2 Chronicles 35:20–25

Josiah’s Last Deeds and Death

²⁰After all this ^vthat Josiah had prepared for the temple, Neco king of Egypt ^wmarched up to fight at Carchemish ^xby the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to confront him. ²¹But Neco sent messengers to him, saying, “What is the issue between you and me, king of Judah? ^yI have not come against you today ^zbut I am fighting another dynasty. ^aGod told me to hurry. Stop opposing God who is with me; don’t make Him destroy you!”

²²But Josiah did not turn away from him; instead, in order to fight with him he disguised himself. ^bcHe did not listen to Neco’s words from the mouth of God, but went to the Valley of Megiddo ^dto fight. ²³The archers shot King Josiah, and he said to his servants, “Take me away, for I am severely wounded!” ^e24So his servants took him out of the war chariot, carried him in his second chariot, and brought him to Jerusalem. Then he died, and they buried him in the tomb of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned ^ffor Josiah. ²⁵Jeremiah chanted a dirge ^gover Josiah, and all the singing men and singing women still speak of Josiah in their dirges to this very day. They established them as a statute for Israel, and indeed they are written in the Dirges.