2 Chronicles 23
23
1When Joash was seven years old, Jehoiada showed how strong he was. He made a covenant with the commanders of groups of 100 men. The commanders were Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zikri. 2They went all through Judah. They gathered together the Levites and the leaders of Israelite families from all the towns. They came to Jerusalem. 3The whole community made a covenant with the new king at God’s temple.
Jehoiada said to them, “Ahaziah’s son will rule over Judah. That’s what the Lord promised concerning the family line of David. 4Here’s what I want you to do. A third of you priests and Levites who are going on duty on the Sabbath day must guard the doors. 5A third of you must guard the royal palace. And a third of you must guard the Foundation Gate. All the other men must guard the courtyards of the Lord’s temple. 6Don’t let anyone enter the temple except the priests and Levites who are on duty. They can enter because they are set apart to the Lord. But all the other men must obey the Lord’s command not to enter. 7The Levites must station themselves around the new king. Each man must have his weapon in his hand. Anyone else who enters the temple must be put to death. Stay close to the king no matter where he goes.”
8The Levites did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. So did all the men of Judah. Each commander got his men. Some of the men were going on duty on the Sabbath day. Others were going off duty. Jehoiada didn’t let any of the groups go. 9Then he gave weapons to the commanders of the groups. He gave them spears, large shields and small shields. The weapons had belonged to King David. They had been in God’s temple. 10Jehoiada stationed all the men around the new king. Each man had his weapon in his hand. They were standing near the altar and the temple. They stood from the south side of the temple to its north side.
11Jehoiada and his sons brought Ahaziah’s son out. They put the crown on him. They gave him a copy of the covenant. And they announced that he was king. They anointed him. Then they shouted, “May the king live a long time!”
12Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and cheering the new king. So she went to them at the Lord’s temple. 13She looked, and there was the king! He was standing next to his pillar at the entrance. The officers and trumpet players were standing beside the king. All the people of the land were filled with joy. They were blowing trumpets. Musicians with their musical instruments were leading the songs of praise. Then Athaliah tore her royal robes. She shouted, “Treason! It’s treason!”
14Jehoiada the priest sent out the commanders of the groups of 100 men. They were in charge of the troops. He said to them, “Bring her away from the temple between the line of guards. Use your swords to kill anyone who follows her.” The priest had said, “Don’t put her to death at the Lord’s temple.” 15So they grabbed her as she reached the entrance of the Horse Gate on the palace grounds. There they put her to death.
16Then Jehoiada made a covenant. He promised that he, the people and the king would be the Lord’s people. 17All the people went to Baal’s temple. They tore it down. They smashed the altars and the statues of gods. They killed Mattan in front of the altars. He was the priest of Baal.
18Then Jehoiada put the priests, who were Levites, in charge of the Lord’s temple. David had given them their duties in the temple. He had appointed them to sacrifice burnt offerings to the Lord. He wanted them to do it in keeping with what was written in the Law of Moses. David wanted them to sing and be full of joy. 19Jehoiada stationed guards at the gates of the Lord’s temple. No one who was “unclean” in any way could enter.
20Jehoiada took with him the commanders of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people, and all the people of the land. He brought the new king down from the Lord’s temple. They went into the palace through the Upper Gate. Then they seated the king on the royal throne. 21All the people of the land were filled with joy. And the city was calm. That’s because Athaliah had been killed by a sword.
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2 Chronicles 23: NIrV
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2 Chronicles 23
23
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.
2And they went about in Judah and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah and the heads of the fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.
3And all the congregation made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said unto them, Behold, the king’s son who shall reign, as the Lord has said of the sons of David.
4This is the thing that ye must do: A third part of you, those who enter on the sabbath, shall be porters at the doors with the priests and the Levites;
5and 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.
6But let no one come into the house of the Lord, except the priests and the Levites that minister; they shall go in, for they are holy; but all the people shall keep the watch of the Lord.
7And the Levites shall compass the king round about, each one shall have his weapons in his hand; and whoever else comes into the house shall be put to death; and ye shall be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.
8So the Levites and all Judah did according to all the things that Jehoiada, the priest, had commanded, and each one took his men, those that were to come in on the sabbath with those that were to go out on the sabbath, for Jehoiada the priest did not dismiss the courses.
9Moreover, 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.
10And he set all the people in order, each one having his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, along by the altar and the house, by the king round about.
11Then they brought out the king’s son and put the crown upon him and 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 noise of the people running of those that were praising the king, she came to the people into the house of the Lord:
13And she looked and, behold, the king stood at his pillar at the entrance and the princes and the trumpets by the king; and all the people of the land rejoiced and sounded with trumpets, and those that knew how to praise sang with instruments of music. Then Athaliah rent her clothes and said, Treason, Treason.
14Then Jehoiada, the priest, brought out the captains of hundreds that were set over the host and said unto them, Remove her from the order of the house, and whoever follows her, let them be slain with the sword. For the priest had commanded, Slay her not in the house of the Lord.
15So they laid hands on her, and she entered into the entrance of the horse gate of the king’s house, and they slew her there.
16And Jehoiada made a covenant between him and between all the people and between the king that they should be the Lord’s people.
17Then all the people went to the house of Baal and broke it down and broke in pieces his altars and his images and slew Mattan, the priest of Baal, before the altars.
18Also Jehoiada ordered the offices of the house of the Lord under 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.
19He also set the porters at the gates of the house of the Lord so that there should be no way for anyone who was unclean to enter in.
20Then he took the captains of hundreds and the nobles and those that governed 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.
21And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was at rest after they had slain Athaliah with the sword.
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The Jubilee Bible 2000 (JUB) by Ransom Press International