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.

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.

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,

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.

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.

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.

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].

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;

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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,

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!”

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.

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

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.

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!”

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.”

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!”

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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