A reading from the book of Second Chronicles.

Josiah kept a Passover to the Lord in Jerusalem, and they slaughtered the Passover lamb on the 14th day of the first month.

He appointed the priests to their offices and encouraged them in the service of the house of the Lord,

and he said to the Levites, who taught all Israel and who were holy to the Lord.

Put the holy ark in the house that Solomon the son of David, King of Israel, built.

You need not carry it on your shoulders. Now serve the Lord your God and his people Israel.

Prepare yourselves according to your father's houses, by your divisions, as prescribed in the

writing of David, King of Israel, and the document of Solomon

his son, and stand in the holy place according to the groupings of the father's houses,

of your brothers, the laypeople, and according to the division of the Levites by father's household,

and slaughter the Passover lamb, and consecrate yourselves and prepare for your brothers,

to do according to the word of the

Lord by Moses. Then Josiah contributed to the laypeople as Passover offerings for all who were

present, lambs and young goats from the flock to the number of 30,000, and 3,000 bulls.

These were from the king's possessions, and his officials contributed willingly to the people,

to the priests, and to the Levites, Hilkaya, Zechariah, and Jehiel.

The chief officers of the House of God gave to the priests for the Passover offerings

2,600 Passover lambs and 300 bulls.

Konanaya also, and Shemaiah and Nathanel, his brothers, and Hashibail and Gial,

and Josabad, the chiefs of the Levites, gave to the Levites for the Passover offerings,

5,000 lambs, and young goats, and 500 bulls. When the service had been prepared for, the

priests stood in their place, and the Levites in their

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