2 Chronicles 23

1 But in the seventh year, Jehoiada had the courage to act. He made a pledge with the commanders of hundreds: Azariah, son of Jeroham, Ishmael, son of Jehohanan, Azariah, son of Obed, Maaseiah, son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat, 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 They traveled all over Judah and brought together the Levites from all the cities of Judah and the family leaders of Israel. When 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 they all assembled at God's Temple and made a solemn agreement with the king. Jehoiada announced to them, “Look, here is the king's son and he must reign, just as the Lord promised the descendants of David would.

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 Here's what you have to do. One third of you priests and Levites who enter on the Sabbath shall guard the entrances.

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 Another third shall go over to the king's palace, while the last third shall be at the Foundation Gate. Everyone else stay in the courtyards of the Lord's Temple.

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 No one should enter the Lord's Temple except the priests and those Levites are serving. They can enter because they have been made holy, but everyone else must follow the Lord's commands.

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 The Levites shall surround the king, weapons in hand. Kill anyone who enters the Temple. Stay close to the king wherever he goes.”

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 The Levites and all the people of Judah did everything that Jehoiada the priest told them. The commanders each brought his men, both those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty, for Jehoiada the priest had not dismissed any of 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 Jehoiada the priest provided the commanders with the spears and the large and small shields of King David that were in God's Temple.

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 He placed them all, with their weapons in hand, to surround the king from the south side of the Temple to the north side, and near the altar and the Temple.

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 Jehoiada and his sons then brought out the king's son, placed the crown on him, presented him with a copy of God's law, and proclaimed him king. They anointed him, and shouted out, “Long live 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 When Athaliah heard the noise of people running and shouting praise to the king, she rushed to the crowds at the Lord's Temple.

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 She saw the king standing by his pillar at the entrance. The commanders and trumpeters were with the king, and everyone was celebrating and blowing trumpets as the singers with musical instruments led the praise. Athaliah ripped her clothes and screamed out, “Treason! Treason!”

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 Jehoiada ordered the army commanders, “Bring her to the men standing in front of the Temple, and kill anyone who follows her.” Earlier the priest had made it clear, “She must not be killed in the Lord's Temple.”

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 They grabbed hold of her and took her to the entrance of the Horse Gate of the king's palace, and killed her there.

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 Then Jehoiada made a solemn agreement between himself 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 Everyone went to the Temple of Baal and tore down its altars and smashed the idols. They killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, right in front of the altar.

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 Jehoiada placed the responsibility for the Lord's Temple in the hands of the Levitical priests. They were the ones whom David had appointed over the Lord's Temple to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, as is required by the Law of Moses, with celebration and singing, as David instructed.

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 He placed gatekeepers at the entrances to the Lord's Temple, so that no one unclean for any reason could enter.

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 Along with the commanders, the nobles, the governors of the people, and all the people, he led the king in a procession down from the Lord's Temple through the upper gate to the royal palace. There they set the king on the royal throne.

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 All throughout the land people celebrated, and Jerusalem was at peace, because Athaliah had been killed by the sword.

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