1 Esdras 1:1–19

And Josias held the ^afeast of the passover in Jerusalem unto his Lord, and offered the passover the fourteenth day of the first month; ²having set the priests according to their ^bdaily courses, being arrayed in long garments, in the temple of the Lord. ³And he spake unto the Levites, the holy ministers 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: ^4cand said, Ye shall no more bear the ark upon your shoulders: now therefore serve the Lord your God, and minister unto his people Israel, and prepare you after your families and ^dkindreds, ⁵according as David the king of Israel prescribed, and according to ^ethe magnificence of Solomon his son: and standing in the temple according to ^dthe several dignity of the families of you the Levites, who minister in the presence of your brethren the children of Israel, ⁶offer the passover in order, and make ready the sacrifices for your brethren, and keep the passover according to the commandment of the Lord, which was given unto Moses. ⁷And unto the people ^fthat was found there Josias gave thirty thousand lambs and kids, and three thousand calves: these things were given of the king’s allowance, according as he promised, to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. ⁸And Helkias, Zacharias, and Syelus, the governors of the temple, gave to the priests for the passover two thousand and six hundred sheep, and three hundred calves. ⁹And Jeconias, and Samaias, and Nathanael his brother, and Assabias, and Ochiel, and Joram, captains over thousands, gave to the Levites for the passover five thousand sheep, and seven hundred calves. ¹⁰And when these things were done, the priests and Levites, having the unleavened bread, stood in very comely order according to the ^dkindreds, ¹¹and according to ^dthe several dignities of the fathers, before the people, to offer to the Lord, as it is written in the book of Moses: and thus did they in the morning. ¹²And they roasted the passover with fire, ^gas appertaineth: as for the sacrifices, they sod them in brass pots and pans with a good savour, ¹³and set them before all the people: and afterward they prepared for themselves, and for the priests their brethren, the sons of Aaron. ¹⁴For the priests offered the fat until night: and the Levites prepared for themselves, and the priests their brethren, the sons of Aaron. ¹⁵The holy singers also, the sons of Asaph, were in their order, according to the appointment of David, to wit, ^hAsaph, Zacharias, and Jeduthun, who was of the king’s retinue. ¹⁶Moreover the porters were at every gate; it was not lawful for any to go from his ^bordinary service: for their brethren the Levites prepared for them. ¹⁷Thus were the things that belonged to the sacrifices of the Lord accomplished in that day, that they might hold the passover, ¹⁸and offer sacrifices upon the altar of the Lord, according to the commandment of king Josias. ¹⁹So the children of Israel ^fwhich were present held the passover at that time, and ⁱthe feast of sweet bread seven days.