2 Crônicas 23

¹ In the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and made a covenant with the commanders 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.

² And they went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah, and the chief fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.

³ And all the assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said to them, Behold, the king’s son shall reign, as Jehovah has spoken of the sons of David.

⁴ This is what you shall do: One-third of you entering on the Sabbath, of the priests and the Levites, shall be gatekeepers of the doors;

⁵ one-third shall be at the king’s house; and one-third at the gate of the foundation. All the people shall be in the courts of the house of Jehovah.

⁶ But let no one come into the house of Jehovah except the priests and those of the Levites who serve. They may go in, for they are holy; but all the people shall keep the watch of Jehovah.

⁷ And the Levites shall surround the king on all sides, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whoever comes into the house, let him be put to death. You are to 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. And each man took his men who were to come in on the Sabbath, with those who were going out on the Sabbath; for Jehoiada the priest had not dismissed the divisions.

⁹ And Jehoiada the priest gave to the commanders of hundreds the spears and the large and small shields which had belonged to King David, that were in the house of God.

¹⁰ And he stationed 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, along by the altar and by the house, all around the king.

¹¹ And they brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, gave him the Testimony, and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, Long live the king!

¹² Now when Athaliah heard the sound of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people into the house of Jehovah.

¹³ When she looked, behold, the king was standing by his pillar at the entrance; and the rulers and the trumpeters were by the king. All the people of the land were joyful, blowing trumpets, and singing with instruments of song, and leading in praise. So Athaliah tore her clothes and said, Treason! Treason!

¹⁴ And Jehoiada the priest brought out the commanders of hundreds who mustered the forces, and said to them, Bring her out of the area of the house, and slay with the sword whoever follows her. For the priest had said, Do not kill her in the house of Jehovah.

¹⁵ So they laid hands on her, and she came by way of the entrance of the Horse Gate by the king’s house, and they killed her there.

¹⁶ And Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, the people, and the king, to be the people of Jehovah.

¹⁷ And all the people went to the house of Baal, and tore it down. They broke in pieces its altars and images, and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

¹⁸ Jehoiada also appointed the oversight of the house of Jehovah into the hand of the priests, the Levites, whom David had assigned to the house of Jehovah, to offer the burnt offerings of Jehovah, as it is written in the Law of Moses, with gladness and song, by the hands of David.

¹⁹ And he stationed the gatekeepers at the gates of the house of Jehovah, so that no one who was in any way unclean could enter.

²⁰ And he took the commanders of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought the king down from the house of Jehovah; and they came through the Upper Gate to the king’s house, and made the king sit on the throne of the kingdom.

²¹ So all the people of the land rejoiced; and the city was quiet, for they had slain Athaliah with the sword.