For more than a decade following the celebration of the Passover, Josiah continued to reign. At the age of thirty-nine he met death in battle with the forces of Egypt, "and was buried in one of the sepulchers of his fathers." "All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they are written in the lamentations." 2 Chronicles 35:24, 25. Like unto Josiah "was there no king before him, 406 that turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him. Notwithstanding the Lord turned not from the fierceness of His great wrath, . . . because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked Him withal." 2 Kings 23:25, 26. The time was rapidly approaching when Jerusalem was to be utterly destroyed and the inhabitants of the land carried captive to Babylon, there to learn the lessons they had refused to learn under circumstances more favorable.

Josias regerede mere end ti år efter den store påskefest. I en alder af ni og tredive år blev han dræbt i kamp med ægypterhæren og jordet i sine "fædres grave". "Hele Juda og Jerusalem sørgede over Josias. Jeremias sang en klagesang over Josias, og alle sangerne og sangerinderne talte i deres klagesange om ham, som de gør den dag i dag; man gjorde dette til en stående skik i Israel, og sangene står optegnede blandt klagesangene " 2Krøn. 35,24-25. Der havde ikke før været nogen konge, der som han af hele sit hjerte og hele sin sjæl og af al sin kraft omvendte sig til Herren og fulgte hele Mose lov; og heller ikke efter ham opstod hans lige. Alligevel lagde Herrens mægtige vredesglød sig ikke, thi hans vrede var blusset op mod Juda over alle de krænkelser, Manasse havde tilføjet ham." 2Kong. 23,25-26. Inden længe ville Jerusalem blive fuldstændig ødelagt, og landets indbyggere ville blive ført til Babylon som fanger for at lære det, som de ikke ville lære under mere gunstige forhold.