2 Chronicles 23

1 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.

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.

2 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.

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,

3 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.

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.

4 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;

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,

5 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,

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.

6 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.

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.

7 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.

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.”

8 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.

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.

9 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.

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.

10 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.

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.

11 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!

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!”

12 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;

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

13 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!

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!”

14 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!

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.”

15 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.

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

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

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

17 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.

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.

18 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.

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.

19 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.

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

20 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.

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,

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

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