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.

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.

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.

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.

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;

King Hezekiah now sent word to all Israel and Judah, and he wrote letters of invitation to the people of Ephraim and Manasseh. He asked everyone to come to the Temple of the Lord at Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover of the Lord, the God of Israel.The king, his officials, and all the community of Jerusalem decided to celebrate Passover a month later than usual.They were unable to celebrate it at the prescribed time because not enough priests could be purified by then, and the people had not yet assembled at Jerusalem.

He issued this order to the Levites, who were to teach all Israel and who had been set apart to serve the Lord:“ Put the holy Ark in the Temple that was built by Solomon son of David, the king of Israel. You no longer need to carry it back and forth on your shoulders. Now spend your time serving the Lord your God and his people Israel.Report for duty according to the family divisions of your ancestors, following the directions of King David of Israel and the directions of his son Solomon.“ Then stand in the sanctuary at the place appointed for your family division and help the families assigned to you as they bring their offerings to the Temple.Slaughter the Passover lambs, purify yourselves, and prepare to help those who come. Follow all the directions that the Lord gave through Moses.”Then Josiah provided 30,000 lambs and young goats for the people’s Passover offerings, along with 3,000 cattle, all from the king’s own flocks and herds.The king’s officials also made willing contributions to the people, priests, and Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, the administrators of God’s Temple, gave the priests 2,600 lambs and young goats and 300 cattle as Passover offerings.The Levite leaders— Conaniah and his brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel, as well as Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad— gave 5,000 lambs and young goats and 500 cattle to the Levites for their Passover offerings.When everything was ready for the Passover celebration, the priests and the Levites took their places, organized by their divisions, as the king had commanded.The Levites then slaughtered the Passover lambs and presented the blood to the priests, who sprinkled the blood on the altar while the Levites prepared the animals.They divided the burnt offerings among the people by their family groups, so they could offer them to the Lord as prescribed in the Book of Moses. They did the same with the cattle.Then they roasted the Passover lambs as prescribed; and they boiled the holy offerings in pots, kettles, and pans, and brought them out quickly so the people could eat them.Afterward the Levites prepared Passover offerings for themselves and for the priests— the descendants of Aaron— because the priests had been busy from morning till night offering the burnt offerings and the fat portions. The Levites took responsibility for all these preparations.The musicians, descendants of Asaph, were in their assigned places, following the commands that had been given by David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, the king’s seer. The gatekeepers guarded the gates and did not need to leave their posts of duty, for their Passover offerings were prepared for them by their fellow Levites.The entire ceremony for the Lord’s Passover was completed that day. All the burnt offerings were sacrificed on the altar of the Lord, as King Josiah had commanded.All the Israelites present in Jerusalem celebrated Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days.Never since the time of the prophet Samuel had there been such a Passover. None of the kings of Israel had ever kept a Passover as Josiah did, involving all the priests and Levites, all the people of Jerusalem, and people from all over Judah and Israel.This Passover was celebrated in the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign.

So a huge crowd assembled at Jerusalem in midspring to celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread.They set to work and removed the pagan altars from Jerusalem. They took away all the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley.On the fourteenth day of the second month, one month later than usual, the people slaughtered the Passover lamb. This shamed the priests and Levites, so they purified themselves and brought burnt offerings to the Temple of the Lord.Then they took their places at the Temple as prescribed in the Law of Moses, the man of God. The Levites brought the sacrificial blood to the priests, who then sprinkled it on the altar.Since many of the people had not purified themselves, the Levites had to slaughter their Passover lamb for them, to set them apart for the Lord.Most of those who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun had not purified themselves. But King Hezekiah prayed for them, and they were allowed to eat the Passover meal anyway, even though this was contrary to the requirements of the Law. For Hezekiah said,“ May the Lord, who is good, pardon thosewho decide to follow the Lord, the God of their ancestors, even though they are not properly cleansed for the ceremony.”And the Lord listened to Hezekiah’s prayer and healed the people.