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.

In the seventh year, Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took the captains of hundreds—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 Zichri—into a covenant with him.

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.

They went around in Judah and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the heads of fathers’ households of Israel, and they came 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.

All the assembly made a covenant with the king in God’s house. Jehoiada said to them, “Behold, the king’s son must reign, as the LORD has spoken concerning the sons of David.

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

This is the thing that you must do: a third part of you, who come in on the Sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be gatekeepers of the thresholds.

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;

A third part shall be at the king’s house; and a third part at the gate of the foundation. All the people will be in the courts of the LORD’s house.

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.

But let no one come into the LORD’s house except the priests and those who minister of the Levites. They shall come in, for they are holy, but all the people shall follow the LORD’s instructions.

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.

The Levites shall surround the king, every man with his weapons in his hand. Whoever comes into the house, let him be slain. Be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.”

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.

So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded. They each took his men, those who were to come in on the Sabbath, with those who were to go out on the Sabbath, for Jehoiada the priest didn’t dismiss the shift.

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.

Jehoiada the priest delivered to the captains of hundreds the spears, bucklers, and shields that had been king David’s, which were in God’s house.

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.

He set all the people, every man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, near the altar and the house, 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!

Then they brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, gave him the covenant, and made him king. Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and they said, “Long live the king!”

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.

When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people into the LORD’s house.

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!

Then she looked, and behold, the king stood by his pillar at the entrance, with the captains and the trumpeters by the king. All the people of the land rejoiced and blew trumpets. The singers also played musical instruments, and led the singing of praise. Then Athaliah tore her clothes, and 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.

Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds who were set over the army, and said to them, “Bring her out between the ranks; and whoever follows her, let him be slain with the sword.” For the priest said, “Don’t kill her in the LORD’s house.”

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.

So they made way for her. She went to the entrance of the horse gate to the king’s house; and they killed her 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.

Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, all the people, and the king, that they should be the LORD’s people.

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.

All the people went to the house of Baal, broke it down, broke his altars and his images in pieces, and killed 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.

Jehoiada appointed the officers of the LORD’s house under the hand of the Levitical priests, whom David had distributed in the LORD’s house, to offer the burnt offerings of the LORD, as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as David had ordered.

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.

He set the gatekeepers at the gates of the LORD’s house, that no one who was unclean in anything should enter in.

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.

He took the captains of hundreds, the nobles, the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought the king down from the LORD’s house. They came through the upper gate to the king’s house, and set the king on the throne of the kingdom.

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

So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet. They had slain Athaliah with the sword.