1 Esdras 1

1And Josiah held the Passover in Jerusalem unto his Lord, and sacrificed the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the first month. 2He appointed the priests according to their daily courses, clothed in their vestments, in the temple of the Lord. 3And he said unto the Levites, the ministers of Israel, to sanctify themselves unto the Lord, since the holy ark of the Lord is placed in the house which King Solomon, the son of David, built: 4"You need not carry it upon your shoulders now. Serve now the Lord your God, and minister unto His people Israel, and prepare the Passover according to your families and tribes, according to the writing of David king of Israel, and the magnificence of Solomon his son." 5"Stand in the temple according to the divisions of the families of you Levites, who minister before your brethren the children of Israel." 6"Kill the Passover in your places, and prepare the sacrifices for your brethren, and keep the Passover according to the commandment of the Lord given unto Moses." 7And Josiah gave to the people that were present thirty thousand lambs and kids, and three thousand calves: these were given from the king's possessions, according to a promise, to the people, and to the priests, and to the Levites. 8And Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, the rulers of the temple, gave to the priests for the Passover two thousand and six hundred sheep, and three hundred calves. 9And Conaniah also, and Shemaiah, and Nethaneel his brother, and Hashabiah, and Ochiel, and Joram, captains over thousands, gave to the Levites for the Passover five thousand sheep, and seven hundred calves. 10And when these things were done, the priests and the Levites stood in their proper order, having the unleavened bread in their hands, according to their tribes and family divisions before the people, to offer unto the Lord, as it is written in the book of Moses: and so did they in the morning. 11And they roasted the Passover with fire according to the ordinance; but the other holy offerings they boiled in pots, and in caldrons, and in pans, and made a sweet aroma, and distributed them among all the people. 12And afterward they prepared for themselves, and for the priests their brethren, the sons of Aaron. 13For the priests offered the fat until night: and the Levites prepared for themselves, and for the priests their brethren, the sons of Aaron. 14And the singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their place, according to the commandment of David, and Asaph, and Zechariah, and Jeduthun, who were of the king. 15Also the porters were at every gate; it was not lawful for any to leave his duty: for their brethren the Levites prepared for them. 16So all the service of the Lord was prepared the same day, to keep the Passover, and to offer burnt offerings upon the altar of the Lord, according to the commandment of King Josiah. 17And the children of Israel that were present kept the Passover at that time, and the feast of unleavened bread seven days. 18And such a Passover was not kept in Israel since the time of the prophet Samuel. 19Yea, all the kings of Israel held not such a Passover as Josiah did, and the priests, and the Levites, and the Jews, and all Israel that were found dwelling at Jerusalem. 20In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was this Passover kept. 21And the works of Josiah were upright before his Lord with a heart full of piety. 22As for him, it was written in former times, concerning those that sinned and did wickedly against the Lord more than any people and kingdom, and how they grieved Him exceedingly, so that the words of the Lord rose up against Israel. 23And after all these acts of Josiah, it came to pass that Pharaoh the king of Egypt came to make war at Carchemish upon the Euphrates: and Josiah went out against him. 24But the king of Egypt sent to him, saying, "What have I to do with thee, O king of Judah?" 25"I am not sent against thee from the Lord God; for my war is upon the Euphrates: and now the Lord is with me, yea, the Lord is with me hastening me forward: depart from me, and be not against the Lord." 26Nevertheless Josiah did not turn back his chariot from him, but undertook to fight with him, not regarding the words of the prophet Jeremiah spoken by the mouth of the Lord, 27But joined battle with him in the plain of Megiddo, and the princes came against King Josiah. 28Then said the king unto his servants, "Carry me away out of the battle; for I am very weak." And immediately his servants took him away out of the battle. 29Then he got up upon his second chariot; and being brought back to Jerusalem, died, and was buried in his family's tomb. 30And in all Judah they mourned for Josiah: yea, Jeremiah the prophet lamented for Josiah; and the chief men with their wives made lamentation for him unto this day: and this was given out for an ordinance to be done continually in all the nation of Israel. 31These things are written in the book of the records of the kings of Judah. The details of Josiah's acts, and his glory, and his understanding in the law of the Lord, and the things that he had done before, and the things now recited, are reported in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. 32And the people took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king instead of his father Josiah. He was twenty-three years old. 33And he reigned three months in Judah and Jerusalem as king. Then the king of Egypt deposed him, so that he was no longer king in Jerusalem. 34And he imposed upon the people a tribute of a hundred talents of silver and one talent of gold. 35And the king of Egypt made Jehoiakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem. 36And Jehoiakim bound the nobles, but Zaraces his brother he apprehended and brought him out of Egypt. 37Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king of Judah and Jerusalem; and he did evil before the Lord. 38Wherefore against him Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon came up, and bound him with a chain of brass, and carried him into Babylon. 39Nebuchadnezzar also took of the holy vessels of the Lord, and after carrying them away, set them up in his own temple at Babylon. 40The things concerning him and his uncleanness and impiety are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings. 41And Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead. When he was made king, he was eighteen years old, 42And he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem; and did evil before the Lord. 43And after a year Nebuchadnezzar sent and caused him to be brought into Babylon with the holy vessels of the Lord, 44And made Zedekiah king of Judah and Jerusalem, when Zedekiah was twenty-one years old. He reigned eleven years. 45And he did evil in the sight of the Lord and did not heed the words spoken unto him by the prophet Jeremiah from the mouth of the Lord. 46After King Nebuchadnezzar had made him swear by the name of the Lord, he broke his oath and rebelled; and, stiffening his neck and hardening his heart, he transgressed the laws of the Lord God of Israel. 47Also the leaders of the people and the priests committed many sins against the laws and exceeded all the pollutions of all nations, and defiled the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. 48And the God of their fathers sent by his messenger to call them back, because he spared them and his dwelling place. 49But they mocked his messengers, and whenever the Lord spoke, they scoffed at his prophets, until he, being angry with his people for their great ungodliness, commanded the kings of the Chaldeans to come up against them. 50Who slew their young men with the sword around their holy temple, and spared neither young man nor maiden, old man nor child among them; for he delivered all into their hands. 51And they took all the holy vessels of the Lord, both great and small, and the chests of the Lord, and the king's treasures, and carried them away into Babylon. 52And they set fire to the house of the Lord, and destroyed the walls of Jerusalem, and burned its towers. 53And utterly destroyed all its glorious things. And those who were left, Nebuchadnezzar carried away to Babylon with the sword. 54And they were servants to him and his sons until the Persians reigned, to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah: 55Until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths, the whole time of her desolation she kept sabbath, until seventy years were fulfilled.