23:1 In the seventh year Jehoiada showed his strength. He made a covenant with the commanders of units of a hundred: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zicri.
23:2 They went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites and the heads of Israelite families from all the towns. When they came to Jerusalem,
23:3 the whole assembly made a covenant with the king at the temple of God. Jehoiada said to them, “The king’s son shall reign, as the LORD promised concerning the descendants of David.
23:4 Now this is what you are to do: A third of you priests and Levites who are going on duty on the Sabbath are to keep watch at the doors,
23:5 a third of you at the royal palace and a third at the Foundation Gate, and all the other men are to be in the courtyards of the temple of the LORD.
23:6 No one is to enter the temple of the LORD except the priests and Levites on duty; they may enter because they are consecrated, but all the other men are to guard what the LORD has assigned to them.
23:7 The Levites are to station themselves around the king, each man with his weapons in his hand. Anyone who enters the temple must be put to death. Stay close to the king wherever he goes.”
23:8 The Levites and all the men of Judah did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each one took his men–those who were going on duty on the Sabbath and those who were going off duty–for Jehoiada the priest had not released any of the divisions.
23:9 Then he gave the commanders of units of a hundred the spears and the large and small shields that had belonged to King David and that were in the temple of God.
23:10 He stationed all the men, each with his weapon in his hand, around the king–near the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple.
23:11 Jehoiada and his sons brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him; they presented him with a copy of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him and shouted, “Long live the king!”
23:12 When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and cheering the king, she went to them at the temple of the LORD.
23:13 She looked, and there was the king, standing by his pillar at the entrance. The officers and the trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and singers with musical instruments were leading the praises. Then Athaliah tore her robes and shouted, “Treason! Treason!”
23:14 Jehoiada the priest sent out the commanders of units of a hundred, who were in charge of the troops, and said to them: “Bring her out between the ranks and put to the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest had said, “Do not put her to death at the temple of the LORD.”
23:15 So they seized her as she reached the entrance of the Horse Gate on the palace grounds, and there they put her to death.
23:16 Jehoiada then made a covenant that he and the people and the king would be the LORD’S people.
23:17 All the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.
23:18 Then Jehoiada placed the oversight of the temple of the LORD in the hands of the priests, who were Levites, to whom David had made assignments in the temple, to present the burnt offerings of the LORD as written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and singing, as David had ordered.
23:19 He also stationed doorkeepers at the gates of the LORD’S temple so that no one who was in any way unclean might enter.
23:20 He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people and all the people of the land and brought the king down from the temple of the LORD. They went into the palace through the Upper Gate and seated the king on the royal throne,
23:21 and all the people of the land rejoiced. And the city was quiet, because Athaliah had been slain with the sword.
23:1 Then in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself and took the captains of the hundreds ? Azariah the son of Jeroham and Ishmael the son of Johanan and Azariah the son of Obed and Maaseiah the son of Adaiah and Elishaphat the son of Zichri ? into a covenant with him.
23:2 And they went around in Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah and the chief fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.
23:3 And all the congregation made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And Jehoiada said to them, Now, the king’s son shall reign, as Jehovah spoke concerning the sons of David.
23:4 This is the thing that you shall do: A third of you who come on duty on the Sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be the doorkeepers;
23:5 And another third shall keep watch in the king’s house, and another third shall keep watch in the Gate of the Foundation, and all the people shall be in the courts of the house of Jehovah.
23:6 But let no one come into the house of Jehovah except the priests and the ministering Levites; they can come because they are holy; but all the people shall keep the charge of Jehovah.
23:7 And the Levites shall surround the king, each man with his weapons in his hand; and whoever enters the house shall be put to death; and you shall be with the king in his comings and goings.
23:8 And the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded them. And each took his men, those who came on duty on the Sabbath with those who went off duty on the Sabbath; for Jehoiada the priest did not dismiss the divisions.
23:9 And Jehoiada the priest gave the spears and the large and small shields that had belonged to King David, which were in the house of God, to the captains of the hundreds.
23:10 And he set all the people, each man with his javelin in his hand, from the right flank of the house to the left flank of the house, by the altar and by the house, to guard the king all around.
23:11 And they brought the king’s son out and put the crown on him and gave him the testimony, and they made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and they said, Long live the king!
23:12 Now when Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she went to the people at the house of Jehovah.
23:13 And she looked, and there was the king, standing by the pillar at the entrance, with the captains and their trumpets near the king. And all the people of the land rejoiced and blew the trumpets, and the singers with their musical instruments were leading the praise. And Athaliah tore her clothes and said, Treason! Treason!
23:14 And Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of the hundreds who had been set over the army and said to them, Bring her out between the ranks, and anyone who follows her shall be killed with a sword; for the priest said, They shall not kill her in the house of Jehovah.
23:15 And they made way for her, and she went to the king’s house through the entrance of the horses’ gate; and they killed her there.
23:16 And Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and all the people and the king that they would be Jehovah’s people.
23:17 And all the people went to the house of Baal and broke it down: The altars to him and his images they broke up, and they slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.
23:18 And Jehoiada placed officers of the house of Jehovah under the authority of the Levitical priests whom David had apportioned over the house of Jehovah, to offer up the burnt offerings of Jehovah, as was written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and singing, according to the order of David.
23:19 And he set the doorkeepers at the doors of the house of Jehovah so that no one would enter who was unclean in any respect.
23:20 And Jehoiada gathered the captains of the hundreds and the nobles and the rulers of the people and all the people of the land and brought the king down from the house of Jehovah. And they went through the upper gate to the king’s house and set the king upon the throne of the kingdom.
23:21 And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet; for they had slain Athaliah with the sword.