2 Chronicles 23

1 Then in the seventh year, Jehoiada strengthened himself and made a covenant with the commanders of hundreds—with Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zichri.

And in the eighth year Jodae strengthened [himself], and took the captains of hundreds, Azarias the son of Joram, and Ismael the son of Joanan, and Azarias the son of Obed, and Maasaeas the son of Adia, and Elisaphan the son of Zacharias, with him to the house of the Lord.

2 So they went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah and the heads of the families of Israel. And when they came to Jerusalem,

And they went round about Juda, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Juda, and heads of the families of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.

3 the whole assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. “Behold, the king’s son!” said Jehoiada. “He must reign, just as the LORD promised concerning the descendants of David.

and all the congregation of Juda made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he showed them the king's son, and said to them, Behold, let the king's son reign, as the Lord said concerning the house of David.

4 This is what you are to do: A third of you priests and Levites who come on duty on the Sabbath shall keep watch at the doors,

Now this [is] the thing which you shall do. Let a third part of you, [even] of the priests and of the Levites, enter in on the sabbath, even into the gates of the entrances;

5 a third shall be at the royal palace, and a third at the Foundation Gate, while all the others are in the courtyards of the house of the LORD.

and let a third part be in the house of the king; and another third at the middle gate: and all the people in the courts of the Lord's house.

6 No one is to enter the house of the LORD except the priests and those Levites who serve; they may enter because they are consecrated, but all the people are to obey the requirement of the LORD.

And let not [any one] enter into the house of the Lord, except the priests and the Levites, and the servants of the Levites; they shall enter in, because they are holy: and let all the people keep the watch of the Lord.

7 The Levites must surround the king with weapons in hand, and anyone who enters the temple must be put to death. You must stay close to the king wherever he goes.”

And the Levites shall compass the king round about, every man's weapon in his hand; and whoever [else] goes into the house shall die: but they shall be with the king when he goes out, and when he comes in.

8 So the Levites and all Judah did everything that Jehoiada the priest had ordered. Each of them took his men—those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty—for Jehoiada the priest had not released any of the divisions.

And the Levites and all Juda did according to all that the priest Jodae commanded them, and they took each his men from the beginning of the sabbath to the end of the sabbath, for Jodae the priest did not dismiss the courses.

9 Then Jehoiada the priest gave to the commanders of hundreds the spears and the large and small shields of King David that were in the house of God.

And Jodae gave to the men the swords, and the shields, and the arms, which [had] belonged to King David, in the house of God.

10 He stationed all the troops, with their weapons in hand, surrounding the king by the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple.

And he set the whole people, every man with his arms, from the right side of the house to the left side of the altar and the house, over against the king round about.

11 Then Jehoiada and his sons brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, presented him with the Testimony, and proclaimed him king. They anointed him and shouted, “Long live the king!”

And he brought out the king's son, and put on him the crown and the testimony, and Jodae the priest and his sons proclaimed him king, and anointed him, and said, Long live the king!

12 When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and cheering the king, she went out to them in the house of the LORD.

And Gotholia heard the sound of the people running, and acknowledging and praising the king: and she went in to the king into the house of the Lord.

13 And she looked out and saw the king standing by his pillar at the entrance. The officers and trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, while the singers with musical instruments were leading the praises. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, “Treason, treason!”

And she looked, and, behold, the king [stood] in his place, and the princes and trumpets were at the entrance, and the princes were round the king: and all the people of the land rejoiced, and sounded the trumpets, and there were the singers singing with instruments, and singing hymns of praise. and Gotholia tore her robe, and cried, you surely are plotting against [me].

14 And Jehoiada the priest sent out the commanders of hundreds in charge of the army, saying, “Bring her out between the ranks, and put to the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest had said, “She must not be put to death in the house of the LORD.”

And Jodae the priest went forth, and Jodae the priest charged the captains of hundreds, even the captains of the host, and said to them, Thrust her forth outside the house, and follow her, and let her be slain with the sword. For the priest said, Let her not be slain in the house of the Lord.

15 So they seized Athaliah as she reached the entrance of the Horse Gate to the palace grounds, and there they put her to death.

So they let her go [out]; and she went through the horsemen's gate of the house of the king, and they killed her there.

16 Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and the king and the people that they would be the LORD’s people.

And Jodae made a covenant between himself, and the people, and the king, that the people should be the Lord's.

17 So all the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.

And all the people of the land went into the house of Baal, and tore down it and its altars, and they ground his images to powder, and they killed Matthan the priest of Baal before his altars.

18 Moreover, Jehoiada put the oversight of the house of the LORD into the hands of the Levitical priests, whom David had appointed over the house of the LORD, to offer burnt offerings to the LORD as is written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and song, as ordained by David.

And Jodae the priest committed the works of the house of the Lord into the and of the priests and Levites, and he re-established the courses of the priests and Levites which David appointed over the house of the Lord, and [he appointed them] to offer whole burnt offerings to the Lord, as it is written in the law of Moses, with gladness, and with songs by the hand of David.

19 He stationed gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the LORD, so that nothing unclean could enter for any reason.

And the porters stood at the gates of the house of the Lord, that no one unclean in any respect should enter in.

20 He also took with him the commanders of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of the LORD and entered the royal palace through the Upper Gate. They seated King Joash on the royal throne,

And he took the heads of families, and the mighty men, and the chiefs of the people, and all the people of the land, and they conducted the king into the house of the Lord; and he went through the inner gate into the king's house, and they seated the king on the throne of the kingdom.

21 and all the people of the land rejoiced. And the city was quiet, because Athaliah had been put to the sword.

And all the people of the land rejoiced; and the city was quiet: and they killed Gotholia.