2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles 23 ©

1 Jehoiada, having taken measures for his security, maketh Joash king. 12 Athaliah is slain. 16 Jehoiada restoreth the worship of God, and settleth the king on his throne to the great joy of the people.

1

AND in athe seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took the captains of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jeroham, and Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, and Azariah the son of Obed, and Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, into bcovenant with him.

2

And they cwent about in Judah, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the chief of the fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.

3

And all the dcongregation made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said unto them, Behold, the king's son shall reign, as the LORD hath esaid of the sons of David.

4

This is the thing that ye shall do; fA third part of you entering on the sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be porters of the 1doors;

5

And a third part shall be at the king's house; and a third part at the ggate of the foundation: and all the people shall be in the courts of the house of the LORD.

6

But let none come into the house of the LORD, *save the priests, and hthey that minister of the Levites; they shall go in, for they are 2holy: but all the people shall keep the watch of the LORD.

7

And ithe Levites shall *compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whosoever else jcometh into the house, he shall be put to death: but be ye with the king when he cometh in, and when he goeth out.

8

So the Levites and all Judah did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest had commanded, and took every man his men kthat were to come in on the sabbath, with them that were to go out on the sabbath: for Jehoiada the priest dismissed not lthe courses.

9

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

10

And he set all the people, mevery man having his weapon in his hand, from the right 3side of the 4temple to the left side of the temple, along by the altar and the temple, by the king round about.

11

Then they nbrought out the king's son, and put upon him the crown, oand gave him the testimony, and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, 5God save the king.

12

¶Now pwhen Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people into the house of the LORD:

13

And she looked, and, behold, the king stood at qhis pillar at the entering in, and the princes and the trumpets by the king: and all the people of the land rejoiced, rand sounded with trumpets, also the singers with instruments of musick, and ssuch as taught to sing praise. Then Athaliah rent her clothes, and said, 6Treason, Treason.

14

Then Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds that were set over the host, and said unto them, Have her forth of the *ranges: and twhoso followeth her, let him be slain with the sword. For the priest said, uSlay her not in the house of the LORD.

15

So they laid hands on her; and when she was come to the entering of the vhorse gate by the king's house, they slew wher there.

16

¶And Jehoiada xmade a covenant between him, and between all the people, and between the king, that they should be the LORD's people.

17

Then all the people went to the house of Baal, and ybrake it down, and brake his altars and his images in pieces, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

18

Also Jehoiada appointed zthe offices of the house of the LORD by the hand of athe priests the Levites, whom bDavid had distributed in the house of the LORD, to offer the burnt offerings of the cLORD, as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as it was ordained 7by David.

19

And he set the dporters at the gates of the house of the LORD, that none which was unclean in any thing should enter in.

20

And ehe took the captains of hundreds, and the nobles, and the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought down the king from the house of the LORD: and they came through the high gate into the king's house, and set the king upon the throne of the kingdom.

21

And fall the people of the land rejoiced: and the city was quiet, after that they had slain Athaliah with the sword.