²⁹ While Josiah was king, Pharaoh Necho^(A) king of Egypt went up to the Euphrates River to help the king of Assyria. King Josiah marched out to meet him in battle, but Necho faced him and killed him at Megiddo.^(B)

³⁰ Josiah’s servants brought his body in a chariot^(A) from Megiddo to Jerusalem and buried him in his own tomb. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and anointed him and made him king in place of his father.

²² Josiah, however, would not turn away from him, but disguised^(A) himself to engage him in battle. He would not listen to what Necho had said at God’s command but went to fight him on the plain of Megiddo.

²³ Archers^(B) shot King Josiah, and he told his officers, “Take me away; I am badly wounded.” ²⁴ So they took him out of his chariot, put him in his other chariot and brought him to Jerusalem, where he died. He was buried in the tombs of his ancestors, and all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for him.

²⁵ Jeremiah composed laments for Josiah, and to this day all the male and female singers commemorate Josiah in the laments.^(C) These became a tradition in Israel and are written in the Laments.^(D)

²⁶ The other events of Josiah’s reign and his acts of devotion in accordance with what is written in the Law of the Lord— ²⁷ all the events, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.