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.
2 And
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 unto them, Behold, the king's son shall reign, as the LORD hath said of
the sons of David.
4 This is the
thing that ye shall do; A third part of you entering on the sabbath, of the
priests and of the Levites, shall be porters of the doors;
5 And
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.
6 But
let none come into the house of the LORD, save the priests, and they that
minister of the Levites; they shall go in, for they are holy:
but all the people shall keep the watch of the LORD.
7 And
the Levites shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in
his hand; and whosoever else cometh into the house, he shall be put
to death: but be ye with the king when he cometh in, and when he goeth out.
8 So
the Levites and all Judah did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest
had commanded, and took every man his men that were to come in on the sabbath,
with them that were to go out on the sabbath: for Jehoiada the
priest dismissed not the courses.
9 Moreover
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.
10 And
he set all the people, 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 and the
temple, by the king round about.
11 Then
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.
12 Now
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 entering in, and
the princes and the trumpets by the king: and all the people of the land
rejoiced, and sounded with trumpets, also the singers with instruments of
musick, and such as taught to sing praise. Then Athaliah rent her clothes, and
said, Treason, Treason.
14 Then
Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds that were set over the
host, and said unto them, Have her forth of the ranges: and whoso followeth
her, let him be slain with the sword. For the priest said, Slay her not in the
house of the LORD.
15 So
they laid hands on her; and when she was come to the entering of the horse gate
by the king's house, they slew 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 Then
all the people went to the house of Baal, and brake it down, and brake his
altars and his images in pieces, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the
altars.
18 Also
Jehoiada appointed the offices 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
rejoicing and with singing, as it was ordained by David.
19 And
he set the porters at the gates of the house of the LORD, that none which was unclean
in any thing should enter in.
20 And
he took the captains of hundreds, and the nobles, and the governors of 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.
21 And
all the people of the land rejoiced: and the city was quiet, after that they
had slain Athaliah with the sword.
