1In the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself and took the commanders of hundreds—Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zichri—into a covenant with him.
2They went around through Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah, along with the heads of the fathers’ houses of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.
3Then the whole assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said to them, “Behold, the king’s son shall reign, just as Yahweh has spoken concerning the sons of David.”
4This is the thing that you shall do: a third of you who come in on the Sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, as gatekeepers of the thresholds,
5a third shall be at the king’s house, and a third at the Foundation Gate; and all the people shall be in the courts of the house of Yahweh.
6But let no one enter the house of Yahweh except the priests and those Levites who minister; they may enter, for they are holy. But all the people shall keep the charge of Yahweh.
7The Levites shall surround the king all around, each man with his weapons in his hand, and whoever enters the house shall be put to death. Be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.
8The Levites and all Judah did according to everything that Jehoiada the priest commanded. Each took his men, those coming in on the Sabbath along with those going off on the Sabbath, for Jehoiada the priest did not dismiss the divisions.
9Then Jehoiada the priest gave to the commanders of hundreds the spears and the small shields and the shields that had belonged to King David, which were in the house of God.
10He stationed all the people, each man with his weapon in his hand, from the south side of the house to the north side of the house, by the altar and the house, surrounding the king.
11Then they brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him and gave him the testimony, and they made him king. Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and they said, “Long live the king!”
12When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people at the house of Yahweh.
13She looked, and behold, the king was standing by his pillar at the entrance, with the commanders and the trumpeters beside the king; and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, while the singers with instruments of song were leading the praise. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and cried, “Conspiracy! Conspiracy!”
14But Jehoiada the priest brought out the commanders of hundreds who were appointed over the army and said to them, “Bring her out from within the ranks, and whoever follows her shall be put to death by the sword.” For the priest had said, “Do not put her to death in the house of Yahweh.”
15So they laid hands on her, and she came to the entrance of the Horse Gate of the king’s house, and there they put her to death.
16Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and all the people and the king, that they should be a people belonging to Yahweh.
17And all the people went to the house of Baal and tore it down; they broke his altars and his images in pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.
18Then Jehoiada assigned the oversight of the house of Yahweh to the hands of the Levitical priests, whom David had apportioned over the house of Yahweh, to offer up the burnt offerings of Yahweh as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, according to the directions of David.
19He stationed the gatekeepers at the gates of the house of Yahweh, so that no one who was unclean in any matter should enter.
20He took the commanders of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people, and all the people of the land, and he brought the king down from the house of Yahweh; they came through the Upper Gate to the king’s house and seated the king on the throne of the kingdom.
21So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet. And they had put Athaliah to death by the sword.
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