2 Chronicles 23
23
The Revolt against Athaliah
(2 Kgs 11.4–16)
1After waiting six years Jehoiada the priest decided that it was time to take action. He made a pact with five army officers: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zichri. 2They travelled to all the cities of Judah and brought back with them to Jerusalem the Levites and all the heads of the clans.
3 #
2 Sam 7.12
They all gathered in the Temple, and there they made a covenant with Joash, the king's son. Jehoiada said to them, “Here is the son of the late king! He is now to be king, as the LORD promised that King David's descendants would be. 4This is what we will do. When the priests and Levites come on duty on the Sabbath, one third of them will guard the temple gates, 5another third will guard the royal palace, and the rest will be stationed at the Foundation Gate. All the people will assemble in the temple courtyard. 6No one is to enter the temple buildings except the priests and the Levites who are on duty. They may enter, because they are consecrated, but the rest of the people must obey the LORD's instructions and stay outside. 7The Levites are to stand guard round the king, with their swords drawn, and are to stay with the king wherever he goes. Anyone who tries to enter the Temple is to be killed.”
8The Levites and the people of Judah carried out Jehoiada's instructions. The men were not dismissed when they went off duty on the Sabbath, so the commanders had available both those coming on duty and those going off. 9Jehoiada gave the officers the spears and shields that had belonged to King David and had been kept in the Temple. 10He stationed the men with drawn swords all round the front of the Temple, to protect the king. 11Then Jehoiada led Joash out, placed the crown on his head, and gave him a copy of the laws governing kingship. And so he was made king. Jehoiada the priest and his sons anointed Joash, and everyone shouted, “Long live the king!”
12Athaliah heard the people cheering for the king, so she hurried to the Temple, where the crowd had gathered. 13There she saw the new king at the temple entrance, standing by the column reserved for kings and surrounded by the army officers and the trumpeters. All the people were shouting joyfully and blowing trumpets, and the temple musicians with their instruments were leading the celebration. She tore her clothes in distress and shouted, “Treason! Treason!”
14Jehoiada did not want Athaliah killed in the temple area, so he called out the army officers and said, “Take her out between the rows of guards, and kill anyone who tries to rescue her.”
15They seized her, took her to the palace, and there at the Horse Gate they killed her.
Jehoiada's Reforms
(2 Kgs 11.17–20)
16The priest Jehoiada got King Joash and the people to join him in making a covenant that they would be the LORD's people. 17Then they all went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols there and killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, in front of the altars. 18Jehoiada put the priests and Levites in charge of the work of the Temple. They were to carry out the duties assigned to them by King David and to burn the sacrifices offered to the LORD in accordance with the Law of Moses. They were also in charge of the music and the celebrations. 19Jehoiada also put guards on duty at the temple gates to keep out anyone who was ritually unclean.
20The army officers, the leading citizens, the officials, and all the rest of the people joined Jehoiada in a procession that brought the king from the Temple to the palace. They entered by the main gate, and the king took his place on the throne. 21All the people were filled with happiness, and the city was quiet, now that Athaliah had been killed.
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Good News Bible with Deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
II Chronicles 23
23
Joash Crowned King of Judah
1In #2 Kin. 11:4the seventh year #2 Kin. 12:2Jehoiada strengthened himself, and made a covenant with the captains of hundreds: Azariah the son of Jeroham, Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, Azariah the son of #1 Chr. 2:37, 38Obed, Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri. 2And they went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah, and the #Ezra 1:5chief fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.
3Then all the assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said to them, “Behold, the king’s son shall reign, as the Lord has #2 Sam. 7:12; 1 Kin. 2:4; 9:5; 2 Chr. 6:16; 7:18; 21:7said of the sons of David. 4This is what you shall do: One-third of you #1 Chr. 9:25entering on the Sabbath, of the priests and the Levites, shall be keeping watch over the doors; 5one-third shall be at the king’s house; and one-third at the Gate of the Foundation. 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 #1 Chr. 23:28–32those of the Levites who serve. They may go in, for they are holy; but all the people shall keep the watch of the Lord. 7And the Levites shall surround the king on all sides, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whoever comes into the house, let him be put to death. You are to be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.”
8So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded. And each man took his men who were to be on duty on the Sabbath, with those who were going off duty on the Sabbath; for Jehoiada the priest had not dismissed #1 Chr. 24:1–31the divisions. 9And Jehoiada the priest gave to the captains of hundreds the spears and the large and small #2 Sam. 8:7shields which had belonged to King David, that were in the temple of God. 10Then he set all the people, every man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, along by the altar and by the temple, all around the king. 11And they brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, #Deut. 17:18gave him the Testimony, and made him king. Then Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, “Long live the king!”
Death of Athaliah
12Now when #2 Chr. 22:10Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people in the temple of the Lord. 13When she looked, there was the king standing by his pillar at the entrance; and the leaders and the trumpeters were by the king. All the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, also the singers with musical instruments, and #1 Chr. 25:6–8those who led in praise. So Athaliah tore her clothes and said, #2 Kin. 9:23“Treason! Treason!”
14And Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds who were set over the army, and said to them, “Take her outside under guard, and slay with the sword whoever follows her.” For the priest had said, “Do not kill her in the house of the Lord.”
15So they seized her; and she went by way of the entrance #Neh. 3:28; Jer. 31:40of the Horse Gate into the king’s house, and they killed her there.
16Then Jehoiada made a #Josh. 24:24, 25; 2 Chr. 15:12–15covenant between himself, the people, and the king, that they should be the Lord’s people. 17And all the people went to the temple of Baal, and tore it down. They broke in pieces its altars and images, and #Deut. 13:6–9; 1 Kin. 18:40killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. 18Also Jehoiada appointed the oversight of the house of the Lord to the hand of the priests, the Levites, whom David had #1 Chr. 23:6, 30, 31; 24:1assigned in the house of the Lord, to offer the burnt offerings of the Lord, as it is written in the #Num. 28:2Law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as it was established by David. 19And he set the #1 Chr. 26:1–19gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the Lord, so that no one who was in any way unclean should enter.
20#1 Kin. 9:22; 2 Kin. 11:19Then he took the captains of hundreds, the nobles, the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought the king down from the house of the Lord; and they went through the Upper Gate to the king’s house, and set the king on the throne of the kingdom. 21So all the people of the land rejoiced; and the city was quiet, for they had slain Athaliah with the sword.
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.