I. ESDRAS

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and Levites.

ND Iosias helde the Feast of the Passeover in Iosias his charge Ierusalem unto his Lord, and offered the Passe- to the Priests over the fourteenth day of the first moneth: having set the Priests according to their daily courses, being arayed in long garments, in the Temple of the Lord. And hee spake unto the Levites the holy ministers of Israel, that they should hallow themselves unto the Lord, to set the holy Arke of the Lord, in the house that king Solomon the sonne of David had built: and said, Ye shall no more beare the Arke upon your shoulders: now therefore serve the Lord your God, and minister unto his people Israel, and prepare you after your families and kinreds. According as David the king of Israel prescribed, and according to the magnificence of Solomon his sonne and standing in the Temple according to the severall dignitie of the families of you the Levites, who minister in the presence of your brethren the children of Israel. Offer the Passeover in order, and make ready the sacrifices for your brethren, and keepe the Passeover according to the commaundement of the Lord, which was given unto Moyses. And unto the people that A great Passewas found there, Iosias gave thirtie thousand lambes, and kids, over is kept. and three thousand calves: these things were given of the kings allowance, according as hee promised to the people, to the Priestes, and to the Levites. And Helkias, Zacharias, and Sielus the governours of the Temple, gave to the Priests for the Passeover, two thousand and sixe hundred sheepe, and three hundreth calves. And Iechonias, and Samaias, and Nathanael his brother, and Assabias, and Ochiel, and Ioram captaines over thousands, gave to the Levites for the Passeover five thousand sheepe, and seven hundreth calves. And when these things were done, the Priests and Levites having the unleavened bread, stood in very comely order according to the kinreds, and according to the severall dignities of the fathers,

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before the people, to offer to the Lord, as it is written in the booke of Moyses: And thus did they in the morning. And they rosted the Passeover with fire, as appertaineth: as for the sacrifices, they sodde them in brasse pots, and pannes with a good savour. And set them before all the people, and afterward they prepared for themselves, and for the Priests their brethren the sonnes of Aaron. For the Priests offered the fat untill night: and the Levites prepared for themselves, and the Priests their brethren the sonnes of Aaron. The holy Singers also, the sonnes of Asaph, were in their order, according to the appointment of David, to wit, Asaph, Zacharias, and Ieduthun, who was of the kings retinue. Moreover the porters were at every gate: it was not lawfull for any to goe from his ordinary service: for their brethren the Levites prepared for them. Thus were the things that belonged to the sacrifices of the Lord accomplished in that day, that they might hold the Passeover, and offer sacrifices upon the altar of the Lord, according to the commandement of king Iosias. So the children of Israel which were present, held the Passeover at that time, and the feast of sweet bread seven dayes. And such a Passeover was not kept in Israel since the time of the Prophet Samuel. Yea all the kings of Israel held not such a Passeover as Iosias, and the Priests and the Levites, and the Iewes held with all Israel that were found dwelling at Ierusalem. In the eighteenth yeere of the reigne of Iosias was this Passeover kept. And the workes of Iosias were upright before his Lord with an heart full of godlinesse. As for the things that came to passe in his time, they were written in former times, concerning those that sinned, and did wickedly against the Lord above all people and kingdomes, and how they grieved him exceedingly, so that the words of the Lord rose up against Israel. Now after all these acts of Iosias, it came to passe that Pharao the king of Egypt came to raise warre at Carchamis upon Euphrates: and Iosias went out against him. But the king of Egypt sent to him saying, What have I to doe with thee, O king of Iudea? I am not sent out from the Lord God against thee: for my warre is upon Euphrates, and now the Lord is with mee, yea the Lord is with mee hasting me forward: Depart from me and be not against the Lord. Howbeit Iosias did not turne backe his chariot from him, but undertooke to fight with him, not regarding the words of the Prophet Ieremie, spoken by the mouth of the Lord: but ioyned battell with him in the plaine of Magiddo, and the princes came against king Iosias. Then said. the king unto his servants, Carry me away out of the battell for I am very weake: and immediately his servants tooke him away out