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Friday, August 29th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
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Bible in Basic English

2 Kings 23:21

And the king gave orders to all the people, saying, Keep the Passover to the Lord your God, as it says in this book of the law.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Israel, Prophecies Concerning;   Josiah;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Zeal;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Jeremiah;   Zephaniah;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Gods and Goddesses, Pagan;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Jeremiah;   Josiah;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Kings, the Books of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Book(s);   Ezekiel;   Festivals;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Canon of the Old Testament;   Deuteronomy;   Hexateuch;   Hilkiah;   Idolatry;   Josiah;   Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread;   Temple;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Israel, Israelite;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Josiah ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Book;   Raca;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Josiah;   Passover;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Aquila (Βλώμβσ);   Bible Canon;   Triennial Cycle;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The king commanded all the people, “Observe the Passover of the Lord your God as written in the book of the covenant.”
Hebrew Names Version
The king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the Pesach to the LORD your God, as it is written in this book of the covenant.
King James Version
And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover unto the Lord your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant.
English Standard Version
And the king commanded all the people, "Keep the Passover to the Lord your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant."
New Century Version
The king commanded all the people, "Celebrate the Passover to the Lord your God as it is written in this Book of the Agreement."
New English Translation
The king ordered all the people, "Observe the Passover of the Lord your God, as prescribed in this scroll of the covenant."
Amplified Bible
Then the king commanded all the people, saying, "Celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God as it is written in this book of the covenant."
New American Standard Bible
Then the king commanded all the people, saying, "Celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God as it is written in this Book of the Covenant."
World English Bible
The king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the Passover to Yahweh your God, as it is written in this book of the covenant.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then the king commanded all the people, saying, Keepe the passeouer vnto the Lorde your God, as it is written in the booke of this couenant.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then the king commanded all the people saying, "Celebrate the Passover to Yahweh your God as it is written in this book of the covenant."
Berean Standard Bible
The king commanded all the people, "Keep the Passover of the LORD your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant."
Contemporary English Version
Josiah told the people of Judah, "Celebrate Passover in honor of the Lord your God, just as it says in The Book of God's Law."
Complete Jewish Bible
The king issued this order to all the people: "Observe Pesach to Adonai your God, as written in this scroll of the covenant."
Darby Translation
And the king commanded all the people saying, Hold the passover to Jehovah your God, as it is written in this book of the covenant.
Easy-to-Read Version
Then King Josiah gave a command to all the people. He said, "Celebrate the Passover for the Lord your God. Do this just as it is written in the Book of the Agreement."
George Lamsa Translation
And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover to the LORD your God. as it is written in the book of this covenant.
Good News Translation
King Josiah ordered the people to celebrate the Passover in honor of the Lord their God, as written in the book of the covenant.
Lexham English Bible
Then the king commanded all of the people, saying, "Keep the Passover to Yahweh your God, as has been written on the scroll of this covenant."
Literal Translation
And the king commanded all the people, saying, Perform a Passover to Jehovah your God, as it is written in this Book of the covenant.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the kynge commauded the people, and sayde: Kepe Easter vnto the LORDE youre God, as it is wrytten in the boke of this couenaunt.
American Standard Version
And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover unto Jehovah your God, as it is written in this book of the covenant.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the king commaunded all the people, saying: Kepe the feast of Passouer vnto the Lorde your God, as it is written in the booke of this couenaunt.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the king commanded all the people, saying: 'Keep the passover unto the LORD your God, as it is written in this book of the covenant.'
King James Version (1611)
And the King commanded all the people saying, Keepe the Passeouer vnto the Lord your God, as it is written in this booke of the Couenant.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover to the Lord your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant.
English Revised Version
And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover unto the LORD your God, as it is written in this book of the covenant.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and comaundide to al the puple, and seide, Make ye pask to `youre Lord God, vp that, that is writun in the book of this boond of pees.
Update Bible Version
And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover to Yahweh your God, as it is written in this book of the covenant.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover to the LORD your God, as [it is] written in the book of this covenant.
New King James Version
Then the king commanded all the people, saying, "Keep the Passover to the LORD your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant."
New Living Translation
King Josiah then issued this order to all the people: "You must celebrate the Passover to the Lord your God, as required in this Book of the Covenant."
New Life Bible
King Josiah told all the people, "Keep the Passover to the Lord your God, as it is written in this Book of the Law."
New Revised Standard
The king commanded all the people, "Keep the passover to the Lord your God as prescribed in this book of the covenant."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then did the king command all the people, saying, Keep ye a passover unto Yahweh, your God, - such as is written in this book of the covenant.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he commanded all the people, saying: Keep the Phase to the Lord your God, according as it is written in the book of this covenant.
Revised Standard Version
And the king commanded all the people, "Keep the passover to the LORD your God, as it is written in this book of the covenant."
Young's Literal Translation
And the king commandeth the whole of the people, saying, `Make ye a passover to Jehovah your God, as it is written on this book of the covenant.'
THE MESSAGE
The king now commanded the people, "Celebrate the Passover to God , your God, exactly as directed in this Book of the Covenant."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then the king commanded all the people saying, "Celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God as it is written in this book of the covenant."

Contextual Overview

4 Then the king gave orders to Hilkiah, the chief priest, and to the priests of the second order, and to the keepers of the door, to take out of the house of the Lord all the vessels made for Baal and for the Asherah and for all the stars of heaven; and he had them burned outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and took the dust of them to Beth-el. 5 And he put an end to the false priests, who had been put in their positions by the kings of Judah to see to the burning of offerings in the high places in the towns of Judah and the outskirts of Jerusalem, and all those who made offerings to Baal and to the sun and the moon and the twelve signs and all the stars of heaven. 6 And he took the Asherah from the house of the Lord, outside Jerusalem to the stream Kidron, burning it by the stream and crushing it to dust, and he put the dust on the place where the bodies of the common people were put to rest. 7 And he had the houses pulled down of those who were used for sex purposes in the house of the Lord, where women were making robes for the Asherah. 8 And he made all the priests from the towns of Judah come into Jerusalem, and he made unclean the high places where the priests had been burning offerings, from Geba to Beer-sheba; and he had the high places of the evil spirits pulled down which were by the doorway of Joshua, the ruler of the town, on the left side of the way into the town. 9 Still the priests of the high places never came up to the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem; but they took their food of unleavened bread among their brothers. 10 And Topheth, in the valley of the sons of Hinnom, he made unclean, so that no man might make his son or his daughter go through the fire to Molech. 11 And he took away the horses which the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the way into the house of the Lord, by the room of Nathan-melech, the unsexed servant, which was in the outer part of the building, and the carriages of the sun he put on fire. 12 And the altars on the roof of the high room of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two outer squares of the house of the Lord, were pulled down and crushed to bits, and the dust of them was put into the stream Kidron. 13 And the high places before Jerusalem, on the south side of the mountain of destruction, which Solomon, king of Israel, had made for Ashtoreth, the disgusting god of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh, the disgusting god of Moab, and for Milcom, the disgusting god of the children of Ammon, the king made unclean.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Keep: 2 Chronicles 35:1-19

as it is written: Exodus 12:3-20, Leviticus 23:5-8, Numbers 9:2-5, Numbers 28:16-25, Deuteronomy 16:1-8

Reciprocal: Exodus 12:14 - by an ordinance Exodus 12:21 - and take Exodus 23:15 - the feast 2 Chronicles 34:30 - the book 2 Chronicles 35:18 - there was no passover

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the king commanded all the people,.... Not at Jerusalem only, but throughout the whole kingdom: saying,

keep the passover unto the Lord your God, as it is written in this book of the covenant; which had been lately found and read, and they had agreed to observe, and in which this ordinance was strictly enjoined, and was a commemoration of their deliverance out of Egypt, and a direction of their faith to the Messiah, the antitype of the passover.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See 2 Kings 23:4 note. With this verse the author returns to the narrative of what was done in Josiah’s 18th year. The need of the injunction, “as it was written in the book of this covenant,” was owing to the fact - not that Josiah had as yet held no Passover - but that the reading of the book had shown him differences between the existing practice and the letter of the Law - differences consequent upon negligence, or upon the fact that tradition had been allowed in various points to override the Law.


 
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