2 Chronicles 23

In the seventh year Jehoiada took courage and brought the commanders of hundreds into a covenant with him: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zichri. They went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah and the heads of Israel's ancestral families, and came to Jerusalem. The whole assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. Jehoiada said to them, “The king's son will reign, as the LORD has spoken concerning David's sons. This is what you must do: a third of you priests and Levites coming on duty on the Sabbath will guard the thresholds, a third will be at the king's palace, and a third at the Foundation Gate. All the people will be in the courts of the house of the LORD. Let no one enter the house of the LORD except the priests and the Levites who are ministering. They may enter because they are holy, but all the people must keep the charge of the LORD. The Levites must surround the king on every side, each with his weapons in his hand. Anyone who enters the house is to be put to death. Stay with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.” The Levites and all Judah did everything Jehoiada the priest commanded. Each took his men, both those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty, for Jehoiada the priest had not dismissed the divisions. Jehoiada the priest gave the commanders of hundreds the spears, shields, and bucklers that had belonged to King David and were in the house of God. He stationed all the people, each with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side, by the altar and the house, all around the king. They brought out the king's son, put the crown on him, gave him the Testimony, and made him king. Jehoiada and his sons anointed him and said, “Long live the king!” When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people at the house of the LORD. She looked and saw the king standing by his pillar at the entrance, with the commanders and trumpeters beside him. All the people of the land were rejoicing and sounding trumpets, and the singers with their musical instruments were leading the praise. Athaliah tore her clothes and cried, “Treason! Treason!” Jehoiada the priest brought out the commanders of hundreds who were in charge of the army and said to them, “Bring her out between the ranks, and put anyone who follows her to death with the sword.” For the priest had said, “Do not put her to death in the house of the LORD.” They laid hands on her, and she came to the entrance of the Horse Gate at the king's palace. There they put her to death. Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, all the people, and the king, that they would be the LORD's people. All the people went to the house of Baal and tore it down. They smashed its altars and images and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. Jehoiada placed the oversight of the house of the LORD in the hands of the Levitical priests, whom David had assigned to the house of the LORD, to offer the burnt offerings of the LORD as written in the law of Moses, with joy and singing according to David's directions. He stationed gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the LORD so that no one unclean for any reason would enter. He took the commanders of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought the king down from the house of the LORD. They entered the king's palace through the Upper Gate and seated the king on the royal throne. All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet. They had put Athaliah to death with the sword.

Rights and attribution