2 Chronicles 23

1 Then in the seventh year, Jehoiada having been strengthened, he took the centurions, namely, Azariah, the son of Jeroham, and Ishmael, the son of Jehohanan, and also Azariah, the son of Obed, and Maaseiah, the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat, the son of Zichri, and he formed a pact with them.

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 And traveling through Judah, they gathered together the Levites from all of the cities of Judah, and the leaders of the families of Israel, and they went 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 Then the entire multitude formed a pact with the king, in the house of God. And Jehoiada said to them: “Behold, the son of the king shall reign, just as the Lord has said concerning the sons 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 Therefore, this is the word that you shall do:

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 One third part of you who arrive on the Sabbath, priests, and Levites, and porters, shall be at the gates. Truly, one third part shall be at the house of the king. And one third shall be at the gate which is called the Foundation. Yet truly, let all the remainder of the common people be in the courts 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 Let no one else enter into the house of the Lord, except the priests, and those from the Levites who are ministering. These alone may enter, for they have been sanctified. And let all the remainder of the common people observe the watches 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 Then let the Levites encircle the king, each one having his weapons. And if anyone else will have entered into the temple, let him be slain. And may they be with the king, both entering and departing.”

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 Then the Levites, and all of Judah, acted in accord with all that the high priest Jehoiada had instructed. And each of them took the men who were under him, and who were arriving by the course of the Sabbath, with those who had fulfilled the Sabbath and who were about to depart. For indeed the high priest Jehoiada had not permitted the companies to depart, which were accustomed to replace one another each week.

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 And Jehoiada, the priest, gave to the centurions the lances and round shields and crescent shields of king David, which he had dedicated in the house of the Lord.

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 And he positioned all the people, holding short swords, from the right part of the temple to the left part of the temple, before the altar and the temple, all around the king.

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 And they led out the son of the king. And they imposed the diadem on him, and the testimony. And they gave him the law to hold in his hand. And they appointed him as king. Also, the high priest Jehoiada and his sons anointed him. And they prayed for him, and said, “May the king live!”

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 And when Athaliah had heard it, specifically the sound of running and the praising of the king, she entered to the people in the temple 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 when she had seen the king standing upon the step at the entrance, and the leaders and companies around him, and all the people of the land rejoicing, and sounding the trumpets, and playing on instruments of various kinds, and the voice of those who were praising, she tore her garments, and she said: “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 Then the high priest Jehoiada, going out to the centurions and to the leaders of the army, said to them: “Lead her away, beyond the borders of the temple. And let her be put to death outside, with the sword.” And the priest instructed that she should not be killed 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 And they laid hands on her neck. And when she had entered the gate for the horses at the king’s house, they put her to death there.

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 formed a covenant between himself and the entire people, and the king, so that they would be the people of the Lord.

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

17 And so, all the people entered into the house of Baal, and they destroyed it. And they broke apart his altars and idols. Also, they put to death Mattan, the priest of Baal, before 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 Then Jehoiada appointed overseers in the house of the Lord, under the hands of the priests and Levites, whom David had distributed to the house of the Lord so that they might offer holocausts to the Lord, just as it was written in the law of Moses, with gladness and singing, in accord with the disposition of 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 Also, he appointed porters at the gates of the house of the Lord, so that whoever was unclean for any reason would not enter.

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

20 And he took the centurions, and the most valiant men, and the leaders of the people, and all the common people of the land, and they set out to descend to the king, from the house of the Lord, and to enter through the middle of the upper gate, to the house of the king. And they placed him 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 were rejoicing, and the city was quieted. But Athaliah was slain with the sword.

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