23 In the seventh year Jehoiada ·decided to do something [summoned his courage/strength]. He made an ·agreement [covenant; pact] with the ·commanders [officers] of the groups of a hundred men: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zicri. ² They went throughout Judah and ·gathered [summoned; assembled] the Levites from all the towns, and they gathered the ·leaders [heads] of the ·families [clans] of ·Judah [^LIsrael; 12:6]. Then they went to Jerusalem. ³ All the people together made an ·agreement [covenant; pact] with the king in the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of God.

Jehoiada said to them, “The king’s son will ·rule [reign], as the Lord ·promised [has spoken] about David’s ·descendants [sons]. ⁴ Now this is what you must do: You priests and Levites ·go [or who go…] on duty on the Sabbath. A third of you will ·guard the doors [be gatekeepers]. ⁵ A third of you will be at the king’s ·palace [^Lhouse], and a third of you will be at the Foundation Gate. All the other people will stay in the courtyards of the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord. ⁶ Don’t let anyone ·come into [enter] the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord except the priests and Levites ·who serve [on duty]. They may come because they ·have been made ready to serve the Lord [are holy/consecrated/set apart], but all the others must ·do the job the Lord has given them [obey the Lord’s instructions]. ⁷ The Levites must ·stay near [surround] the king, each man with his weapon in his hand. If anyone tries to enter the ·Temple [^Lhouse], kill him. Stay close to the king when he goes in and when he goes out.”

Joash Becomes King

⁸ The Levites and all the people of Judah obeyed everything Jehoiada the priest ·had commanded [ordered]. He did not ·excuse [dismiss; release] anyone from the ·groups [divisions] of the priests. So each commander took his men who came on duty on the Sabbath ·with [as well as] those who went off duty on the Sabbath. ⁹ Jehoiada gave the ·commanders [officers] of a hundred men the spears and the large and small shields that had belonged to King David and that were kept in the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of God. ¹⁰ Then Jehoiada ·told the soldiers where to stand [stationed/positioned all the people] with weapon in hand. There were guards from the ·south [^Lright] side of the ·Temple [^Lhouse] to the ·north [^Lleft] side. They stood by the altar and the ·Temple [^Lhouse] and around the king.

¹¹ Jehoiada and his sons brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him and gave him a copy of the ·agreement [covenant; treaty]. Then they ·appointed [anointed] him king and shouted, “Long live the king!”

¹² When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and ·praising [cheering] the king, she ·went to them [joined the crowd] at the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord. ¹³ She looked, and there was the king standing by his pillar at the entrance [^Ca symbolic place of authority]. The ·officers [commanders] and the trumpeters were standing beside him, and all the people of the land were ·happy [rejoicing] and blowing trumpets. The singers were playing musical instruments and leading the ·praises [celebration]. Then Athaliah tore her clothes [^Ca sign of mourning or distress] and screamed, “·Traitors! Traitors! [Treason! Treason!]”

¹⁴ Jehoiada the priest sent out the ·commanders [officers] of a hundred men, who ·led [were in charge of] the army. He said, “Surround her with soldiers and take her out of the ·Temple [^Lhouse] area. Kill with a sword anyone who follows her.” He had said, “Don’t put Athaliah to death in the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord.” ¹⁵ So they ·caught [seized] her ·when she came [or and took her] to the entrance of the Horse Gate near the ·palace [^Lhouse]. There they put her to death.

¹⁶ Then Jehoiada made an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with the people and the king that they would be ·the Lord’s special people [^La people for the Lord]. ¹⁷ All the people went to the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of Baal and tore it down, ·smashing [demolishing] the altars and ·idols [images]. They killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, in front of the altars.

¹⁸ Then Jehoiada chose the priests, who were Levites, to be ·responsible for [in charge of] the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord. David had ·given [assigned] them duties in the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord. They were to ·offer [sacrifice] the burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] to the Lord as the ·Teachings [law] of Moses commanded, and they were to ·offer [sacrifice] them with much joy and singing as David had ·commanded [ordered; instructed]. ¹⁹ Jehoiada ·put [stationed; positioned] guards at the gates of the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord so that anyone who was ·unclean [defiled; ^Critually] in any way could not enter.

²⁰ Jehoiada took with him the ·commanders [officers] of a hundred men, the ·important men [nobles], the rulers of the people, and all the people of the land to ·take [lead; escort] the king out of the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord. They went through the Upper Gate into the ·palace [^Lhouse], and then they seated the king on the throne. ²¹ So all the people of the land ·were very happy [rejoiced], and Jerusalem ·had peace [was quiet], because Athaliah had been put to death with the sword.