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 seventh year Joiada being encouraged, took the captains of hundreds, to wit, Azarias the son of Jeroham, and Ismahel the son of Johanan, and Azarias the son of Obed, and Maasias the son of Adaias, and Elisaphat the son of Zechri: and made a covenant with them.

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 about Juda, and gathered together the Levites out of all the cities of Juda, and the chiefs 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 multitude made a covenant with the king in the house of God: and Joiada said to them: Behold the king’s son shall reign, as the Lord hath said of the sons 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;

And this is the thing that you shall do:

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 part of you that come to the sabbath, of the priests, and of the Levites, and of the porters, shall be at the gates: and a third part at the king’s house: and a third at the gate that is called the Foundation: but let all the rest of the people be in the courts 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.

And let no one come into the house of the Lord, but the priests, and they that minister of the Levites: let them only come in, because they are sanctified: and let all the rest of the people keep the watches 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 let the Levites be round about the king, every man with his arms; (and if any other come into the temple, let him be slain; ) and let them be with the king, both coming in, and going out.

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 Juda did according to all that Joiada the high priest bad commanded: and they took every one his men that were under him, and that came in by the course of the sabbath, with those who had fulfilled the sabbath, and were to go out. For Joiada the high priest permitted not the companies to depart, which were accustomed to succeed one another every week.

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 Joiada the priest gave to the captains the spears, and the shields, and targets of king David, which he had dedicated in the house of the Lord.

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 all the people with swords in their hands from the right side of the temple, to the left side of the temple, before the altar, and the temple, round about the king.

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 they brought out the king’s son, and put the crown upon him, and the testimony, and gave him the law to hold in his hand, and they made him king: and Joiada the high priest and his sons anointed him: and they prayed for him, and said: God save 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;

Now when Athalia heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came in to the people, into the temple 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 when she saw the king standing upon the step in the entrance, and the princes, and the companies about him, and all the people of the land rejoicing, and sounding with trumpets, and playing on instruments of divers kinds, and the voice of those that praised, she rent her garments, and said: 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 Joiada the high priest going out to the captains, and the chiefs of the army, said to them: Take her forth without the precinct of the temple, and when she is without let her be killed with the sword. For the priest commanded that she should not be killed 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.

And they laid hold on her by the neck: and when she was come within the horse gate of the palace, they killed 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 Joiada made a covenant between himself and all the people, and the king, that they should be the people of the Lord.

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 went into the house of Baal, and destroyed it: and they broke down his altars and his idols: and they slew Mathan the priest of Baal before 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.

And Joiada appointed overseers in the house of the Lord, under the hands of the priests, and the Levites, whom David had distributed in the house of the Lord: to offer holocausts to the Lord, as it is written in the law of Moses, with joy and singing, according to the disposition 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.

He appointed also porters in the gates of the house of the Lord, that none who was unclean in any thing 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 captains of hundreds, and the most valiant men, and the chiefs of the people, and all the people of the land, and they brought down the king from the house of the Lord, and brought him through the upper gate into the king’s house, and set him 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: but Athalia was slain with the sword.