2 Chronicles 23

2 Chronicles 23:1 Then, in the seventh year, Jehoiada strengthened himself and took the captains of hundreds into a covenant with him: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zichri.

2 Chronicles 23:2 They made a circuit throughout Judah. They gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah and the family heads of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 23:3 Then the whole congregation established a covenant with the king in God’s house. Jehoiada said to them, “Notice the king’s son! He will reign, just as Yahveh promised concerning David’s sons.

2 Chronicles 23:4 This is what you are to do: a third of you, priests and Levites who are coming on duty on the Sabbath, are to be gatekeepers.

2 Chronicles 23:5 A third are to be at the king’s house, and a third are to be at the Foundation Gate, and all the troops will be in the courtyards of Yahveh’s house.

2 Chronicles 23:6 No one is to enter Yahveh’s house but the priests and those Levites who minister; they may enter because they are sacred, but all the people are to guard the requirement of Yahveh.

2 Chronicles 23:7 Surround the king with weapons in hand. Anyone who enters the house is to be put to death. Be with the king in all his daily tasks.”

2 Chronicles 23:8 So the commanders of hundreds did everything the priest Jehoiada commanded. They each brought their men—those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty on the Sabbath—for the priest Jehoiada did not release the divisions.

2 Chronicles 23:9 The priest Jehoiada gave to the captains of hundreds King David’s spears, shields, and quivers that were in God’s house.

2 Chronicles 23:10 Then he stationed all the troops with their weapons in hand surrounding the king– from the right side of the house to the left side, by the altar and by the house.

2 Chronicles 23:11 They brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, gave him the reminder,[1] and made him king. Jehoiada and his sons anointed him and cried, “Long live[2] the king!”

2 Chronicles 23:12 When Athaliah heard the noise from the troops, the guards, and those praising the king, she went to the soldiers in Yahveh’s house.

2 Chronicles 23:13 As she looked, she noticed the king stood by his pillar at the entrance. The captains and the trumpeters were by the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets while the singers with musical instruments led the praise. Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, “Treason! Treason!”

2 Chronicles 23:14 Then the priest Jehoiada sent out the captains of hundreds, those in charge of the powerful army, saying, “Take her out between the ranks, and put anyone who follows her to death by the sword,” for the priest had said, “Don’t put her to death in Yahveh’s house.”

2 Chronicles 23:15 So they arrested her, and she went by the entrance of the Horse Gate to the king’s house, where they put her to death.

2 Chronicles 23:16 Then Jehoiada established a covenant between himself, the king, and the people that they would be Yahveh’s people.

2 Chronicles 23:17 So all the people went to the house of Baal and tore it down. They smashed its altars and images and killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, at the altars.

2 Chronicles 23:18 Then Jehoiada placed the oversight of Yahveh’s house into the hands of the Levitical priests, whom David had appointed over Yahveh’s house, to offer burnt offerings to Yahveh as it is written in the instruction of Moses, with rejoicing and song ordained by David.

2 Chronicles 23:19 He stationed gatekeepers at the gates of Yahveh’s house so that nothing contaminated[3] could enter for any reason.

2 Chronicles 23:20 Then he took with him the captains of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people, and all the people of the land and brought the king down from Yahveh’s house. They entered the king’s house through the Upper Gate and seated the king on the throne of the kingdom.

2 Chronicles 23:21 All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet, for they had put Athaliah to death by the sword.

[1] עֵדוּת = reminder. 2 Chronicles 23:11; 24:6; 34:31.

[2] חָיָה = live, stay alive, revive. 2 Chronicles 23:11; 25:25.

[3] טָמֵא = (ritually) contaminated. 2 Chronicles 23:19.