A Passover Feast like that one had not been held for a long time. There hadn’t been any like it in the days of the judges who led Israel. And there hadn’t been any like it during the whole time the kings of Israel and Judah were ruling.

自从士师治理以色列人和以色列王、犹大王的时候，直到如今，实在没有守过这样的逾越节；

自从士师治理以色列，到以色列诸王、犹大列王在位的一切日子，从来没有守过这样的逾越节，

自从士师治理以色列，到以色列诸王、犹大列王在位的一切日子，从来没有守过这样的逾越节，

约西亚执政第十八年，他们在耶路撒冷庆祝逾越节，以尊崇耶和华。自士师治理以色列起，至以色列和犹大列王统治期间，都没有这样庆祝过逾越节。

真的自从士师治理以色列的日子以来，以及以色列诸王和犹大列王所有的日子以来，没有守过像这次的逾越节的。

自從士師治理以色列人和以色列王、猶大王的時候，直到如今，實在沒有守過這樣的逾越節；

自從士師治理以色列，到以色列諸王、猶大列王在位的一切日子，從來沒有守過這樣的逾越節，

自從士師治理以色列，到以色列諸王、猶大列王在位的一切日子，從來沒有守過這樣的逾越節，

約西亞執政第十八年，他們在耶路撒冷慶祝逾越節，以尊崇耶和華。自士師治理以色列起，至以色列和猶大列王統治期間，都沒有這樣慶祝過逾越節。

真的自從士師治理以色列的日子以來，以及以色列諸王和猶大列王所有的日子以來，沒有守過像這次的逾越節的。

自從士師治理以色列人的日子，又自從以色列王猶大王的日子以來，都沒有守過這樣的逾越節；

自士師治以色列人、以及以色列列王猶大列王時、未嘗守如是之逾越節、

約西亞王十八年、在耶路撒冷守逾越節禮、奉事耶和華、

約西亞王十八年、在耶路撒冷守逾越節於主前、自士師治以色列人之時、以及以色列列王、猶大列王之時、從未守若是之逾越節、

Neither in the days of the judges who led Israel nor in the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah had any such Passover been observed.

For no such Passover had been kept since the days of the judges who judged Israel, or during all the days of the kings of Israel or of the kings of Judah.

There had not been a Passover celebration like that since the time when the judges ruled in Israel, nor throughout all the years of the kings of Israel and Judah.

No such Passover had ever been observed from the time of the judges who judged Israel through the entire time of the kings of Israel and Judah.

Truly such a Passover had not been celebrated since the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah.

Such a Passover surely had never been held since the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah.

Surely there was not kept such a passover from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah;

No such Passover had ever been kept from the time of the judges who judged Israel through the entire time of the kings of Israel and Judah.

Surely there was not holden such a passover from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah;

He issued this edict because a Passover like this had not been observed since the days of the judges; it was neglected for the entire period of the kings of Israel and Judah.

Surely there was not kept such a Passover from the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah;

Hezekiah sent a message to all the people of Israel and Judah. He also wrote letters to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. He invited everyone to come to the Lord’ s temple in Jerusalem. He wanted them to celebrate the Passover Feast to honor the Lord. He is the God of Israel.The king, his officials and the whole community in Jerusalem decided to celebrate the Passover Feast in the second month.They hadn’t been able to celebrate it at the regular time. That’s because there weren’t enough priests who had set themselves apart to the Lord. Also, the people hadn’t gathered together in Jerusalem.

The Levites taught all the people of Israel. The Levites had been set apart to the Lord. Josiah said to them,“ Put the sacred ark of the covenant in the temple Solomon built. He was the son of David and king of Israel. The ark must not be carried around on your shoulders. Serve the Lord your God. Serve his people Israel.Prepare yourselves by families in your groups. Do it based on the directions written by David, the king of Israel, and by his son Solomon.“ Stand at the temple. Stand there with a group of Levites for each group of families among your people.Kill the Passover lambs. Set yourselves apart to the Lord. Prepare the lambs for your people. Do what the Lord commanded through Moses.”Josiah provided animals for the Passover offerings. He gave them for all the people who were there. He gave a total of 30,000 lambs and goats and 3,000 oxen. He gave all of them from his own possessions.His officials also gave freely. They gave to the people and the priests and Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah and Jehiel were in charge of God’s temple. They gave the priests 2,600 Passover lambs and 300 oxen.Konaniah and his brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel also gave offerings. So did Hashabiah, Jeiel and Jozabad. All of them were the leaders of the Levites. They gave 5,000 Passover lambs and 500 oxen for the Levites.The Passover service was arranged. The priests stood in their places. The Levites were in their groups. That’s what the king had ordered.The Passover lambs were killed. The priests splashed against the altar the blood handed to them. The Levites skinned the animals.They set the burnt offerings to one side. These offerings were for the smaller family groups to offer to the Lord. That’s what was written in the Book of Moses. The Levites did the same thing with the oxen.They cooked the Passover animals over the fire, just as the law required. They boiled the holy offerings in pots, large kettles and pans. They served the offerings quickly to all the people.After that, they got things ready for themselves and the priests. That’s because the priests, who were from the family line of Aaron, were busy until dark. They were sacrificing the burnt offerings and the fat parts. The Levites got things ready for themselves and for the priests, who belonged to Aaron’s family line.Those who played music were from the family line of Asaph. They were in the places that had been set up by David, Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun. Jeduthun had been the king’s prophet. The guards at each gate didn’t have to leave their places. That’s because their brother Levites got things ready for them.So at that time the entire service to honor the Lord was carried out. The Passover Feast was celebrated. The burnt offerings were sacrificed on the Lord’ s altar. That’s what King Josiah had ordered.The Israelites who were there celebrated the Passover Feast at that time. They observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days.The Passover Feast hadn’t been observed like that in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet. None of the kings of Israel had ever celebrated a Passover Feast like Josiah’s. He celebrated it with the priests and Levites. All the people of Judah and Israel were there along with the people of Jerusalem. He celebrated it with them too.That Passover Feast was celebrated in the 18th year of Josiah’s rule.

A very large crowd of people gathered together in Jerusalem. They went there to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It took place in the second month.They removed the altars in Jerusalem. They cleared away the altars for burning incense. They threw all the altars into the Kidron Valley.They killed the Passover lamb on the 14th day of the second month. The priests and Levites were ashamed of how they had lived. They set themselves apart to the Lord. They brought burnt offerings to his temple.Then they did their regular tasks just as the Law of Moses, the man of God, required. The Levites gave the blood of the animals to the priests. The priests splashed it against the altar.Many people in the crowd hadn’t set themselves apart to the Lord. They weren’t“ clean.” They couldn’t set apart their lambs to him. So the Levites had to kill the Passover lambs for all of them.Many people came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun. Most of them hadn’t made themselves pure and“ clean.” But they still ate the Passover meal. That was against what was written in the law. But Hezekiah prayed for them. He said,“ The Lord is good. May he forgive everyonewho wants to worship God with all their heart. God is the Lord, the God of their people. May God forgive them even if they aren’t‘ clean’ in keeping with the rules of the temple.”The Lord answered Hezekiah’s prayer. He healed the people.