2 Chronicles 23

1 In the seventh year, Jehoiada made himself strong, and made an agreement with 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.

And in the eighth year Jodae strengthened [himself], and took the captains of hundreds, Azarias the son of Joram, and Ismael the son of Joanan, and Azarias the son of Obed, and Maasaeas the son of Adia, and Elisaphan the son of Zacharias, with him to the house of the Lord.

2 And they went through Judah, getting together the Levites and the heads of families in Israel from all the towns of Judah, and they came to Jerusalem.

And they went round about Juda, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Juda, and heads of the families of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.

3 And all the people made an agreement with the king in the house of God. And he said to them, Truly, the king's son will be king, as the Lord has said about the sons of David.

and all the congregation of Juda made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he showed them the king's son, and said to them, Behold, let the king's son reign, as the Lord said concerning the house of David.

4 This is what you are to do: let a third of you, of the priests and Levites, who come in on the Sabbath, keep the doors;

Now this [is] the thing which you shall do. Let a third part of you, [even] of the priests and of the Levites, enter in on the sabbath, even into the gates of the entrances;

5 And a third are to be stationed at the king's house; and a third at the doorway of the horses: while all the people are waiting in the open spaces round the house of the Lord.

and let a third part be in the house of the king; and another third at the middle gate: and all the people in the courts of the Lord's house.

6 But let no one come into the house of the Lord but only the priests and those of the Levites who have work to do there; they may go in for they are holy; but the rest of the people are to keep the orders of the Lord.

And let not [any one] enter into the house of the Lord, except the priests and the Levites, and the servants of the Levites; they shall enter in, because they are holy: and let all the people keep the watch of the Lord.

7 And the Levites are to make a circle round the king, every man being armed; and any man who comes into the house is to be put to death; you are to keep with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.

And the Levites shall compass the king round about, every man's weapon in his hand; and whoever [else] goes into the house shall die: but they shall be with the king when he goes out, and when he comes in.

8 So the Levites and all Judah did as Jehoiada the priest had given them orders: every one took with him his men, those who were to come in and those who were to go out on the Sabbath; for Jehoiada had not sent away the divisions.

And the Levites and all Juda did according to all that the priest Jodae commanded them, and they took each his men from the beginning of the sabbath to the end of the sabbath, for Jodae the priest did not dismiss the courses.

9 Then Jehoiada the priest gave to the captains of hundreds the spears and body-covers which had been King David's and which were kept in the house of God.

And Jodae gave to the men the swords, and the shields, and the arms, which [had] belonged to King David, in the house of God.

10 And he put all the people in position, every man with his instruments of war in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left, by the altar and the house and all round the king.

And he set the whole people, every man with his arms, from the right side of the house to the left side of the altar and the house, over against the king round about.

11 Then they made the king's son come out, and they put the crown on his head and gave him the arm-bands and made him king: and Jehoiada and his sons put the holy oil on him and said, Long life to the king.

And he brought out the king's son, and put on him the crown and the testimony, and Jodae the priest and his sons proclaimed him king, and anointed him, and said, Long live the king!

12 Now Athaliah, hearing the noise of the people running and praising the king, came to the people in the house of the Lord:

And Gotholia heard the sound of the people running, and acknowledging and praising the king: and she went in to the king into the house of the Lord.

13 And looking, she saw the king in his place by the pillar at the doorway, and the captains and the horns by his side; and all the people of the land were giving signs of joy and sounding the horns; and the makers of melody were playing on instruments of music, taking the chief part in the song of praise. Then Athaliah, violently parting her robes, said, Broken faith, broken faith!

And she looked, and, behold, the king [stood] in his place, and the princes and trumpets were at the entrance, and the princes were round the king: and all the people of the land rejoiced, and sounded the trumpets, and there were the singers singing with instruments, and singing hymns of praise. and Gotholia tore her robe, and cried, you surely are plotting against [me].

14 Then Jehoiada the priest gave orders to the captains of hundreds who had authority over the army, saying, Take her outside the lines, and let anyone who goes after her be put to death with the sword. For the priest said, Let her not be put to death in the house of the Lord.

And Jodae the priest went forth, and Jodae the priest charged the captains of hundreds, even the captains of the host, and said to them, Thrust her forth outside the house, and follow her, and let her be slain with the sword. For the priest said, Let her not be slain in the house of the Lord.

15 So they put their hands on her, and she went to the king's house by the doorway of the king's horses; and there she was put to death.

So they let her go [out]; and she went through the horsemen's gate of the house of the king, and they killed her there.

16 And Jehoiada made an agreement between the Lord and all the people and the king, that they would be the Lord's people.

And Jodae made a covenant between himself, and the people, and the king, that the people should be the Lord's.

17 Then all the people went to the house of Baal and had it pulled down, and its altars and images broken up; and Mattan, the priest of Baal, they put to death before the altars.

And all the people of the land went into the house of Baal, and tore down it and its altars, and they ground his images to powder, and they killed Matthan the priest of Baal before his altars.

18 And Jehoiada put the work and the care of the house of the Lord into the hands of the priests and the Levites, who had been grouped in divisions by David to make burned offerings to the Lord, as it is recorded in the law of Moses, with joy and song as David had said.

And Jodae the priest committed the works of the house of the Lord into the and of the priests and Levites, and he re-established the courses of the priests and Levites which David appointed over the house of the Lord, and [he appointed them] to offer whole burnt offerings to the Lord, as it is written in the law of Moses, with gladness, and with songs by the hand of David.

19 And he put door-keepers at the doors of the Lord's house, to see that no one who was unclean in any way might come in.

And the porters stood at the gates of the house of the Lord, that no one unclean in any respect should enter in.

20 Then he took the captains of hundreds and the chiefs and the rulers of the people and all the people of the land, and they came down with the king from the house of the Lord through the higher doorway into the king's house, and put the king on the seat of the kingdom.

And he took the heads of families, and the mighty men, and the chiefs of the people, and all the people of the land, and they conducted the king into the house of the Lord; and he went through the inner gate into the king's house, and they seated the king on the throne of the kingdom.

21 So all the people of the land were glad and the town was quiet, for they had put Athaliah to death with the sword.

And all the people of the land rejoiced; and the city was quiet: and they killed Gotholia.