耶何耶大立約阿施為猶大王

23 第七年,耶何耶大發憤圖強,召來一些百夫長與他們立約。他們是耶羅罕的兒子亞撒利雅,約哈難的兒子以實瑪利,俄備得的兒子亞撒利雅,亞大雅的兒子瑪西雅,以及細基利的兒子以利法。 他們走遍猶大各城,把利未人和以色列的各族長召集到耶路撒冷。 全體會眾到上帝的殿中與王立約。耶何耶大對他們說:「王的兒子當做王!這是耶和華對大衛子孫的應許。 你們要這樣做,三分之一在安息日值班的祭司和利未人要把守各門, 三分之一要把守王宮,三分之一要把守基址門,所有民眾要留在耶和華殿的院子裡。 只有祭司和供職的利未人可以進耶和華的殿,因為他們是聖潔的。其他人一律不准進殿。所有的人都要遵守耶和華的吩咐。 利未人要手持兵器護衛在王周圍。凡擅自進殿的,一律處死。無論王去哪裡,你們都要緊隨左右。」

於是,利未人和所有猶大人遵照耶何耶大祭司的命令而行,各自帶來在安息日值班和休班的屬下,因為耶何耶大祭司沒有讓他們休班。 耶何耶大祭司把上帝殿中大衛王的矛槍和大小盾牌交給百夫長。 10 耶何耶大安排眾民手持兵器,從殿右到殿左,在祭壇和殿周圍護衛王, 11 然後他們領王子出來,給他戴上王冠,把律法書交給他。耶何耶大及其眾子膏立王子為王。眾人高呼:「願王萬歲!」

亞她利雅被處死

12 亞她利雅聽到人們奔走稱頌王的聲音,便走進耶和華的殿,眾人都聚集在那裡。 13 她看見王站在門口的柱旁,百夫長和吹號的人侍立在王左右,眾民都歡呼吹號,歌樂手用各種樂器帶領眾人唱歌頌揚,便撕裂衣服,喊道:「反了!反了!」 14 耶何耶大祭司認為不可在耶和華的殿裡處死亞她利雅,便命令帶兵的百夫長出來,對他們說:「把她帶出去。要用刀殺死所有跟隨她的人。」 15 他們抓住她,把她帶到馬匹進出王宮的入口,在那裡殺了她。

耶何耶大的改革

16 耶何耶大讓民眾和王與他一起立約,要做耶和華的子民。 17 於是,民眾出去拆毀了巴力廟,砸碎祭壇和偶像,在壇前殺了巴力的祭司瑪坦。 18 耶何耶大照大衛的吩咐讓利未祭司負責耶和華殿裡的事務。大衛曾吩咐利未祭司在耶和華的殿中司職,照摩西的律法向耶和華獻燔祭,歡呼歌唱。 19 耶何耶大還派門衛把守耶和華殿的各門,禁止一切不潔淨的人入內。 20 他率領百夫長、貴族、首領和全體民眾護送王從耶和華的殿裡下來,經上門進入王宮,擁立王登上王位。 21 民眾都歡喜快樂,城裡安定,因為亞她利雅已死在刀下。

23 In the seventh year Jehoiada made a bold move. He made a pact[a] with the officers of the units of hundreds: Azariah son of Jehoram, Ishmael son of Jehochanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zikri. They traveled throughout Judah and assembled the Levites from all the cities of Judah, as well as the Israelite family leaders.

They came to Jerusalem, and the whole assembly made a covenant with the king in the temple of God. Jehoiada[b] said to them, “The king’s son will rule, just as the Lord promised David’s descendants. This is what you must do. One-third of you priests and Levites who are on duty during the Sabbath will guard the doors. Another third of you will be stationed at the royal palace and still another third at the Foundation Gate. All the others[c] will stand in the courtyards of the Lord’s temple. No one must enter the Lord’s temple except the priests and Levites who are on duty. They may enter because they are ceremonially pure. All the others should carry out their assigned service to the Lord. The Levites must surround the king. Each of you must hold his weapon in his hand. Whoever tries to enter the temple[d] must be killed. You must accompany the king wherever he goes.”[e]

The Levites and all the men of Judah[f] did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each of them took his men, those who were on duty during the Sabbath as well as those who were off duty on the Sabbath. Jehoiada the priest did not release his divisions from their duties. Jehoiada the priest gave to the officers of the units of hundreds King David’s spears and shields[g] that were kept in God’s temple. 10 He placed the men at their posts, each holding his weapon in his hand. They lined up from the south side of the temple to the north side and stood near the altar and the temple, surrounding the king.[h] 11 Jehoiada and his sons led out the king’s son and placed on him the crown and the royal insignia.[i] They proclaimed him king and poured olive oil on his head.[j] They declared, “Long live the king!”

12 When Athaliah heard the royal guard[k] shouting and praising the king, she joined the crowd[l] at the Lord’s temple. 13 Then she saw[m] the king standing by his pillar at the entrance. The officers and trumpeters stood beside the king and all the people of the land were celebrating and blowing trumpets, and the musicians with various instruments were leading the celebration. Athaliah tore her clothes and yelled, “Treason! Treason!”[n] 14 Jehoiada the priest sent out the officers of the units of hundreds, who were in charge of the army, and ordered them, “Bring her outside the temple to the guards.[o] Put the sword to anyone who follows her.” The priest gave this order because he had decided she should not be executed in the Lord’s temple.[p] 15 They seized her and took her into the precincts of the royal palace through the horses’ entrance.[q] There they executed her.

16 Jehoiada then drew up a covenant stipulating that he, all the people, and the king should be loyal to the Lord.[r] 17 All the people went and demolished[s] the temple of Baal. They smashed its altars and idols.[t] They killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. 18 Jehoiada then assigned the duties of the Lord’s temple to the priests, the Levites whom David had assigned to the Lord’s temple. They were responsible for offering burnt sacrifices to the Lord with joy and music, according to[u] the law of Moses and the edict of David. 19 He posted guards at the gates of the Lord’s temple, so no one who was ceremonially unclean in any way could enter. 20 He summoned[v] the officers of the units of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people, and all the people of the land, and he then led the king down from the Lord’s temple. They entered the royal palace through the Upper Gate and seated the king on the royal throne. 21 All the people of the land celebrated, for the city had rest now that they had killed Athaliah.[w]

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 23:1 tn Or “covenant.”
  2. 2 Chronicles 23:3 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jehoiada the priest, cf. v. 8) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  3. 2 Chronicles 23:5 tn Heb “all the people.”
  4. 2 Chronicles 23:7 tn Heb “house.”
  5. 2 Chronicles 23:7 tn Heb “and be with the king when he goes in/enters and when he goes out/exits.”
  6. 2 Chronicles 23:8 tn Heb “all Judah.” The words “the men of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” by metonymy for the men of Judah.
  7. 2 Chronicles 23:9 tn The Hebrew text lists two different types of shields here. Most translations render “the large and small shields” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV; NEB “King David’s spears, shields, and bucklers”).
  8. 2 Chronicles 23:10 tn Heb “and he stationed all the people, each with his weapon in his hand, from the south shoulder of the house to the north shoulder of the house, at the altar and at the house, near the king all around.”
  9. 2 Chronicles 23:11 tn The Hebrew word עֵדוּת (ʿedut) normally means “witness” or “testimony.” Here it probably refers to some tangible symbol of kingship, perhaps a piece of jewelry such as an amulet or neck chain (see the discussion in M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings [AB], 128). Some suggest that a document is in view, perhaps a copy of the royal protocol or of the stipulations of the Davidic covenant (see HALOT 790-91 s.v.).
  10. 2 Chronicles 23:11 tn Or “they made him king and anointed him.”
  11. 2 Chronicles 23:12 tn Heb “and Athaliah heard the sound of the people, the runners.”
  12. 2 Chronicles 23:12 tn Heb “she came to the people.”
  13. 2 Chronicles 23:13 tn Heb “and she saw, and behold.”
  14. 2 Chronicles 23:13 tn Or “Conspiracy! Conspiracy!”
  15. 2 Chronicles 23:14 tn Heb “ranks.”
  16. 2 Chronicles 23:14 tn Heb “for the priest had said, ‘Do not put her to death in the house of the Lord.’”
  17. 2 Chronicles 23:15 tn Heb “and they placed hands on her, and she went through the entrance of the gate of the horses [into] the house of the king.” Some English versions treat the phrase “gate of the horses” as the name of the gate (“the Horse Gate”; e.g., NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
  18. 2 Chronicles 23:16 tn Heb “and Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and [between] all the people and [between] the king, to become a people for the Lord.”
  19. 2 Chronicles 23:17 tn Or “tore down.”
  20. 2 Chronicles 23:17 tn Or “images.”
  21. 2 Chronicles 23:18 tn Heb “as it is written in.”
  22. 2 Chronicles 23:20 tn Heb “took.”
  23. 2 Chronicles 23:21 tn Heb “killed Athaliah with the sword.”

23 In the seventh year Jehoiada showed his strength. He made a covenant with the commanders of units of a hundred: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zikri. They went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites(A) and the heads of Israelite families from all the towns. When they came to Jerusalem, the whole assembly made a covenant(B) with the king at the temple of God.

Jehoiada said to them, “The king’s son shall reign, as the Lord promised concerning the descendants of David.(C) Now this is what you are to do: A third of you priests and Levites who are going on duty on the Sabbath are to keep watch at the doors, a third of you at the royal palace and a third at the Foundation Gate, and all the others are to be in the courtyards of the temple of the Lord. No one is to enter the temple of the Lord except the priests and Levites on duty; they may enter because they are consecrated, but all the others are to observe(D) the Lord’s command not to enter.[a] The Levites are to station themselves around the king, each with weapon in hand. Anyone who enters the temple is to be put to death. Stay close to the king wherever he goes.”

The Levites and all the men of Judah did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered.(E) Each one took his men—those who were going on duty on the Sabbath and those who were going off duty—for Jehoiada the priest had not released any of the divisions.(F) Then he gave the commanders of units of a hundred the spears and the large and small shields that had belonged to King David and that were in the temple of God. 10 He stationed all the men, each with his weapon in his hand, around the king—near the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple.

11 Jehoiada and his sons brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him; they presented him with a copy(G) of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him and shouted, “Long live the king!”

12 When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and cheering the king, she went to them at the temple of the Lord. 13 She looked, and there was the king,(H) standing by his pillar(I) at the entrance. The officers and the trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and musicians with their instruments were leading the praises. Then Athaliah tore her robes and shouted, “Treason! Treason!”

14 Jehoiada the priest sent out the commanders of units of a hundred, who were in charge of the troops, and said to them: “Bring her out between the ranks[b] and put to the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest had said, “Do not put her to death at the temple of the Lord.” 15 So they seized her as she reached the entrance of the Horse Gate(J) on the palace grounds, and there they put her to death.

16 Jehoiada then made a covenant(K) that he, the people and the king[c] would be the Lord’s people. 17 All the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols and killed(L) Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.

18 Then Jehoiada placed the oversight of the temple of the Lord in the hands of the Levitical priests,(M) to whom David had made assignments in the temple,(N) to present the burnt offerings of the Lord as written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and singing, as David had ordered. 19 He also stationed gatekeepers(O) at the gates of the Lord’s temple so that no one who was in any way unclean might enter.

20 He took with him 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 temple of the Lord. They went into the palace through the Upper Gate(P) and seated the king on the royal throne. 21 All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was calm, because Athaliah had been slain with the sword.(Q)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 23:6 Or are to stand guard where the Lord has assigned them
  2. 2 Chronicles 23:14 Or out from the precincts
  3. 2 Chronicles 23:16 Or covenant between the Lord and the people and the king that they (see 2 Kings 11:17)