1And in the seventh year, Jehoiada (the priest) strengthened himself, and took the captains 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, into a covenant with him.
2And they throughout Judah, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities, and the heads of the households of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.
3And all the congregation made a covenant with the king (Joash) in the temple of God. And he (Jehoiada) said to them, “Behold, the king's son shall reign, as the LORD has said of the sons of David.
4This is the thing that you shall do: a third part of the priests and of the Levites who are resuming service on the sabbath, shall be gatekeepers at the doors;
5And a third part shall be at the king's house; and a third part at the gate of the temple of the LORD. And all the people shall be in the courtyards of the temple of the LORD.
6But let no one enter the temple of the LORD, except the priests, and they who minister of the Levites; they may enter, for they are holy; but all the people carefully observe the law of the LORD.
7And the Levites shall surround the (young) king, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whoever else comes into the house, he shall be killed; but be with the king when he comes in (from the temple chamber, where he is hiding), and when he goes out”.
8So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada, the priest, had commanded, and took every man his men who were to resume duty on the sabbath, with them who were to go off duty on the sabbath; for Jehoiada, the priest, did not dismiss any from their duties.
9Moreover, Jehoiada delivered to the captains of hundreds, spears, bucklers, and shields, which were in the temple of God and had been King David's.
10And he stationed all the people around the king, every man having his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, along by the altar.
11Then they brought out the king's son, and put upon him the crown, and gave him the testimony, and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, “God save the king.”
12Now when Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came into the temple of the LORD.
13And she looked, and, behold, there stood the king by his pillar at the entrance, and the princes and the trumpeters beside him. And all the people of the land were rejoicing, and blowing trumpets; also, the singers with instruments of music, and such as taught to sing praise. Then Athaliah tore her clothes, and said, “Treason! Treason!”
14Then Jehoiada, the priest, brought out the captains of hundreds who were appointed over the army, and said to them, “Bring her out between the ranks (of soldiers), and whoever follows her, let him be slain with the sword”. For the priest said, “Do not slay her in the temple of the LORD”.
15So they seized her; and when she had come to the entrance of the horse gate by the king's house, they slew her there.
16And Jehoiada made a covenant between him, all the people, and the king, that they should be the LORD's people.
17Then all the people went to the house of Baal, tore it down, and broke its altars and images into pieces, and slew Mattan, the priest of Baal, before the altars.
18Also Jehoiada placed the offices of the temple of the LORD under the authority of the Levitical priests, whom David had assigned over the temple 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.
19And Jehoiada stationed gatekeepers at the gates of the temple of the LORD, that none who was unclean in anything should enter in.
20And he took the captains of hundreds, the nobles, the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought down the king from the temple 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 quiet, after they had slain Athaliah with the sword. Easy Reader Bible: Purple Letter Edition © 2023 by Jim Musser. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. Bible Hub |
    |