2 Chronicles 23 (GNV)

1And in the seuenth yeere Iehoiada waxed bolde, and tooke the captaines of hundreths, to wit, Azariah the sonne of Ieroham, and Ishmael the sonne of Iehohanan, and Azariah the sonne of Obed, and Maasiah the sonne of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the sonne of Zichri in couenant with him.Then in the seventh year, Jehoiada strengthened himself and made a covenant with the commanders of hundreds—with Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zichri.

2And they went about in Iudah, and gathered the Leuites out of all the cities of Iudah, and the chiefe fathers of Israel: and they came to Ierusale.So they went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah and the heads of the families of Israel. And when they came to Jerusalem,

3And al the Congregation made a couenant with the King in the house of God: and he sayde vnto them, Behold, the Kings sonne must reigne, as the Lord hath sayd of the sonnes of Dauid.the whole assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. “Behold, the king’s son!” said Jehoiada. “He must reign, just as the LORD promised concerning the descendants of David.

4This is it that ye shall do, The third part of you that come on the Sabbath of the Priests, and the Leuites, shalbe porters of the doores.This is what you are to do: A third of you priests and Levites who come on duty on the Sabbath shall keep watch at the doors,

5And another third part towarde the Kings house, and another thirde part at the gate of the foundation, and al the people shalbe in the courts of the house of the Lord.a third shall be at the royal palace, and a third at the Foundation Gate, while all the others are to be in the courtyards of the house of the LORD.

6But let none come into the house of the Lord, saue the Priests, and the Leuites that minister: they shall go in, for they are holy: but all the people shall keepe the watch of the Lord.No one is to enter the house of the LORD except the priests and those Levites who serve; they may enter because they are consecrated, but all the people are to obey the requirement of the LORD.

7And the Leuites shall compasse the King rounde about, and euery man with his weapon in his hand, and he that entreth into the house, shall be slaine, and be you with the King, when he commeth in, and when he goeth out.The Levites must surround the king with weapons in hand, and anyone who enters the temple must be put to death. You must stay close to the king wherever he goes.”

8So the Leuites and all Iudah did according to all things that Iehoiada the Priest had commanded, and tooke euery man his men that came on the Sabbath, with them that went out on the Sabbath: for Iehoiada the Priest did not discharge the courses.So the Levites and all Judah did everything that Jehoiada the priest had ordered. Each of them took his men—those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty—for Jehoiada the priest had not released any of the divisions.

9And Iehoiada the Priest deliuered to the captaines of hundreths speares, and shieldes, and bucklers which had bene King Dauids, and were in the house of God.Then Jehoiada the priest gave to the commanders of hundreds the spears and the large and small shields of King David that were in the house of God.

10And he caused all the people to stand (euery man with his weapon in his hande) from the right side of the house, to ye left side of the house by the altar and by the house round about ye king.He stationed all the troops, with their weapons in hand, surrounding the king by the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple.

11Then they brought out the Kings sonne, and put vpon him the crowne and gaue him the testimonie, and made him King. And Iehoiada and his sonnes anoynted him, and sayd, God saue the King.Then Jehoiada and his sons brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, presented him with the Testimony, and proclaimed him king. They anointed him and shouted, “Long live the king!”

12But when Athaliah heard the noyse of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people into the house of the Lord.When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and cheering the king, she went out to them in the house of the LORD.

13And when she looked, beholde, the King stoode by his pillar at the entring in, and the princes and the trumpets by the King, and all the people of the land reioyced, and blew the trumpets, and the singers were with instruments of musike, and they that could sing prayse: then Athaliah rent her clothes, and said, Treason, treason.And she looked and saw the king standing by his pillar at the entrance. The officers and trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, while the singers with musical instruments were leading the praises. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, “Treason, treason!”

14Then Iehoiada the Priest brought out the captaines of hundreths that were gouernours of the hoste, and said vnto them, Haue her foorth of the ranges, and he that followeth her, let him dye by the sword: for the Priest had said, Slay her not in the house of the Lord.And Jehoiada the priest sent out the commanders of hundreds in charge of the army, saying, “Bring her out between the ranks, and put to the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest had said, “She must not be put to death in the house of the LORD.”

15So they layde hands on her: and when she was come to the entring of the horsegate by the Kings house, they slew her there.So they seized Athaliah as she reached the entrance of the Horse Gate on the palace grounds, and there they put her to death.

16And Iehoiada made a couenant betweene him, and all the people, and the King, that they would be the Lords people.Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and the king and the people that they would be the LORD’s people.

17And all the people went to the house of Baal, and destroyed, and brake his altars and his images, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.So all the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.

18And Iehoiada appointed officers for the house of the Lord, vnder the handes of the Priestes and Leuites, whome Dauid had distributed for the house of the Lord, to offer burnt offrings vnto the Lord, as it is written in the Law of Moses, with reioycing and singing by the appoyntment of Dauid.Moreover, Jehoiada put the oversight of the house of the LORD into the hands of the Levitical priests, whom David had appointed over the house of the LORD, to offer burnt offerings to the LORD as written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and song, as ordained by David.

19And he set porters by the gates of ye house of the Lord, that none that was vncleane in any thing, should enter in.He stationed gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the LORD, so that no one who was in any way unclean could enter.

20And he tooke the captaines of hundreths, and the noble men, and the gouernours of the people, and all the people of the land, and he caused the King to come downe out of the house of the Lord, and they went thorowe the hie gate of the Kings house, and set the King vpon the throne of the kingdome.And he took with him the commanders of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of the LORD and entered the royal palace through the Upper Gate. They seated King Joash on the royal throne,

21Then all the people of the land reioyced, and the citie was quiet, after that they had slaine Athaliah with the sword.and all the people of the land rejoiced. And the city was quiet, because Athaliah had been put to the sword.

2 Chronicles 23

Joash Anointed King of Judah

The Death of Athaliah

Jehoiada Restores the Worship of the LORD

You’ve read 2 Chronicles 23

Go Deeper