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.

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 unto the house of the Lord.

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.

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 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.

and all the congregation of Juda made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he shewed them the king's son, and said to them, Lo, let the king's son reign, as the Lord said concerning the house 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;

Now this [is] the thing which ye 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 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,

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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!

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 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;

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 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, 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 rent her robe, and cried, ye surely are plotting against [me].

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 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 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 let her go [out]; and she went through the horsemen's gate of the house of the king, and they slew her there.

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

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

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.

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 slew Matthan the priest of Baal before his 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.

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 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.

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

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.

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 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: and they slew Gotholia.