2 Chronicles 23

1 Forsothe in the seuenthe yeer Joiada was coumfortid, and took centuriouns, that is, Azarie, sone of Jeroboam, and Ismael, the sone of Johannam, and Azarie, the sone of Obeth, and Maasie, the sone of Adaie, and Elisaphat, the sone of Zechri; and he made with hem a counsel and a boond of pees.

Then in the seventh year, Jehoiada having been strengthened, he took the centurions, namely, Azariah, the son of Jeroham, and Ishmael, the son of Jehohanan, and also Azariah, the son of Obed, and Maaseiah, the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat, the son of Zichri, and he formed a pact with them.

2 Which cumpassiden Juda, and gaderiden togidere dekenes of alle the citees of Juda, and the princes of the meynees of Israel, and camen in to Jerusalem.

And traveling through Judah, they gathered together the Levites from all of the cities of Judah, and the leaders of the families of Israel, and they went to Jerusalem.

3 Therfor al the multitude made couenaunt in the hows of the Lord with the kyng. And Joiada seide to hem, Lo! the sone of the kyng schal regne, as the Lord spak on the sones of Dauid.

Then the entire multitude formed a pact with the king, in the house of God. And Jehoiada said to them: “Behold, the son of the king shall reign, just as the Lord has said concerning the sons of David.

4 Therfor this is the word, which ye schulen do.

Therefore, this is the word that you shall do:

5 The thridde part of you that ben comun to the sabat, of preestis, and of dekenes, and of porterys, schal be in the yatis; sotheli the thridde part schal be at the hows of the kyng; and the thridde part schal be at the yate, which is clepid of the foundement. Forsothe al the tother comyn puple be in the large places of the hows of the Lord;

One third part of you who arrive on the Sabbath, priests, and Levites, and porters, shall be at the gates. Truly, one third part shall be at the house of the king. And one third shall be at the gate which is called the Foundation. Yet truly, let all the remainder of the common people be in the courts of the house of the Lord.

6 and noon other man entre in to the hows of the Lord, no but preestis, and thei that mynystren of the dekenes; oneli entre thei, that ben halewid, and al the tother comyn puple kepe the kepyngis of the Lord.

Let no one else enter into the house of the Lord, except the priests, and those from the Levites who are ministering. These alone may enter, for they have been sanctified. And let all the remainder of the common people observe the watches of the Lord.

7 Forsothe the dekenes cumpasse the kyng, and ech man haue hise armuris; and if ony othere man entrith in to the temple, be he slayn; and be thei with the kyng entrynge and goynge out.

Then let the Levites encircle the king, each one having his weapons. And if anyone else will have entered into the temple, let him be slain. And may they be with the king, both entering and departing.”

8 Therfor the dekenes and al Juda diden bi alle thingis, which Joiada, the bischop, hadde comaundid; and alle token the men, that weren with hem, and camen bi the ordre of sabat with hem, that hadden `fillid now the sabat, and schulen go out.

Then the Levites, and all of Judah, acted in accord with all that the high priest Jehoiada had instructed. And each of them took the men who were under him, and who were arriving by the course of the Sabbath, with those who had fulfilled the Sabbath and who were about to depart. For indeed the high priest Jehoiada had not permitted the companies to depart, which were accustomed to replace one another each week.

9 For Joiada, the bischop, suffride not the cumpenyes to go awei, that weren wont to come oon after `the tother bi ech wouke. And Joiada, the preest, yaf to the centuriouns speris, and scheeldis, and bokeleris of kyng Dauid, whiche he hadde halewid in to the hows of the Lord.

And Jehoiada, the priest, gave to the centurions the lances and round shields and crescent shields of king David, which he had dedicated in the house of the Lord.

10 And he ordeynede al the puple, of hem `that helden swerdis, at the riyt side of the temple `til to the left side of the temple, bifor the auter and the temple, bi cumpas of the king.

And he positioned all the people, holding short swords, from the right part of the temple to the left part of the temple, before the altar and the temple, all around the king.

11 And thei ledden out the sone of the kyng, and settiden a diademe on hym; and thei yauen to hym in his hond the lawe to be holdun, and thei maden hym kyng. And Joiada, the bischop, and his sones anoyntiden hym; and thei preiden hertli, and seiden, The kyng lyue!

And they led out the son of the king. And they imposed the diadem on him, and the testimony. And they gave him the law to hold in his hand. And they appointed him as king. Also, the high priest Jehoiada and his sons anointed him. And they prayed for him, and said, “May the king live!”

12 And whanne Athalia hadde herd this thing, that is, the vois of men rennynge and preisynge the kyng, sche entride to the puple, in to the temple of the Lord.

And when Athaliah had heard it, specifically the sound of running and the praising of the king, she entered to the people in the temple of the Lord.

13 And whanne sche hadde seyn the kyng stondynge on the grees in the entryng, and the princes and cumpenyes of knyytis aboute hym, and al the puple of the lond ioiynge, and sownynge with trumpis, and syngynge togidere with orguns of dyuerse kynde, and the vois of men preisynge, sche to-rente hir clothis, and seide, Tresouns! tresouns!

And when she had seen the king standing upon the step at the entrance, and the leaders and companies around him, and all the people of the land rejoicing, and sounding the trumpets, and playing on instruments of various kinds, and the voice of those who were praising, she tore her garments, and she said: “Treason! Treason!”

14 Sotheli Joiada, the bischop, yede out to the centuriouns, and princes of the oost, and seide to hem, Lede ye hir with out the `purseyntis, ethir closyngis, of the temple, and be sche slayn with outforth bi swerd; and the preest comaundide, that sche schulde not be slayn in the hows of the Lord.

Then the high priest Jehoiada, going out to the centurions and to the leaders of the army, said to them: “Lead her away, beyond the borders of the temple. And let her be put to death outside, with the sword.” And the priest instructed that she should not be killed in the house of the Lord.

15 And thei settiden hondis on hir nol; and whanne she hadde entrid in to the yate of the horsis, of the kyngis hows, thei killiden hir there.

And they laid hands on her neck. And when she had entered the gate for the horses at the king’s house, they put her to death there.

16 Forsothe Joiada couenauntide a boond of pees bitwixe him silf and al the puple and the kyng, that it schulde be the puple of the Lord.

Then Jehoiada formed a covenant between himself and the entire people, and the king, so that they would be the people of the Lord.

17 Therfor al the puple entride in to the hows of Baal, and distrieden it, and braken the auteris and symylacris therof; but thei killiden bifor the auteris Mathan, the preest of Baal.

And so, all the people entered into the house of Baal, and they destroyed it. And they broke apart his altars and idols. Also, they put to death Mattan, the priest of Baal, before the altars.

18 Forsothe Joiada ordeynede souereyns in the hows of the Lord, that vndur the hondis of preestis, and of dekenes, whiche Dauid departide in the hows of the Lord, thei schulden offre brent sacrifices to the Lord, as it is writun in the book of Moises, in ioie and songis, by the ordynaunce of Dauid.

Then Jehoiada appointed overseers in the house of the Lord, under the hands of the priests and Levites, whom David had distributed to the house of the Lord so that they might offer holocausts to the Lord, just as it was written in the law of Moses, with gladness and singing, in accord with the disposition of David.

19 Also he ordeynede porteris in the yatis of the hows of the Lord, that an vnclene man in ony thing schulde not entre in to it.

Also, he appointed porters at the gates of the house of the Lord, so that whoever was unclean for any reason would not enter.

20 And he took the centuriouns, and strongeste men, and princes of the puple, and al the comyn puple of the lond. And thei maden the kyng to go doun fro the hows of the Lord, and to entre bi the myddis of the hiyere yate in to the hows of the kyng; and thei settiden hym in the kyngis trone.

And he took the centurions, and the most valiant men, and the leaders of the people, and all the common people of the land, and they set out to descend to the king, from the house of the Lord, and to enter through the middle of the upper gate, to the house of the king. And they placed him on the royal throne.

21 And al the puple of the lond was glad, and the citee restide; forsothe Athalia was slayn bi swerd.

And all the people of the land were rejoicing, and the city was quieted. But Athaliah was slain with the sword.