2 Chronicles 23

1 And in the seventh year Yehoyada' strengthened himself, and took the captains of the hundreds, 'Azaryah the son of Jerocham and Yishma'el the son of Jehochanan, and 'Azaryahu the son of 'Obed, and Ma'asseyahu the son of 'Adayahu, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, with him into a covenant.

In the seventh year, Jehoiada showed his strength and entered into a covenant 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.

2 And they moved about in Judah, and gathered the Levites together out of all the cities of Judah, and the heads of the families of Israel; and they came to Jerusalem.

They went about in Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah, as well as the heads of the ancestral houses of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.

3 And all the congregation made a covenant in the house of God with the king. And he said unto them, Behold, the king's son shall be king, as the Lord hath spoken concerning the sons of David.

All the assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. Jehoiada said to them, “See, the king's son will reign, as Yahweh has said concerning the descendants of David.

4 This is the thing that ye shall do, A third part of you that enter in on the sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be gatekeepers at the thresholds;

This is what you must do: A third of you priests and Levites who come to serve on the Sabbath will be guards at the doors.

5 And a third part shall be at the king's house; and a third part at the foundation-gate; and all the people shall be in the courts of the house of the Lord.

Another third will be at the king's house, and the other third will be at the Foundation Gate. All the people will be in the courtyard of the house of Yahweh.

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

Allow no one to come into the house of Yahweh, except for the priests and the Levites who are serving. They may enter because they are consecrated. But all the other people must obey the commands of Yahweh.

7 And the Levites shall encompass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand: and he who cometh into the house shall be put to death; and be ye with the king when he cometh in, and when he goeth out.

The Levites must surround the king on all sides, every man with his weapons in his hand. Whoever comes into the house, let him be killed. Stay with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.”

8 And the Levites and all Judah did in accordance with all that Yehoyada' the priest had commanded, and they took every man his men that came in on the sabbath, with those that were to be relieved on the sabbath; for Yehoyada' the priest had not dismissed the divisions.

So the Levites and all Judah served in every way in the manner in which Jehoiada the priest commanded. Each one took his men, those who were to come in to serve on the Sabbath, and those who were to leave off serving on the Sabbath, for Jehoiada the priest had not dismissed any of their divisions.

9 And Yehoyada' the priest gave to the captains of the hundreds the spears, and the shields, and the quivers, that belonged to king David, which were in the house of God.

Then Jehoiada the priest brought to the commanders spears and small and large shields that had been King David's that were in the house of God.

10 And he placed all the people, every man having 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 temple, all round about the king,

Jehoiada placed all the soldiers, each man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, along by the altar and the temple, surrounding the king.

11 Then did they bring forth the king's son, and put upon him the crown, and [gave him] the testimony, and they made him king. And Yehoyada' and his sons anointed him, and said, Long live the king.

Then they brought out the king's son, put the crown on him, and gave him the covenant decrees. Then they made him king, and Jehoiada and his sons anointed him. Then they said, “Long live the king.”

12 And when 'Athalyah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people into the house of the Lord.

When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people in the house of Yahweh,

13 And she looked, and behold, the king stood upon his stand at the entrance, and the princes and the trumpets were around the king; and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew on trumpets; also the singers [were there] leading with instruments of music in the songs of praise; and 'Athalyah rent her clothes, and said, “Treason, treason.”

and she looked, and, behold, the king was standing by his pillar at the entrance, and the commanders and the trumpeters were by the king. All the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and the singers were playing musical instruments and leading the singing of praise. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and shouted, “Treason! Treason!”

14 But Yehoyada' the priest ordered the captains of the hundreds, the commanders of the army, to go out, and said unto them, Lead her forth to within the ranges; and he that followeth her shall be put to death with the sword. For the priest had said, Ye shall not put her to death in the house of the Lord.

Then Jehoiada the priest brought out the commanders of hundreds who were over the army and said to them, “Bring her out between the ranks; anyone who follows her, let him be killed with the sword.” For the priest had said, “Do not kill her in the house of Yahweh.”

15 And they made way for her: and she went to the entrance of the horse-gate by the king's house, and they put her to death there.

So they seized her as she went into the entrance of the Horse Gate of the king's house, and there they killed her.

16 And Yehoyada' made a covenant between him, and between all the people, and between the king, that they should be a people unto the Lord.

Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, all the people, and the king, that they should be Yahweh's people.

17 And then came all the people into the house of Ba'al, and pulled it down, and his altars and his images did they break in pieces, and Mathhan the priest of Ba'al they slew before the altars.

So all the people went to the house of Baal and tore it down. They smashed Baal's altars and his images to pieces, and they killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, in front of those altars.

18 And Yehoyada' placed the supervision over the house of the Lord into the hand of the priests, the Levites, whom David had divided off over the house of the Lord, to offer the burnt-offerings of the Lord, as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, after the manner of David.

Jehoiada appointed officers for the house of Yahweh under the hand of the priests, who were Levites, whom David had assigned to the house of Yahweh, to offer the burnt offerings to Yahweh, as it was written in the law of Moses, together with rejoicing and singing, as David had given direction.

19 And he appointed the gatekeepers over the gates of the house of the Lord, that none unclean in any thing should enter therein.

Jehoiada set guards at the gates of the house of Yahweh, so that no one that was unclean in any way should enter.

20 And he took the captains of the hundreds, and the nobles, and the governors over the people, and all the people of the land, and he brought down the king from the house of the Lord, and they came through the midst of the upper gate into the king's house; and they caused the king to sit upon the throne of the kingdom.

Jehoiada took with him the commanders of hundreds, the noblemen, the governors of the people, and all the people of the land. He brought down the king from the house of Yahweh; the people came through the Upper Gate to the king's house and sat the king on the throne of the kingdom.

21 And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet; but 'Athalyahu they had slain with the sword.

So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet. As for Athaliah, they had killed her with the sword.