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All the people of Israel who were present at that time kept the Passover and observed the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days.
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Since the days of the prophet Samuel, the Passover had never been celebrated so well.
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None of the former kings of Israel had ever celebrated a Passover like this one celebrated by King Josiah in Jerusalem in the eighteenth year of his reign; it was celebrated by the priests, the Levites, and all the people of Judah and Israel.
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The Lord was pleased with everything Josiah did, for he was a very religious man.
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But the ancient records also tell the story of those who sinned and rebelled against the Lord during Josiah's reign. They sinned more than any other nation or kingdom and did things that offended the Lord so much that his judgment fell on the people of Israel.
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After Josiah had done all these things, the king of Egypt led an army to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates River. Josiah tried to stop him,
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but the king of Egypt sent Josiah this message: "The war I am fighting does not concern you, King of Judah.
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The Lord God did not send me to fight you; my battle is on the Euphrates River. The Lord is with me, and he is urging me on; so withdraw your troops and don't oppose the Lord."
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But Josiah did not go back to his chariot and withdraw. He refused to listen to what the Lord had said through the prophet Jeremiah and decided to fight.