1 ESDRAS 1

1 And Yoshiyahu held the Feast of the Pesaḥ in Yerushalayim to his Aḏon, and offered the Pesaḥ on the fourteenth day of the first month;

2 having appointed the kohenim according to their daily services, being dressed in long garments, in the Hĕyḵal of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.

3 And he spoke to the Lĕwites, the qodesh servants of Yisra’ĕl, that they should qadosh themselves to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, to place the qodesh ark of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 in the House that Sovereign Shelomoh the son of Dawiḏ had built.

4 And he said, “You shall no longer bear the ark upon your shoulders; now therefore serve 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 your Elohim, and serve His people Yisra’ĕl, and prepare yourselves according to your families and clans,

5 according to the order of Dawiḏ the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl, and according to the splendour of his son Shelomoh. And stand in the Hĕyḵal according to the heads of the families of the Lĕwites, who serve in the presence of your brothers the children of Yisra’ĕl.

6 Slaughter the Pesaḥ in order, and prepare the offerings for your brothers, and guard the Pesaḥ according to the Command of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, which was given to Mosheh.”

7 And to the people who were found there, Yoshiyahu gave thirty thousand lambs and young goats, and three thousand calves; these were given to the people from the sovereign’s allowance, according to his promise, to the kohenim, and to the Lĕwites.

8 And Ḥilqiyahu, Zeḵaryah, and Yeḥi’ĕl, the governors of the Hĕyḵal, gave to the kohenim two thousand six hundred sheep, and three hundred calves for the Pesaḥ.

9 And Yeḵonyah and Shemayah and Nethan’ĕl his brother and Ḥashaḇyah, and Aḥi’ĕl and Yoram, captains over thousands, gave to the Lĕwites five thousand sheep, and seven hundred calves for the Pesaḥ.

10 And when these were done, the kohenim and Lĕwites, having the unleavened bread, stood in proper order according to their clans,

11 and according to the nobility of the fathers before the people, to offer to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, as it is written in the Book of Mosheh. And thus they did in the morning,

12 and they roasted the Pesaḥ with fire, as required. As for the slaughterings, they boiled them in bronze pots and cauldrons with a pleasing flavour,

13 and put them before all the people; And afterward they prepared for themselves, and for the kohenim their brothers, the sons of Aharon.

14 For the kohenim offered the fat until evening, and the Lĕwites prepared for themselves, and their brothers the kohenim, the sons of Aharon.

15 Also the qodesh singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their service, according to the appointment of Dawiḏ, that is: Asaph, Zeḵaryah, and Yeḏuthun, who were of the sovereign’s servants.

16 And the gatekeepers were at every gate – it was not lawful for any to go from his regular service – for their brothers the Lĕwites prepared for them.

17 Thus the matters which pertained to the slaughterings of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 were accomplished on that day, that they might hold the Pesaḥ,

18 and offer slaughterings upon the altar of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, according to the command of Sovereign Yoshiyahu.

19 So the children of Yisra’ĕl who were present held the Pesaḥ at that time, and the Feast of Matstsoth seven days;

20 and such a Pesaḥ was not kept in Yisra’ĕl since the time of the naḇi Shemu’ĕl.

21 Even all the sovereigns of Yisra’ĕl did not keep such a Pesaḥ as Yoshiyahu, and the kohenim and the Lĕwites and the Yahuḏim held with all Yisra’ĕl who were found dwelling at Yerushalayim.

22 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Yoshiyahu this Pesaḥ was kept.

23 And the works or Yoshiyahu were upright before his Aḏon with a reverent heart.

24 As for that which came to be in his time, they were written in former times, concerning those who sinned, and acted wickedly against 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 above all people and reigns, and how they grieved Him exceedingly, so that the words of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 rose up against Yisra’ĕl.

25 Now after all these acts of Yoshiyahu, it came to be that Pharaoh the sovereign of Mitsrayim came to battle at Karkemish on the Perath; and Yoshiyahu went out against him.

26 But the sovereign of Mitsrayim sent to him, saying, “What have I to do with you, O sovereign of Yahuḏah?

27 I am not sent out against you by 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 Elohim; for my battle is at Perath. And now indeed, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 is with me. 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 is with me urging me forward. Depart from me, and do not be against 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.”

28 However Yoshiyahu did not turn back his chariot from him, but undertook to fight with him, not regarding the words of the naḇi Yirmeyahu spoken by the mouth of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄;

29 but joined in battle against him in the plain of Meḡiddo, and the princes came against Sovereign Yoshiyahu.

30 Then the sovereign said to 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.

31 Then mounting his second chariot, and being brought back to Yerushalayim, he died and was buried in his father’s tomb;

32 and all the Yahuḏim mourned for Yoshiyahu. Also Yirmeyahu the naḇi lamented for Yoshiyahu, and the chief men with the women made lamentation for him to this day. And this was ordained for a law to be done continually in all the nation of Yisra’ĕl.

33 These are written in the Book of the annals of the sovereigns of Yahuḏah, and every one of the acts that Yoshiyahu did, and his esteem and his understanding in the Law of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 and that which he had done before and these now reported, are written in the Book of the sovereigns of Yisra’ĕl and Yahuḏah.

34 And the people took Yaho’aḥaz the son of Yoshiyahu, and made him sovereign instead of Yoshiyahu his father, when he was twenty-three years old.

35 And he reigned in Yahuḏah and in Yerushalayim three months; and then the sovereign of Mitsrayim removed him from the reign in Yerushalayim.

36 And he placed a tax over the land of a hundred kiḵars of silver and one kiḵar of gold.

37 The sovereign of Mitsrayim also made Sovereign Yahoyaqim his brother sovereign of Yahuḏah and Yerushalayim.

38 And Yahoyaqim imprisoned the nobles, but he seized Tseruyah his brother, and brought him out of Mitsrayim.

39 Yahoyaqim was twenty-five years old when he was made sovereign in the land of Yahuḏah and Yerushalayim; and he did evil before 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.

40 Therefore Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar the sovereign of Baḇel came up against him, and bound him with chains of bronze, and carried away him to Baḇel.

41 Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar also took the qodesh vessels of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, and carried them away, and put them in his own temple at Baḇel.

42 And those matters that are written concerning him, and of his uncleanness and unrighteousness, are written in the annals of the sovereigns.

43 And Yoyaqim his son reigned in his place; he was made sovereign being eighteen years old;

44 and he reigned only three months and ten days in Yerushalayim; and did evil before 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.

45 So after a year, Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar sent and had him brought to Baḇel along with the qodesh vessels of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄,

46 and made Tsiḏqiyahu sovereign of Yahuḏah and Yerushalayim, when he was twenty-one years old; and he reigned eleven years.

47 And he also did evil in the eyes of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, and took no heed of the words that were spoken to him by the naḇi Yirmeyahu from the mouth of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.

48 And after Sovereign Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar had made him swear by the Name of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, he broke his oath, and rebelled; and hardening his neck and his heart, he transgressed the Laws of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 Elohim of Yisra’ĕl.

49 The governors of the people and of the kohenim also did much against the Laws, and surpassed all the abominations of the other nations, and defiled the Hĕyḵal of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, which was qadosh in Yerushalayim.

50 Nevertheless the Elohim of their fathers sent His messenger to call them back, because He spared them and also His Mishkan.

51 But they mocked His messengers; and see, when 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 spoke to them, they mocked His neḇi’im

52 so much that He, being wroth with His people for their great unrighteousness, commanded the sovereigns of the Kasdites to come up against them;

53 who slew their young men with the sword, even also within the surroundings of their qodesh Hĕyḵal, and spared neither young man nor maiden, old man nor child among them; for He delivered all into their hands.

54 And they took all the qodesh vessels of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, both small and great, with the vessels of the ark of Elohim, and the sovereign’s treasures, and carried them away to Baḇel.

55 As for the House of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, they burned it, and broke down the walls of Yerushalayim, and lit her towers on fire.

56 And as for her esteemed objects, they never ceased till they had consumed and brought them all to naught. And the people that were not slain with the sword, he carried to Baḇel,

57 who became servants to him and his children, till the Parasians reigned, to fill the Word of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 spoken by the mouth of Yirmeyahu:

58 “Until the land had enjoyed her Shabbathoth. As long as she lay waste she kept Shabbath, until seventy years were completed.”