2 Chronicles
23:1 And in the 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 covenant with him.
23:2 And they went 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.
23:3 And all the congregation 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 said of the sons of David.
23:4 This is the thing that ye shall do; A third part of you entering on the
sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be porters of the
doors;
23:5 And a third part shall be at the king's house; and a third part at the
gate of the foundation: and all the people shall be in the courts of the
house of the LORD.
23:6 But let none come into the house of the LORD, save the priests, and they
that minister of the Levites; they shall go in, for they are holy: but
all the people shall keep the watch of the LORD.
23:7 And the Levites shall compass the king round about, every man with his
weapons in his hand; and whosoever else cometh into the house, he shall
be put to death: but be ye with the king when he cometh in, and when he
goeth out.
23:8 So the Levites and all Judah did according to all things that Jehoiada
the priest had commanded, and took every man his men that were to come
in on the sabbath, with them that were to go out on the sabbath: for
Jehoiada the priest dismissed not the courses.
23:9 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.
23:10 And he set all the people, every man having his weapon in his hand, from
the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, along by
the altar and the temple, by the king round about.
23:11 Then they brought out the king's son, and put upon him the crown, and
gave him the testimony, and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons
anointed him, and said, God save the king.
23:12 Now when Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the
king, she came to the people into the house of the LORD:
23:13 And she looked, and, behold, the king stood at his pillar at the
entering in, and the princes and the trumpets by the king: and all the
people of the land rejoiced, and sounded with trumpets, also the singers
with instruments of musick, and such as taught to sing praise. Then
Athaliah rent her clothes, and said, Treason, Treason.
23:14 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
whoso followeth her, let him be slain with the sword. For the priest
said, Slay her not in the house of the LORD.
23:15 So they laid hands on her; and when she was come to the entering of the
horse gate by the king's house, they slew her there.
23:16 And Jehoiada made a covenant between him, and between all the people,
and between the king, that they should be the LORD's people.
23:17 Then all the people went to the house of Baal, and brake it down, and
brake his altars and his images in pieces, and slew Mattan the priest of
Baal before the altars.
23:18 Also Jehoiada appointed the offices of the house of the LORD by the hand
of the priests the Levites, whom David had distributed in the house of
the LORD, to offer the burnt offerings of the LORD, as it is written in
the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as it was ordained by
David.
23:19 And he set the porters at the gates of the house of the LORD, that none
which was unclean in any thing should enter in.
23:20 And he 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.
23:21 And all the people of the land rejoiced: and the city was quiet, after
that they had slain Athaliah with the sword.
