Page:JPS-1917-Universal.djvu/1156

34.32 he caused all that were found in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were found in Israel to serve, even to serve the their God. All his days they departed not from following the, the God of their fathers.

And Josiah kept a passover unto the in Jerusalem; and they killed the passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the first month. And he set the priests in their charges, and encouraged them to the service of the house of the. And he said unto the Levites that taught all Israel, that were holy unto the : 'Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel did build; there shall no more be a burden upon your shoulders; now serve the your God, and His people Israel. And prepare ye after your fathers' houses by your courses, according to the writing of David king of Israel, and according to the writing of Solomon his son. And stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the fathers'houses of your brethren the children of the people, and [let there be for each] a portion of a father's house of the Levites. And kill the passover lamb, and sanctify yourselves, and prepare for your brethren, to do according to the word of the by the hand of Moses.'

And Josiah gave to the children of the people, of the flock, lambs and kids, all of them for the passover-offerings, unto all that were present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand bullocks; these were of the king's substance. And his princes gave willingly unto the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, the rulers of the house of God, gave unto the priests for the passover-offerings two thousand and six hundred [small cattle], and three hundred oxen. Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethanel, his brethren, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, the chiefs of the Levites, gave unto the Levites for the passover-offerings five thousand [small cattle], and five hundred oxen.

So the service was prepared, and the priests stood in their place, and the Levites by their courses, according to the king's commandment. And they killed the passover lamb, and the priests dashed [the blood, which they received] of their hand, and the Levites flayed them. And they removed the portions that were to be burnt, that they might give them to the divisions of the fathers'houses of the children of the people, to present unto the, as it is written in the book of Moses. And so did they with the oxen. And they roasted the passover with fire according to the ordinance; and the holy offerings sod they in pots, and in caldrons, and in pans, and carried them quickly to all the children of the people. And afterward they prepared for themselves, and for the priests; because the priests the sons of Aaron were busied in offering the portions that were to be burnt and the fat until night; therefore the Levites prepared for themselves, and for the priests the sons of Aaron. And the singers the sons of Asaph were in their place, according to the commandment of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king's