II Chronicles 23

¹And in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took the captains of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jeroham, and Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, and Azariah the son of Obed, and Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, into covenant with him.

²And they went about in Judah, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the heads of fathers’housesof Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.

³And all the assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said unto them, Behold, the king’s son shall reign, as Jehovah hath spoken concerning the sons of David.

⁴This is the thing that ye shall do: a third part of you, that come in on the sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be porters of the thresholds;

⁵and a third part shall be at the king’s house; and a third part at the gate of the foundation: and all the people shall be in the courts of the house of Jehovah.

⁶But let none come into the house of Jehovah, save the priests, and they that minister of the Levites; they shall come in, for they are holy: but all the people shall keep the charge of Jehovah.

⁷And the Levites shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whosoever cometh into the house, let him be slain: and be ye with the king when he cometh in, and when he goeth out.

⁸So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded: and they took every man his men, those that were to come in on the sabbath, with those that were to go out on the sabbath; for Jehoiada the priest dismissed not the courses.

⁹And Jehoiada the priest delivered to the captains of hundreds the spears, and bucklers, and shields, that had been king David’s, which were in the house of God.

¹⁰And he set all the people, every man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, along by the altar and the house, by the king round about.

¹¹Then they brought out the king’s son, and put the crown upon him, and gave him the testimony, and made him king: and Jehoiada and his sons anointed him; and they said, Long live the king.

¹²And when Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people into the house of Jehovah:

¹³and she looked, and, behold, the king stood by his pillar at the entrance, and the captains and the trumpets by the king; and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew trumpets; the singers also played on instruments of music, and led the singing of praise. Then Athaliah rent her clothes, and said, Treason! treason!

¹⁴And Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds that were set over the host, and said unto them, Have her forth between the ranks; and whoso followeth her, let him be slain with the sword: for the priest said, Slay her not in the house of Jehovah.

¹⁵So they made way for her; and she went to the entrance of the horse gate to the king’s house: and they slew her there.

¹⁶And Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, and all the people, and the king, that they should be Jehovah’s people.

¹⁷And all the people went to the house of Baal, and brake it down, and brake his altars and his images in pieces, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

¹⁸And Jehoiada appointed the officers of the house of Jehovah under the hand of the priests the Levites, whom David had distributed in the house of Jehovah, to offer the burnt-offerings of Jehovah, as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, according to the order of David.

¹⁹And he set the porters at the gates of the house of Jehovah, that none that was unclean in anything should enter in.

²⁰And he took the captains of hundreds, and the nobles, and the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought down the king from the house of Jehovah: and they came through the upper gate unto the king’s house, and set the king upon the throne of the kingdom.

²¹So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet. And Athaliah they had slain with the sword.

II Chronicles 23

¹And in the seventh year hath Jehoiada strengthened himself, and taketh the heads of the hundreds, even Azariah son of Jeroham, and Ishmael son of Jehohanan, and Azariah son of Obed, and Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zichri, with him into covenant.

²And they go round about in Judah, and gather the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and heads of the fathers of Israel, and come in unto Jerusalem,

³and all the assembly make a covenant in the house of God with the king, and he saith to them, `Lo, the son of the king doth reign, as Jehovah spake concerning the sons of David.

⁴`This is the thing that ye do: The third of you, going in on the sabbath, of the priests, and of the Levites, are for gatekeepers of the thresholds,

⁵and the third are at the house of the king, and the third at the gate of the foundation, and all the people are in the courts of the house of Jehovah.

⁶`And none doth enter the house of Jehovah except the priests, and those ministering of the Levites (they go in for they are holy), and all the people keep the watch of Jehovah:

⁷and the Levites have compassed the king round about, each with his weapon in his hand, and he who hath gone in unto the house is put to death; and be ye with the king in his coming in and in his going out.'

⁸And the Levites and all Judah do according to all that Jehoiada the priest hath commanded, and take each his men going in on the sabbath, with those going out on the sabbath, for Jehoiada the priest hath not let away the courses.

⁹And Jehoiada the priest giveth to the heads of the hundreds the spears, and the shields, and the bucklers that are king David's, that are in the house of God;

¹⁰and he stationeth the whole of the people, and each his dart in his hand, from the right shoulder of the house unto the left shoulder of the house, at the altar, and at the house, by the king, round about.

¹¹And they bring out the son of the king, and put upon him the crown, and the testimony, and cause him to reign; and Jehoiada and his sons anoint him, and say, `Let the king live!'

¹²And Athaliah heareth the voice of the people who are running, and who are praising the king, and she cometh in unto the people in the house of Jehovah,

¹³and seeth, and lo, the king is standing by his pillar in the entrance, and the heads, and the trumpets are by the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and shouting with trumpets, and the singers with instruments of song, and the teachers, to praise, and Athaliah rendeth her garments, and saith, `Conspiracy, conspiracy.'

¹⁴And Jehoiada the priest bringeth out the heads of the hundreds, inspectors of the force, and saith unto them, `Take her out from within the rows, and he who hath gone after her is put to death by the sword;' for the priest said, `Put her not to death in the house of Jehovah.'

¹⁵And they make for her sides, and she cometh in unto the entrance of the gate of the horses at the house of the king, and they put her to death there.

¹⁶And Jehoiada maketh a covenant between him, and between all the people, and between the king, to be for a people to Jehovah;

¹⁷and all the people enter the house of Baal, and break it down, yea, his altars and his images they have broken, and Mattan priest of Baal they have slain before the altars.

¹⁸And Jehoiada putteth the offices of the house of Jehovah into the hand of the priests the Levites whom David had apportioned over the house of Jehovah, to cause to ascend the burnt-offerings of Jehovah, as written in the law of Moses, with joy, and with singing, by the hands of David;

¹⁹and he stationeth the gatekeepers over the gates of the house of Jehovah, and the unclean in anything doth not go in.

²⁰And he taketh the heads of the hundreds, and the honourable ones, and the rulers among the people, and all the people of the land, and bringeth down the king from the house of Jehovah, and they come in through the high gate to the house of the king, and cause the king to sit on the throne of the kingdom.

²¹And all the people of the land rejoice, and the city hath been quiet, and Athaliah they have put to death by the sword.