1In the seventh year Jehoiada showed his strength. He made a covenant with the commanders of units of a hundred: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zikri.2They went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites and the heads of Israelite families from all the towns. When they came to Jerusalem,3the whole assembly made a covenant with the king at the temple of God. Jehoiada said to them, ‘The king’s son shall reign, as the Lord promised concerning the descendants of David.4Now this is what you are to do: a third of you priests and Levites who are going on duty on the Sabbath are to keep watch at the doors,5a third of you at the royal palace and a third at the Foundation Gate, and all the others are to be in the courtyards of the temple of the Lord.6No-one is to enter the temple of the Lord except the priests and Levites on duty; they may enter because they are consecrated, but all the others are to observe the Lord’s command not to enter.[1]7The Levites are to station themselves round the king, each with weapon in hand. Anyone who enters the temple is to be put to death. Stay close to the king wherever he goes.’8The Levites and all the men of Judah did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each one took his men – those who were going on duty on the Sabbath and those who were going off duty – for Jehoiada the priest had not released any of the divisions.9Then he gave the commanders of units of a hundred the spears and the large and small shields that had belonged to King David and that were in the temple of God.10He stationed all the men, each with his weapon in his hand, round the king – near the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple.11Jehoiada and his sons brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him; they presented him with a copy of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him and shouted, ‘Long live the king!’12When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and cheering the king, she went to them at the temple of the Lord.13She looked, and there was the king, standing by his pillar at the entrance. The officers and the trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and musicians with their instruments were leading the praises. Then Athaliah tore her robes and shouted, ‘Treason! Treason!’14Jehoiada the priest sent out the commanders of units of a hundred, who were in charge of the troops, and said to them: ‘Bring her out between the ranks[2] and put to the sword anyone who follows her.’ For the priest had said, ‘Do not put her to death at the temple of the Lord.’15So they seized her as she reached the entrance of the Horse Gate on the palace grounds, and there they put her to death.16Jehoiada then made a covenant that he, the people and the king[3] would be the Lord’s people. (2Ki 11:17)17All the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.18Then Jehoiada placed the oversight of the temple of the Lord in the hands of the Levitical priests, to whom David had made assignments in the temple, to present the burnt offerings of the Lord as written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and singing, as David had ordered.19He also stationed gatekeepers at the gates of the Lord’s temple so that no-one who was in any way unclean might enter.20He took with him 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 temple of the Lord. They went into the palace through the Upper Gate and seated the king on the royal throne.21All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was calm, because Athaliah had been slain with the sword.
2 Chronicles 23
English Standard Version
Joash Made King
1But in the seventh year Jehoiada took courage and entered into 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. (2Ki 11:4)2And they went about through Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah, and the heads of fathers’ houses of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem. (2Ch 21:2)3And all the assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And Jehoiada[1] said to them, “Behold, the king’s son! Let him reign, as the Lord spoke concerning the sons of David. (2Ch 6:16)4This is the thing that you shall do: of you priests and Levites who come off duty on the Sabbath, one third shall be gatekeepers, (1Ch 9:25; 1Ch 24:4)5and one third shall be at the king’s house and one third at the Gate of the Foundation. And all the people shall be in the courts of the house of the Lord.6Let no one enter the house of the Lord except the priests and ministering Levites. They may enter, for they are holy, but all the people shall keep the charge of the Lord. (1Ch 23:27)7The Levites shall surround the king, each with his weapons in his hand. And whoever enters the house shall be put to death. Be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.”8The Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded, and they each brought his men, who were to go off duty on the Sabbath, with those who were to come on duty on the Sabbath, for Jehoiada the priest did not dismiss the divisions.9And Jehoiada the priest gave to the captains the spears and the large and small shields that had been King David’s, which were in the house of God.10And he set all the people as a guard for the king, every man with his weapon in his hand, from the south side of the house to the north side of the house, around the altar and the house.11Then they brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him and gave him the testimony. And they proclaimed him king, and Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and they said, “Long live the king.” (De 17:18; 1Sa 10:24)
Athaliah Executed
12When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she went into the house of the Lord to the people.13And when she looked, there was the king standing by his pillar at the entrance, and the captains and the trumpeters beside the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and the singers with their musical instruments leading in the celebration. And Athaliah tore her clothes and cried, “Treason! Treason!”14Then Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains who were set over the army, saying to them, “Bring her out between the ranks, and anyone who follows her is to be put to death with the sword.” For the priest said, “Do not put her to death in the house of the Lord.”15So they laid hands on her,[2] and she went into the entrance of the horse gate of the king’s house, and they put her to death there. (2Ki 11:16; Ne 3:28; Jer 31:40)
Jehoiada’s Reforms
16And Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and all the people and the king that they should be the Lord’s people.17Then all the people went to the house of Baal and tore it down; his altars and his images they broke in pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. (De 13:9)18And Jehoiada posted watchmen for the house of the Lord under the direction of the Levitical priests and the Levites whom David had organized to be in charge of the house of the Lord, to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, as it is written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, according to the order of David. (Nu 28:2; 1Ch 23:6; 1Ch 23:30; 1Ch 24:1; 1Ch 25:2; 2Ch 5:5; 2Ch 30:27)19He stationed the gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the Lord so that no one should enter who was in any way unclean. (1Ch 26:1)20And he took the captains, the nobles, the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of the Lord, marching through the upper gate to the king’s house. And they set the king on the royal throne. (2Ki 11:19; 2Ki 15:35)21So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet after Athaliah had been put to death with the sword.