ve removed Israel, and I will cast off this city which I
have chosen, even Jerusalem, and the house of which I said, 'My name
shall be there.'"

After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Neco king of
Egypt went up to fight against Carchemish by Euphrates: and Josiah
went out against him. But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, "What
have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? I come not against thee
this day, but against the house wherewith I have war; and God hath
commanded me to make haste: forbear thee from meddling with God, who
is with me, that he destroy thee not."

Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised
himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkened not unto the
words of Neco, from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley
of Megiddo. And the archers shot at King Josiah; and the king said to
his servants, "Take me away; for I am sore wounded." So his servants
took him out of the chariot, and put him in {329} the second chariot
that he had, and brought him to Jerusalem; and he died, and was buried
in the sepulchers of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned
for Josiah.

And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and singing
women spoke of Josiah in their lamentations, unto this day; and they
made them an ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they are written in the
lamentations.

(Another account of the reformation of Josiah and his death
is taken from the Apocrypha.)

[Footnote: See note at the end of the volume.]

And Josiah held the passover in Jerusalem unto his Lord, and offered
the passover the fourteenth day of the first month; having set the
priests according to their daily courses, being arrayed in their
vestments, in the temple of the Lord. And he spoke unto the Levites,
the temple-servants of Israel, that they should hallow themselves unto
the Lord, to set the holy ark of the Lord in the house that King
Solomon the son of David had built: and said, "Ye shall no more have
need to bear it upon your shoulders: now therefore serve the Lord your
God, and minister unto his people Israel, and prepare you after your
fathers' houses and kindreds, according to the writing of David king
of Israel, and according to the magnificence of Solomon his son: and
standing in the holy place according to the several divisions of the
families of you the Levites, who minister in the presence of your
brethren the children of Israel, offer the