Scrutatio

Giovedi, 28 marzo 2024 - San Castore di Tarso ( Letture di oggi)

2 Chronicles 35


font

1Josiah then celebrated a Passover to Yahweh in Jerusalem. The Passover victims were slaughteredon the fourteenth day of the first month.2He assigned the priests to their posts, encouraging them to do their duty in the Temple of Yahweh.3Then he said to the Levites, who had understanding for al Israel and were consecrated to Yahweh,'Put the sacred ark in the Temple built by Solomon son of David, king of Israel. You need not carry it about on your shoulders any more. Now serve Yahweh your God and Israel his people!4Prepare yourselves by families according to your orders, as laid down in the decree of David king ofIsrael and that of Solomon his son,5and take up positions in the sanctuary corresponding to the family divisions of your brothers the laity,so that there are Levites for each family division.6Slaughter the Passover, sanctify yourselves and prepare it so that your brothers can observe it in theway the word of Yahweh through Moses requires.'7For the laity Josiah provided small livestock, that is, lambs and young goats -- everything for thePassover offerings for al who attended -- to the number of thirty thousand, as well as three thousand bul ocks;these were from the king's own possessions.8His officials also made voluntary contributions for the people, the priests and the Levites; and Hilkiah,Zechariah and Jehiel, the chiefs of the Temple of God, gave two thousand six hundred lambs and three hundredbullocks to the priests for the Passover offerings;9while Conaniah, Shemaiah, Nethanel his brother, Hashabiah, Jeiel and Jozabad, the head Levites,provided five thousand lambs and five hundred bul ocks as Passover offerings for the Levites.10So the service was arranged, the priests stood in their places and the Levites in their orders as theking had commanded.11Then they slaughtered the Passover victims and while the priests sprinkled the blood as theyreceived it from the Levites, the latter did the skinning.12Next they put the burnt offering aside for presentation to the family divisions of the laity, so that theycould offer it to Yahweh in the way prescribed in the Book of Moses; they did the same with the bul ocks.13They roasted the Passover victim over an open fire in accordance with the regulation and boiled theconsecrated offerings in pots, kettles and pans, which they then distributed to al the laity as quickly as theycould.14Afterwards they provided for themselves and the priests, since the Aaronite priests were kept busy tilnightfall making the burnt offerings and offering the fat; that was why the Levites prepared the Passover forthemselves and for the Aaronite priests.15The Asaphite singers were at their places, in accordance with the command of David and Asaph,Heman and Jeduthun the king's seer; so were the gatekeepers at each gate. Because they could not leave theirduties, their brothers the Levites prepared the Passover for them.16So the whole service of Yahweh was arranged that day to celebrate the Passover and to bring burntofferings on the altar of Yahweh, in accordance with King Josiah's command.17On that occasion the Israelites who were present celebrated the Passover and the feast ofUnleavened Bread for seven days.18No Passover like this one had ever been celebrated in Israel since the days of the prophet Samuel,nor had any of the kings of Israel ever celebrated a Passover like the one celebrated by Josiah, the priests, theLevites, al Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.19This Passover was celebrated in the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign.20After all this, when Josiah had provided for the Temple, Necho king of Egypt advanced to give battleat Carchemish on the Euphrates and Josiah went to intercept him.21Necho however sent him messengers to say, 'Why be concerned about me, king of Judah? I havenot come today to attack you; my quarrel is with another dynasty. God has commanded me to move quickly, sokeep wel clear of the god who is with me!'22But Josiah was not to be deflected from his determination to fight him, and would not listen toNecho's words, which came from the mouth of God. He gave battle in the plain of Megiddo.23The archers shot King Josiah. The king then said to his retainers, 'Take me away; I am badlywounded.'24So his retainers lifted him out of his own chariot, transferred him to one which he had in reserve andbrought him to Jerusalem, where he died and was buried in the tombs of his ancestors. Al Judah and Jerusalemheld mourning for Josiah.25Jeremiah composed a lament for Josiah and all the male and female singers to this day lamentJosiah in their dirges; they have made it a rule in Israel; they are recorded in the Lamentations.26The rest of the history of Josiah, his deeds of faithful love conforming to what is prescribed in theLaw of Yahweh,27his history from first to last, are recorded in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.