast, the Levites prepared meals for themselves and for the priests (the Aaronites, who were busy with the burnt and fat offerings until late in the evening), 15 the singers (the sons of Asaph), Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun (the king’s seer), and the gatekeepers so that none of them needed to leave their prescribed duties to enjoy the feast. 16 On that day, all the Eternal’s servants completed preparations for the Passover, giving burnt offerings on the Eternal’s altar as Josiah commanded, 17 and all the Israelites who were present in Jerusalem celebrated the Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for a full week. 18 This was the first Passover feast since Samuel was judging Israel. No other king’s festival was ever as precise or as well-attended by the priests, Levites, and all the Israelites. 19 It took place during Josiah’s 18th year as king. |
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