2 Chronicles 23
The Voice
23 During the seventh year of Athaliah’s reign, Jehoiada the priest prepared to revolt and conferred with the commanders over divisions of warriors: Azariah (son of Jeroham), Ishmael (son of Johanan), Azariah (son of Obed), Maaseiah (son of Adaiah), and Elishaphat (son of Zichri). These men made an agreement with Jehoiada, promising to fight against Athaliah’s illegitimate government. 2 They traveled through Judah telling the people about the coming revolt. Then all the Levites and all the Israelite tribal leaders came to Jerusalem 3 to make another contract with the rightful king, Joash, in the house of God.
Jehoiada: Remember when the Eternal promised David that his sons would be king? Athaliah’s reign has disrupted that promise. Look now on the son of the king! 4 This is what you will do: One-third of you priests and Levites who work on the Sabbath will guard the gates to the temple, 5-7 one-third will guard Joash’s house, and one-third will guard the gate of the foundation. Those posted at the king’s house will surround him with drawn weapons. If anyone enters Joash’s house, kill him. If Joash leaves his house, kill anyone who approaches him.
All the people will wait in the courts of the Eternal’s house and guard His temple. Kill anyone who comes into the Eternal’s house (except, of course, for the priests and ministering Levites who are consecrated).
8 The Levites and the people did as they were told by Jehoiada the priest. Everyone worked that day, even those who were typically off duty on Sabbath, because Jehoiada reenlisted them all in the rebellion. 9 He armed the divisions under the commanders of hundreds with King David’s spears and large and small shields which were offerings to the house of the True God, 10 and he stationed all the people, who were armed with their own weapons, to surround both the temple and Joash. 11 Once everyone was in place, they publicly made Joash king: the people crowned him and gave him a copy of the covenant laws; Jehoiada and his sons anointed him and said, “Long live the king!”
12 Hearing the commotion of her people running and praising a different monarch, Athaliah entered the Eternal’s house where all the people were stationed. 13 There she saw King Joash standing by his pillar at the entrance, flanked by the commanders and the trumpeters. All the people of the land rejoiced and blew trumpets as the singers led the people in songs of praise with their musical instruments.
Athaliah (tearing her clothes in sorrow): Treason! Treason!
Jehoiada (to the commanders of divisions in response to Athaliah and her violation of the temple): 14 Take her and her followers out between the ranks, and kill them with the sword. Do not kill her in the Eternal’s house.
15 So they took her to the entrance of the Horse Gate at the palace and executed her.
16 Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, all the people, and the king, promising to follow the Eternal. 17 Because of this covenant, all the people demolished Baal’s temple, destroyed the altars and icons there, and killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, in front of the altars. 18 Then Jehoiada restored the organization of the temple as David had intended: He appointed the Levitical priests[a] to the offices of the Eternal’s temple, where they gave the burnt offerings to the Eternal (as Moses’ law required) with rejoicing and singing. 19 He preserved the sanctity of the Eternal’s temple by stationing gatekeepers there so ritually unclean people could not enter.
Having restored the temple, Jehoiada properly restores the Davidic monarchy.
20 He and the commanders of the divisions, the nobles, the rulers of the people, and all the people of the land took the king from the Eternal’s temple through the upper gate to the palace. There, they put Joash on his royal throne. 21 Since their rightful king was restored and Athaliah had been killed, all the people of the land rejoiced and were at peace.
Footnotes
- 23:18 Greek and other sources read, “the priests and the Levites.”
2 Chronicles 23
English Standard Version
Joash Made King
23 (A)But in the seventh year Jehoiada took courage and entered into a covenant with the commanders of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jeroham, Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, Azariah the son of Obed, Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri. 2 And they went about through (B)Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah, and the heads of fathers' houses of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem. 3 And all the assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And Jehoiada[a] said to them, “Behold, the king's son! Let him reign, (C)as the Lord spoke concerning the sons of David. 4 This is the thing that you shall do: (D)of you priests and Levites who come off duty on the Sabbath, one third shall be gatekeepers, 5 and one third shall be at the king's house and one third at the Gate of the Foundation. And all the people shall be in the courts of the house of the Lord. 6 Let no one enter the house of the Lord except the priests (E)and ministering Levites. They may enter, for they are holy, but all the people shall keep the charge of the Lord. 7 The Levites shall surround the king, each 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.”
8 The Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded, and they each brought his men, who were to go off duty on the Sabbath, with those who were to come on duty on the Sabbath, for Jehoiada the priest did not dismiss (F)the divisions. 9 And Jehoiada the priest gave to the captains the spears and the large and small shields that had been King David's, which were in the house of God. 10 And he set all the people as a guard for the king, every man with his weapon in his hand, from the south side of the house to the north side of the house, around the altar and the house. 11 Then they brought out the king's son and put the crown on him and gave him (G)the testimony. And they proclaimed him king, and Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and they said, (H)“Long live the king.”
Athaliah Executed
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 And when she looked, there was the king standing by his pillar at the entrance, and the captains and the trumpeters beside the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and the singers with their musical instruments leading in the celebration. And Athaliah tore her clothes and cried, “Treason! Treason!” 14 Then Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains who were set over the army, saying to them, “Bring her out between the ranks, and anyone who follows her is to be put to death with the sword.” For the priest said, “Do not put her to death in the house of the Lord.” 15 So they laid hands on her,[b] and she went into the entrance of (I)the horse gate of the king's house, and they put her to death there.
Jehoiada's Reforms
16 And Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and all the people and the king that they should be the Lord's people. 17 Then all the people went to the house of Baal and tore it down; his altars and his images they broke in pieces, (J)and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. 18 And Jehoiada posted watchmen for the house of the Lord under the direction of (K)the Levitical priests and the Levites (L)whom David had organized to be in charge of the house of the Lord, to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, (M)as it is written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, (N)according to the order of David. 19 He stationed (O)the gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the Lord so that no one should enter who was in any way unclean. 20 And he took the captains, the nobles, the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of the Lord, marching (P)through the upper gate to the king's house. And they set the king on the royal throne. 21 So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet after Athaliah had been put to death with the sword.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 23:3 Hebrew he
- 2 Chronicles 23:15 Or they made a passage for her
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
