II Chronicles 23

1. Then in the seventh year Jehoiada made himself strong. And he took the commanders 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.

2. Then they went about in Judah and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah and the chief of the fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.

3. And all the congregation 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 said of the sons of David.

4. This is the thing that you shall do. A third part of you entering on the Sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be keepers of the doors.

5. And a third part shall be at the king’s house. And a third part shall be at the gate of the foundation. And all the people shall be in the courts of the house of the LORD.

6. But let none come into the house of the LORD except the priests and those of the Levites who minister. They shall go in, for they are holy. But all the people shall keep the watch of the LORD.

7. And the Levites shall surround the king, each man with his weapons in his hand. And whoever comes into the house, he shall be put to death. But you be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.”

8. And the Levites and all Judah did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest had commanded. And every man took his men who were to come in on the Sabbath, with the ones who were to go out on the Sabbath, for Jehoiada the priest did not dismiss the courses.

9. And Jehoiada the priest delivered to the commanders of hundreds King David’s spears and bucklers and shields, which were in the house of God.

10. And he set all the people, each 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 and the temple, by the king round about.

11. Then 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. When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people into the house of the LORD.

13. And she looked, and behold, the king stood at his pillar at the entrance, and the princes and the silver trumpets by the king. And all the people of the land were rejoicing and sounding with silver trumpets, and the singers with instruments of music, and those who led in praise. And Athaliah tore her clothes and cried, “Treason! Treason!”

14. And Jehoiada the priest brought out the commanders of hundreds who were set over the army, and said to them, “Take her out of the ranks. And whoever follows her shall be killed with the sword.” For the priest said, “Do not kill her in the house of the LORD.”

15. And they laid hands on her; and she came to the entrance of the Gate of the Horses, beside the king’s house, and they executed her there.

16. And Jehoiada made a covenant between him and between all the people and between the king that they should be the LORD’S people.

17. And all the people went into the house of Baal and broke it down, and smashed his altars and his images. And they killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

18. And Jehoiada appointed the officers of the house of the LORD by 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 joy and with singing by the hands of David.

19. And he set the gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the LORD so that those who were unclean in any way could not go in.

20. And he took the commanders of hundreds, and the nobles, and 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 came through the Upper Gate into the king’s house and set the king upon the throne of the kingdom.

21. And all the people of the land rejoiced. And the city was quiet after they had slain Athaliah with the sword.