2 Chronicles 23

1 In the seventh year, Jehoiada made himself strong, and made an agreement with the captains of hundreds, Azariah, the son of Jeroham, Ishmael, the son of Jehohanan, Azariah, the son of Obed, Maaseiah, the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat, the son of Zichri.

And, in the seventh year, Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took the rulers of 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—unto himself, in covenant.

2 And they went through Judah, getting together the Levites and the heads of families in Israel from all the towns of Judah, and they came to Jerusalem.

And they went round throughout Judah, and gathered together the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the ancestral chiefs of Israel, —and they came into Jerusalem.

3 And all the people made an agreement with the king in the house of God. And he said to them, Truly, the king's son will be king, as the Lord has said about the sons of David.

And all the convocation solemnised a covenant in the house of God, with the king, —and he said to them, Lo! the king’s son must reign, as spake Yahweh concerning the sons of David.

4 This is what you are to do: let a third of you, of the priests and Levites, who come in on the Sabbath, keep the doors;

This, is the thing that ye shall do, —A third of you entering on the sabbath, both of the priests and of the Levites, as doorkeepers of the porch;

5 And a third are to be stationed at the king's house; and a third at the doorway of the horses: while all the people are waiting in the open spaces round the house of the Lord.

and a third, being in the house of the king, and a third, at the foundation gate, —and all the people, being in the courts of the house of Yahweh,

6 But let no one come into the house of the Lord but only the priests and those of the Levites who have work to do there; they may go in for they are holy; but the rest of the people are to keep the orders of the Lord.

then let no one enter the house of Yahweh, save only the priests, and they who are in attendance of the Levites, they, may enter, for, holy, they are, -but, all the people, shall keep the watch of Yahweh.

7 And the Levites are to make a circle round the king, every man being armed; and any man who comes into the house is to be put to death; you are to keep with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.

So shall the Levites encompass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand, and, he that entereth into the house, shall be put to death. Thus be ye with the king, when he cometh in and when he goeth out.

8 So the Levites and all Judah did as Jehoiada the priest had given them orders: every one took with him his men, those who were to come in and those who were to go out on the Sabbath; for Jehoiada had not sent away the divisions.

So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded, and they took every man his men, who were coming in on the sabbath, with them who were going out on the sabbath, —for Jehoiada the priest dismissed not the courses.

9 Then Jehoiada the priest gave to the captains of hundreds the spears and body-covers which had been King David's and which were kept in the house of God.

And Jehoiada the priest gave unto the captains of hundreds, the spears and the bucklers and the shields, which belonged to King David, —which were in the house of God.

10 And he put all the people in position, every man with his instruments of war in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left, by the altar and the house and all round the king.

And be caused all the people to stand, even every man with his weapon in his hand, from the right corner of the house as far as the left corner of the house, by the altar and the house, —near the king round about.

11 Then they made the king's son come out, and they put the crown on his head and gave him the arm-bands and made him king: and Jehoiada and his sons put the holy oil on him and said, Long life to the king.

Then brought they forth the king’s son, and set upon him the crown and the testimony, and made him king, —and Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, May the king live!

12 Now Athaliah, hearing the noise of the people running and praising the king, came to the people in the house of the Lord:

Now, when Athaliah heard the noise of the people who were running, and those who were praising the king, —then came she unto the people in the house of Yahweh;

13 And looking, she saw the king in his place by the pillar at the doorway, and the captains and the horns by his side; and all the people of the land were giving signs of joy and sounding the horns; and the makers of melody were playing on instruments of music, taking the chief part in the song of praise. Then Athaliah, violently parting her robes, said, Broken faith, broken faith!

and looked, and lo! the king, standing by his pillar at the entrance, and the captains and the trumpets by the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing, and blowing with trumpets, and the singers, with instruments of song, and such as led the offering of praise, then Athaliah rent her garments, and said, Conspiracy! conspiracy!

14 Then Jehoiada the priest gave orders to the captains of hundreds who had authority over the army, saying, Take her outside the lines, and let anyone who goes after her be put to death with the sword. For the priest said, Let her not be put to death in the house of the Lord.

Then Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of hundreds, officers of the force, and said unto them, Take her forth within the ranks, and he that cometh in after her let him be slain with the sword, —for, said the priest, Ye must not slay her in the house of Yahweh!

15 So they put their hands on her, and she went to the king's house by the doorway of the king's horses; and there she was put to death.

So they made way for her, and she came into the entrance of the horse-gate of the house of the king, —and they slew her there.

16 And Jehoiada made an agreement between the Lord and all the people and the king, that they would be the Lord's people.

And Jehoiada solemnised a covenant, between himself and all the people, and the king, —that they should become a people unto Yahweh.

17 Then all the people went to the house of Baal and had it pulled down, and its altars and images broken up; and Mattan, the priest of Baal, they put to death before the altars.

Then all the people entered into the house of Baal and brake it down, and, his altars and his images, brake they in pieces, —and, Mattan the priest of Baal, they slew, before the altars.

18 And Jehoiada put the work and the care of the house of the Lord into the hands of the priests and the Levites, who had been grouped in divisions by David to make burned offerings to the Lord, as it is recorded in the law of Moses, with joy and song as David had said.

And Jehoiada put the oversight of the house of Yahweh into the hand of the priests and the Levites, whom David set by courses over the house of Yahweh, that they might offer up the ascending-sacrifices of Yahweh, as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with song, —under the direction of David.

19 And he put door-keepers at the doors of the Lord's house, to see that no one who was unclean in any way might come in.

And he caused gatekeepers to stand, at the gates of the house of Yahweh, —that no one who was unclean should, on any account, enter.

20 Then he took the captains of hundreds and the chiefs and the rulers of the people and all the people of the land, and they came down with the king from the house of the Lord through the higher doorway into the king's house, and put the king on the seat of the kingdom.

Then took he the captains of hundreds—and the nobles—and the rulers over the people—and all the people of the land, and brought down the king out of the house of Yahweh, and they entered, through the midst of the upper gate, into the house of the king, —and they seated the king, upon the throne of the kingdom.

21 So all the people of the land were glad and the town was quiet, for they had put Athaliah to death with the sword.

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