2 Chronicles 23

1 After Joash had been hidden in the temple for six years, Jehoiada the priest decided that it was necessary to do something. So he made an agreement with the army commanders of groups of 100 soldiers: Azariah the son of Jeroham, Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, Azariah the son of Obed, Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zicri.

١ وَفِي ٱلسَّنَةِ ٱلسَّابِعَةِ تَشَدَّدَ يَهُويَادَاعُ وَأَخَذَ مَعَهُ فِي ٱلْعَهْدِ رُؤَسَاءَ ٱلْمِئَاتِ: عَزَرْيَا بْنَ يَرُوحَامَ، وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنَ يَهُوحَانَانَ، وَعَزَرْيَا بْنَ عُوبِيدَ، وَمَعَسِيَا بْنَ عَدَايَا، وَأَلِيشَافَاطَ بْنَ زِكْرِي،

2 They went throughout Judah and gathered the descendants of Levi and the leaders of Israeli families from all the towns. When they came to Jerusalem,

٢ وَجَالُوا فِي يَهُوذَا وَجَمَعُوا ٱللَّاوِيِّينَ مِنْ جَمِيعِ مُدُنِ يَهُوذَا وَرُؤُوسَ آبَاءِ إِسْرَائِيلَ وَجَاءُوا إِلَى أُورُشَلِيمَ.

3 the whole group went to the temple and made an agreement with the young king there. Jehoiada said to them, “This is the son of the previous king of Judah. So he is the one who must rule, like Yahweh promised that the descendants of King David must do.

٣ وَقَطَعَ كُلُّ ٱلْمَجْمَعِ عَهْدًا فِي بَيْتِ ٱللهِ مَعَ ٱلْمَلِكِ. وَقَالَ لَهُمْ: «هُوَذَا ٱبْنُ ٱلْمَلِكِ يَمْلِكُ كَمَا تَكَلَّمَ ٱلرَّبُّ عَنْ بَنِي دَاوُدَ.

4 “So this is what you must do: One-third of you priests and other descendants of Levi who are starting their work on the Sabbath day must guard the doors [of the temple].

٤ هَذَا هُوَ ٱلْأَمْرُ ٱلَّذِي تَعْمَلُونَهُ. ٱلثُّلْثُ مِنْكُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدْخُلُونَ فِي ٱلسَّبْتِ مِنَ ٱلْكَهَنَةِ وَٱللَّاوِيِّينَ يَكُونُونَ بَوَّابِينَ لِلْأَبْوَابِ،

5 One-third of you must guard the king’s palace, and one-third of you must guard the Foundation Gate. All the other people will be in the courtyards outside the temple.

٥ وَٱلثُّلْثُ فِي بَيْتِ ٱلْمَلِكِ، وَٱلثُّلْثُ فِي بَابِ ٱلْأَسَاسِ، وَجَمِيعُ ٱلشَّعْبِ فِي دِيَارِ بَيْتِ ٱلرَّبِّ.

6 Only the priests and the descendants of Levi who work there will enter the temple. They will be allowed to enter the temple because they are set apart [for that work]. All the others must remain in the courtyards, obeying what Yahweh has commanded.

٦ وَلَا يَدْخُلْ بَيْتَ ٱلرَّبِّ إِلَّا ٱلْكَهَنَةُ وَٱلَّذِينَ يَخْدِمُونَ مِنَ ٱللَّاوِيِّينَ، فَهُمْ يَدْخُلُونَ لِأَنَّهُمْ مُقَدَّسُونَ، وَكُلُّ ٱلشَّعْبِ يَحْرُسُونَ حِرَاسَةَ ٱلرَّبِّ.

7 You descendants of Levi must stand around the young king, each of you with your weapon in your hand. Anyone else who tries to enter the temple you must kill. And stay close to the young king, wherever he goes.”

٧ وَيُحِيطُ ٱللَّاوِيُّونَ بِٱلْمَلِكِ مُسْتَدِيرِينَ، كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ سِلَاحُهُ بِيَدِهِ. وَٱلَّذِي يَدْخُلُ ٱلْبَيْتَ يُقْتَلُ. وَكُونُوا مَعَ ٱلْمَلِكِ فِي دُخُولِهِ وَفِي خُرُوجِهِ».

8 So the descendants of Levi and all [the men of] Judah did what Jehoiada had told them. He did not allow anyone to go home after having finished his work on that Sabbath day. Each commander took charge of his men, the ones who were finishing their work on that day and those who were starting their work on that day.

٨ فَعَمِلَ ٱللَّاوِيُّونَ وَكُلُّ يَهُوذَا حَسَبَ كُلِّ مَا أَمَرَ بِهِ يَهُويَادَاعُ ٱلْكَاهِنُ. وَأَخَذُوا كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ رِجَالَهُ ٱلدَّاخِلِينَ فِي ٱلسَّبْتِ، مَعَ ٱلْخَارِجِينَ فِي ٱلسَّبْتِ، لِأَنَّ يَهُويَادَاعَ ٱلْكَاهِنَ لَمْ يَصْرِفِ ٱلْفِرَقَ.

9 Then Jehoiada gave each of the commanders the spears and the large and small shields that had been put there in the temple by King David.

٩ وَأَعْطَى يَهُويَادَاعُ ٱلْكَاهِنُ رُؤَسَاءَ ٱلْمِئَاتِ ٱلْحِرَابَ وَٱلْمَجَانَّ وَٱلْأَتْرَاسَ ٱلَّتِي لِلْمَلِكِ دَاوُدَ ٱلَّتِي فِي بَيْتِ ٱللهِ.

10 He commanded all the guards to stand in their positions, each with his sword in his hand, all around the king—around the altar and the temple, from the north side to the south side.

١٠ وَأَوْقَفَ جَمِيعَ ٱلشَّعْبِ، وَكُلُّ وَاحِدٍ سِلَاحُهُ بِيَدِهِ مِنْ جَانِبِ ٱلْبَيْتِ ٱلْأَيْمَنِ إِلَى جَانِبِ ٱلْبَيْتِ ٱلْأَيْسَرِ حَوْلَ ٱلْمَذْبَحِ وَٱلْبَيْتِ، حَوْلَ ٱلْمَلِكِ مُسْتَدِيرِينَ.

11 Then Jehoiada and his sons brought Joash out. They put a crown on his head and gave him [a scroll] on which were written the rules [that the kings needed to obey], and proclaimed that he was now the king. They anointed him with olive oil and shouted, “We hope that the king will live for many years!”

١١ ثُمَّ أَخْرَجُوا ٱبْنَ ٱلْمَلِكِ وَوَضَعُوا عَلَيْهِ ٱلتَّاجَ وَأَعْطَوْهُ ٱلشَّهَادَةَ، وَمَلَّكُوهُ. وَمَسَحَهُ يَهُويَادَاعُ وَبَنُوهُ وَقَالُوا: «لِيَحْيَ ٱلْمَلِكُ».

12 When Athaliah heard the noise being made by the people running [toward the king] and cheering, she ran to the temple.

١٢ وَلَمَّا سَمِعَتْ عَثَلْيَا صَوْتَ ٱلشَّعْبِ يَرْكُضُونَ وَيَمْدَحُونَ ٱلْمَلِكَ، دَخَلَتْ إِلَى ٱلشَّعْبِ فِي بَيْتِ ٱلرَّبِّ.

13 She saw the young king there, standing alongside the pillar at the entrance of the temple, [which is the place at the temple] where the kings usually stood. The army commanders and trumpet players were standing beside the king, and all the people of Judah were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and singers with their musical instruments were leading the people while they praised God. Then Athaliah tore her robes and started screaming, “You are committing treason!”

١٣ وَنَظَرَتْ وَإِذَا ٱلْمَلِكُ وَاقِفٌ عَلَى مِنْبَرِهِ فِي ٱلْمَدْخَلِ، وَٱلرُّؤَسَاءُ وَٱلْأَبْوَاقُ عِنْدَ ٱلْمَلِكِ، وَكُلُّ شَعْبِ ٱلْأَرْضِ يَفْرَحُونَ وَيَنْفُخُونَ بِٱلْأَبْوَاقِ، وَٱلْمُغَنُّونَ بِآلَاتِ ٱلْغِنَاءِ، وَٱلْمُعَلِّمُونَ ٱلتَّسْبِيحَ. فَشَقَّتْ عَثَلْيَا ثِيَابَهَا وَقَالَتْ: «خِيَانَةٌ، خِيَانَةٌ!».

14 Jehoiada the Supreme Priest said to the army commanders, “Kill her, but do not kill her at the temple of Yahweh!” Then he said to them, “Bring Athaliah out in front of the troops and kill anyone who tries to follow her!”

١٤ فَأَخْرَجَ يَهُويَادَاعُ ٱلْكَاهِنُ رُؤَسَاءَ ٱلْمِئَاتِ ٱلْمُوَكَّلِينَ عَلَى ٱلْجَيْشِ وَقَالَ لَهُمْ: «أَخْرِجُوهَا إِلَى خَارِجِ ٱلصُّفُوفِ، وَٱلَّذِي يَتَّبِعُهَا يُقْتَلُ بِٱلسَّيْفِ». لِأَنَّ ٱلْكَاهِنَ قَالَ: «لَا تَقْتُلُوهَا فِي بَيْتِ ٱلرَّبِّ».

15 [She tried to flee, but] they seized her as she reached the gate where horses enter the palace area, and they killed her there.

١٥ فَأَلْقَوْا عَلَيْهَا ٱلْأَيَادِيَ. وَلَمَّا أَتَتْ إِلَى مَدْخَلِ بَابِ ٱلْخَيْلِ إِلَى بَيْتِ ٱلْمَلِكِ قَتَلُوهَا هُنَاكَ.

16 Then Jehoiada made an agreement that he and the king and all the other people would be Yahweh’s people.

١٦ فَقَطَعَ يَهُويَادَاعُ عَهْدًا بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ كُلِّ ٱلشَّعْبِ وَبَيْنَ ٱلْمَلِكِ أَنْ يَكُونُوا شَعْبًا لِلرَّبِّ.

17 Then all the people who were there went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars [of Baal]. They also killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, in front of those altars.

١٧ وَدَخَلَ جَمِيعُ ٱلشَّعْبِ إِلَى بَيْتِ ٱلْبَعْلِ وَهَدَمُوهُ وَكَسَّرُوا مَذَابِحَهُ وَتَمَاثِيلَهُ، وَقَتَلُوا مَتَّانَ كَاهِنَ ٱلْبَعْلِ أَمَامَ ٱلْمَذْبَحِ.

18 Then Jehoiada appointed the priests, who were also descended from Levi, to work at the temple. They were part of the group to whom King David had given various jobs at the temple, to sacrifice the animals that were to be completely burned on the altar, doing what was written in the laws that Moses had given to them. He also told them to rejoice and sing, which was also what David had commanded.

١٨ وَجَعَلَ يَهُويَادَاعُ مُنَاظِرِينَ عَلَى بَيْتِ ٱلرَّبِّ عَنْ يَدِ ٱلْكَهَنَةِ ٱللَّاوِيِّينَ ٱلَّذِينَ قَسَمَهُمْ دَاوُدُ عَلَى بَيْتِ ٱلرَّبِّ، لِأَجْلِ إِصْعَادِ مُحْرَقَاتِ ٱلرَّبِّ كَمَا هُوَ مَكْتُوبٌ فِي شَرِيعَةِ مُوسَى، بِٱلْفَرَحِ وَٱلْغِنَاءِ حَسَبَ أَمْرِ دَاوُدَ.

19 He also put guards at the gates of the temple in order that anyone who was unacceptable to God would not be allowed to enter.

١٩ وَأَوْقَفَ ٱلْبَوَّابِينَ عَلَى أَبْوَابِ بَيْتِ ٱلرَّبِّ لِئَّلَا يَدْخُلَ نَجِسٌ فِي أَمْرٍ مَّا.

20 Jehoiada took with him the army commanders, the important men, the leaders and many others, and brought the king down from the temple. They went into the palace through the Upper Gate, and put the king on his throne.

٢٠ وَأَخَذَ رُؤَسَاءَ ٱلْمِئَاتِ وَٱلْعُظَمَاءَ وَٱلْمُتَسَلِّطِينَ عَلَى ٱلشَّعْبِ وَكُلَّ شَعْبِ ٱلْأَرْضِ، وَأَنْزَلَ ٱلْمَلِكَ مِنْ بَيْتِ ٱلرَّبِّ، وَدَخَلُوا مِنْ وَسَطِ ٱلْبَابِ ٱلْأَعْلَى إِلَى بَيْتِ ٱلْمَلِكِ، وَأَجْلَسُوا ٱلْمَلِكَ عَلَى كُرْسِيِّ ٱلْمَمْلَكَةِ.

21 Then all the people of Judah rejoiced. And there was calm throughout the city, because Athaliah had been killed.

٢١ فَفَرِحَ كُلُّ شَعْبِ ٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱسْتَرَاحَتِ ٱلْمَدِينَةُ، وَقَتَلُوا عَثَلْيَا بِٱلسَّيْفِ.