2 Chronicles 23

1In the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself and took the captains of hundreds—Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zichri—into covenant with him.

2They went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah, the heads of the fathers of Israel, and came to Jerusalem.

3The whole assembly covenanted with the king in God's house, and he said to them, "See, the king's son will reign, as Yahweh spoke concerning David's sons."

4This is what you shall do: a third of you coming in on the Sabbath—of the priests and the Levites—shall be gatekeepers of the thresholds.

5A third at the king's house, a third at the gate of the foundation, and all the people in the courts of Yahweh's house.

6But no one may enter the house of Yahweh except the priests and the Levite ministers; they shall enter, for they are holy, but all the people shall keep Yahweh's charge.

7The Levites shall surround the king on every side, each man with his weapons in his hand; whoever enters the house shall die, but stay with the king when he enters and when he leaves.

8The Levites and all Judah carried out everything the priest Jehoiada commanded, and each took his men—those entering on the sabbath along with those leaving on the sabbath—for Jehoiada the priest had dismissed none of the divisions.

9Jehoiada the priest gave the captains of hundreds the spears, bucklers, and shields that belonged to King David, which were in God's house.

10He stationed all the people, each man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, by the altar and the house, all around the king.

11They presented the king's son, placed the crown and the testimony upon him, and installed him as king. Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and they said, "Long live the king!"

12Athaliah heard the sound of the people running and praising the king, and she came to the people in the house of Yahweh.

13She looked, and behold, the king stood by his pillar at the entrance, the captains and trumpets beside him; all the people of the land rejoiced and blew trumpets, the singers with musical instruments directing the praise. Then Athaliah tore her garments and said, "Conspiracy! Conspiracy!"

14Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds set over the army and said to them, "Bring her out between the ranks, and whoever follows her must die by the sword." For the priest said, "Do not put her to death in the house of Yahweh."

15They seized her and she came to the entrance of the Horse Gate to the king's house, and they killed her there.

16Jehoiada cut a covenant between himself, all the people, and the king, that they should be a people for Yahweh.

17All the people went to the house of Baal, demolished it, shattered his altars and images, and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

18Jehoiada assigned the oversight of Yahweh's house to the priests and Levites whom David had divided over Yahweh's house, to offer Yahweh's burnt offerings as written in the law of Moses, with joy and singing as David directed.

19He stationed the gatekeepers at the gates of the house of Yahweh, so that no unclean person should enter in any matter.

20He gathered the captains of hundreds, the mighty men, the rulers over the people, and all the people of the land, and brought the king down from the house of Yahweh; they entered through the upper gate into the king's house and seated the king on the throne of the kingdom.

21All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet after they had killed Athaliah with the sword.