2 Chronicles 23
23
Jehoiada Makes Joash King of Judah
(2 Kings 11.4-21)
1After Ahaziah's son Joash had hidden in the temple for six years, Jehoiada the priest knew that something had to be done. So he made sure he had the support of several army officers. They were Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zichri. 2These five men went to the towns in Judah and called together the Levites and the clan leaders. They all came to Jerusalem 3#2 S 7.12. and gathered at the temple, where they agreed to help Joash.
Jehoiada said to them:
Joash will be our next king, because long ago the Lord promised that one of David's descendants would always be king. 4Here is what we will do. Three groups of priests and Levites will be on guard duty on the Sabbath—one group will guard the gates of the temple, 5one will guard the palace, and the other will guard Foundation Gate. The rest of you will stand guard in the temple courtyards. 6Only the priests and Levites who are on duty will be able to enter the temple, because they will be the only ones who have gone through the ceremony to make themselves clean and acceptable. The others must stay outside in the courtyards, just as the Lord has commanded. 7You Levites must protect King Joash. Don't let him out of your sight! And keep your swords ready to kill anyone who comes into the temple.
8The Levites and the people of Judah followed Jehoiada's orders. The guards going off duty were not allowed to go home, and so each commander had all his guards available—those going off duty as well as those coming on duty. 9Jehoiada went into the temple and brought out the swords and shields that had belonged to King David, and he gave them to the commanders. 10They gave the weapons to the guards, and Jehoiada then made sure that the guards took their positions around the temple and the altar to protect the king on every side.
11Jehoiada and his sons brought Joash outside, where they placed the crown on his head and gave him a copy of the instructions for ruling the nation. Olive oil was poured on his head to show that he was now king, and the crowd cheered and shouted, “Long live the king!”
12As soon as Queen Athaliah heard the crowd cheering for Joash, she went to the temple. 13There she saw Joash standing by one of the columns near the entrance, which was the usual place for the king. The commanders and the trumpet players were standing next to him, and the musicians were playing instruments and leading the people as they celebrated and blew trumpets. Athaliah tore her clothes in anger and shouted, “You betrayed me, you traitors!”
14At once, Jehoiada said to the army commanders, “Don't kill her near the Lord's temple. Take her out in front of the troops, and be sure to kill all of her followers!” 15She tried to escape, but the commanders caught and killed her near the gate where horses are led into the palace.
16Jehoiada asked King Joash and the people to join with him in being faithful to the Lord. They agreed, 17then rushed to the temple of the god Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and the idols and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.
18Jehoiada assigned the priests and Levites their duties at the temple, just as David had done. They were in charge of offering sacrifices to the Lord according to the Law of Moses, and they were responsible for leading the celebrations with singing. 19Jehoiada ordered the guards at the temple gates to keep out anyone who was unclean.
20Finally, Jehoiada called together the army commanders, the most important citizens of Judah, and the government officials. The crowd of people followed them as they led Joash from the temple, through the Upper Gate, and into the palace, where he took his place as king of Judah. 21Everyone celebrated because Athaliah had been killed and Jerusalem was peaceful again.
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2 Chronicles 23: CEV
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
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