Jehoiada Sets Joash on the Throne of Judah

23 (A)Now in the seventh year, Jehoiada gathered his courage, and took captains of hundreds: Azariah the son of Jeroham, Ishmael the son of Johanan, Azariah the son of Obed, Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, and they entered into a covenant with him. And they went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah, and the heads of the fathers’ households of (B)Israel, and they came to Jerusalem. Then all the assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And [a]Jehoiada said to them, “Behold, the king’s son shall reign, (C)as the Lord has spoken concerning the sons of David. This is the thing which you shall do: a third of you, of the priests and Levites (D)who come in on the Sabbath, shall be gatekeepers, and a third shall be at the king’s house, and a third at the Gate of the Foundation; and all the people shall be in the courtyards of the house of the Lord. But no one is to enter the house of the Lord except the priests and (E)the ministering Levites; they may enter, for they are holy. And all the people are to keep the command of the Lord. The Levites will surround the king, each man with his weapons in his hand; and whoever enters the house is to be put to death. Therefore be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.”

The Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded. And each one of them took his men who were to come in on the Sabbath, with those who were to go out on the Sabbath, for Jehoiada the priest did not dismiss any of (F)the divisions. Then Jehoiada the priest gave the captains of hundreds the spears and the shields and quivers which had been King David’s, which were in the house of God. 10 He stationed all the people, each man with his weapon in his hand, from the right [b]side of the house to the left [c]side of the house, by the altar and by the house, around the king. 11 Then they brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him, and gave him (G)the testimony and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him and said, “(H)Long live the king!”

Athaliah Murdered

12 When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she went into the house of the Lord to the people. 13 She looked, and behold, the king was standing by his pillar at the entrance, and the captains and the [d]trumpeters were beside the king. And all the people of the land rejoiced and blew trumpets, the singers with their musical instruments [e]leading the praise. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and said, “Conspiracy! Conspiracy!” 14 And Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds who were appointed over the army, and said to them, “Bring her out [f]between the ranks, and whoever follows her is to be put to death with the sword.” For the priest said, “You shall not put her to death in the house of the Lord.” 15 So they [g]seized her, and when she arrived at the entrance of (I)the Horse Gate of the king’s house, they (J)put her to death there.

Reforms Carried Out

16 Then (K)Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and all the people and the king, that they would be the Lords people. 17 And all the people went to the house of Baal and tore it down, and they broke in pieces his altars and his images, and (L)killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. 18 Moreover, Jehoiada placed the offices of the house of the Lord under the [h]authority of (M)the Levitical priests, (N)whom David had assigned over the house of the Lord, to offer the burnt offerings of the Lord, as it is written in the Law of Moses—(O)with rejoicing and singing according to the [i]order of David. 19 He stationed (P)the gatekeepers of the house of the Lord, so that no one would enter who was in any way unclean. 20 (Q)He took the captains 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, and went through the upper gate to the king’s house. And they seated the king upon the royal throne. 21 So (R)all of the people of the land rejoiced and the city was at rest. For they had put Athaliah to death with the sword.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 23:3 Lit he
  2. 2 Chronicles 23:10 Lit shoulder
  3. 2 Chronicles 23:10 Lit shoulder
  4. 2 Chronicles 23:13 Lit trumpets
  5. 2 Chronicles 23:13 Lit and leading for praising
  6. 2 Chronicles 23:14 Lit from within
  7. 2 Chronicles 23:15 Lit put hands to her
  8. 2 Chronicles 23:18 Lit hand
  9. 2 Chronicles 23:18 Lit hands of

Athaliah Overthrown

23 Then, in the seventh year,(A) Jehoiada summoned his courage and took 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 made a circuit throughout Judah. They gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah and the heads of the families of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.

Then the whole assembly made a covenant with the king in God’s temple. Jehoiada said to them, “Here is the king’s son! He must reign, just as the Lord promised(B) concerning David’s sons. This is what you are to do: a third of you, priests and Levites who are coming on duty on the Sabbath,(C) are to be gatekeepers. A third are to be at the king’s palace, and a third are to be at the Foundation Gate, and all the troops will be in the courtyards of the Lord’s temple. No one is to enter the Lord’s temple but the priests and those Levites who serve;(D) they may enter because they are holy, but all the people are to obey the requirement of the Lord. You must completely surround the king with weapons in hand. Anyone who enters the temple is to be put to death. You must be with the king in all his daily tasks.”[a]

So the commanders of hundreds did everything Jehoiada the priest commanded. They each brought their men—those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty on the Sabbath—for Jehoiada the priest did not release the divisions.(E) Jehoiada the priest gave to the commanders of hundreds King David’s spears, shields, and quivers[b] that were in God’s temple. 10 Then he stationed all the troops with their weapons in hand surrounding the king—from the right side of the temple to the left side, by the altar and by the temple.

11 They brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, gave him the testimony,(F) and made him king. Jehoiada and his sons anointed him and cried, “Long live the king!”(G)

12 When Athaliah heard the noise from the troops, the guards, and those praising the king, she went to the troops in the Lord’s temple. 13 As she looked, there was the king standing by his pillar[c] at the entrance. The commanders and the trumpeters were by the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets(H) while the singers with musical instruments were leading the praise. Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, “Treason, treason!”

14 Then Jehoiada the priest sent out the commanders of hundreds, those in charge of the army, saying, “Take her out between the ranks, and put anyone who follows her to death by the sword,” for the priest had said, “Don’t put her to death in the Lord’s temple.” 15 So they arrested her, and she went by the entrance of the Horses’ Gate(I) to the king’s palace, where they put her to death.

Jehoiada’s Reforms

16 Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, the king, and the people that they would be the Lord’s people. 17 So all the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They broke its altars and images into pieces and killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, at the altars.(J)

18 Then Jehoiada put the oversight of the Lord’s temple into the hands of the Levitical priests,(K) whom David had appointed(L) over the Lord’s temple, to offer burnt offerings to the Lord as it is written in the law of Moses,(M) with rejoicing and song ordained by[d] David. 19 He stationed gatekeepers(N) at the gates of the Lord’s temple so that nothing unclean could enter for any reason. 20 Then he took with him the commanders of hundreds, the nobles, the governors of the people, and all the people of the land and brought the king down from the Lord’s temple. They entered the king’s palace through the Upper Gate and seated the king on the throne of the kingdom. 21 All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet, for they had put Athaliah to death by the sword.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 23:7 Lit king when he comes in and when he goes out
  2. 2 Chronicles 23:9 Or spears and large and small shields
  3. 2 Chronicles 23:13 LXX reads post
  4. 2 Chronicles 23:18 Lit song on the hands of

Complotul lui Iehoiada

23 În cel de-al şaptelea an, Iehoiada a prins curaj şi a făcut un legământ cu căpeteniile peste sute: cu Azaria, fiul lui Ieroham, cu Ismael, fiul lui Iehohanan, cu Azaria, fiul lui Obed, cu Maaseia, fiul lui Adaia, şi cu Elişafat, fiul lui Zicri. Ei au străbătut ţara lui Iuda, i-au strâns pe leviţii din toate cetăţile lui Iuda şi pe căpeteniile familiilor lui Israel şi au venit la Ierusalim. Întreaga adunare a încheiat un legământ cu regele în Casa lui Dumnezeu. Iehoiada le-a zis: „Iată-l pe fiul regelui! El va domni, aşa cum a promis Domnul cu privire la urmaşii lui David. Prin urmare, iată care este lucrul pe care trebuie să-l faceţi: o treime din preoţii şi leviţii care vor intra în slujbă în ziua de Sabat să stea de pază la intrări, o treime la palatul regelui şi o altă treime la Poarta Temeliei, iar tot poporul să vină în curţile Casei Domnului. Nimeni să nu intre în Casa Domnului, în afară de preoţii şi leviţii care trebuie să slujească. Ei vor putea să intre pentru că sunt sfinţi. Toţi ceilalţi din popor însă să păzească porunca Domnului. Leviţii vor trebui să stea împrejurul regelui, fiecare om cu arma în mână. Oricine va intra în Casă, să fie omorât. Staţi aproape de rege când va ieşi şi când va intra[a].“

Leviţii şi toţi cei din Iuda au făcut întocmai cum le-a poruncit preotul Iehoiada. Prin urmare, şi-au luat fiecare oamenii, atât pe cei care intrau în slujbă în ziua de Sabat, cât şi pe cei care ieşeau de la slujbă în ziua de Sabat, căci preotul Iehoiada nu dăduse drumul nici unei cete. Apoi preotul Iehoiada le-a dat căpeteniilor peste sute suliţele şi scuturile cele mari şi cele mici, care aparţinuseră regelui David şi care erau în Casa lui Dumnezeu. 10 Toţi cei din popor, fiecare cu arma în mână, s-au aşezat de jur împrejurul regelui, din partea dreaptă a Casei, până în partea stângă a Casei, aproape de altar şi de Casă. 11 Atunci Iehoiada l-a adus pe fiul regelui, i-a pus coroana pe cap şi i-a înmânat Mărturia[b]. Iehoiada şi fiii lui l-au numit rege şi l-au uns strigând: „Trăiască regele!“

12 Când a auzit Atalia vuietul poporului care alerga şi îl lăuda pe rege, a venit spre mulţimea de la Casa Domnului. 13 S-a uitat şi iată că regele stătea lângă stâlpul său, la intrare. Căpeteniile şi trâmbiţaşii erau lângă rege şi tot poporul se bucura şi suna din trâmbiţe, iar cântăreţii cântau cântări de laudă cu instrumentele lor muzicale. Atunci Atalia şi-a sfâşiat hainele şi a strigat: „Trădare! Trădare!“ 14 Preotul Iehoiada le-a trimis pe căpeteniile peste sute, care conduceau oştirea, zicându-le: „Scoateţi-o afară dintre rânduri şi oricine o va urma să fie omorât cu sabia!“ Căci preotul zisese: „Să nu o omorâţi în Casa Domnului!“ 15 Au pus mâna pe ea în momentul în care trecea prin intrarea în palatul regelui, intrarea de la Poarta Cailor, şi au omorât-o acolo.

16 Iehoiada a încheiat un legământ între el, pe de o parte, şi popor şi rege, pe de altă parte, potrivit căruia ei vor fi poporul Domnului. 17 Tot poporul s-a dus la templul lui Baal şi l-a dărâmat. Ei au sfărâmat altarele şi chipurile, iar pe Matan, preotul lui Baal, l-au omorât în faţa altarelor. 18 Apoi Iehoiada a încredinţat supravegherea Casei Domnului în mâna preoţilor leviţi pe care-i repartizase David la Casa Domnului, ca să aducă Domnului arderile de tot, potrivit cu ceea ce este scris în Legea lui Moise, în mijlocul bucuriei şi a cântării, după rânduiala lui David. 19 El a pus portari la porţile Casei Domnului, astfel încât să nu intre nimeni necurat din vreo pricină. 20 După aceea, Iehoiada a luat cu el pe căpeteniile peste sute, pe nobili, pe conducătorii poporului şi tot poporul ţării. Aceştia l-au coborât împreună pe rege de la Casa Domnului, au venit la palatul regelui prin Poarta de Sus şi l-au aşezat pe rege pe tronul regal. 21 Şi tot poporul ţării s-a bucurat, iar cetatea s-a liniştit pentru că Atalia fusese omorâtă cu sabia.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Cronici 23:7 Sau: Supravegheaţi orice mişcare a regelui!
  2. 2 Cronici 23:11 Copia Legii