23
1 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 When
Athaliah heard the
noise of the
people running and
praising the king,
she came to the
people into the
LORD’s house.
13 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 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 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 Jehoiada
made a
covenant between himself,
all the people,
and the king,
that they should
be the LORD’s
people.
17 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 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 He
set the
gatekeepers at the
gates of the
LORD’s house, that
no one who
was unclean in
anything should
enter in.
20 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 So
all the people
of the land
rejoiced, and the
city was quiet.
They had slain
Athaliah with the
sword.