2 Chronicles 23
Good News Translation
The Revolt against Athaliah(A)
23 After waiting six years Jehoiada the priest decided that it was time to take action. He made a pact with five army officers: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zichri. 2 They traveled to all the cities of Judah and brought back with them to Jerusalem the Levites and all the heads of the clans.
3 (B)They all gathered in the Temple, and there they made a covenant with Joash, the king's son. Jehoiada said to them, “Here is the son of the late king. He is now to be king, as the Lord promised that King David's descendants would be. 4 This is what we will do. When the priests and Levites come on duty on the Sabbath, one third of them will guard the Temple gates, 5 another third will guard the royal palace, and the rest will be stationed at the Foundation Gate. All the people will assemble in the Temple courtyard. 6 No one is to enter the Temple buildings except the priests and the Levites who are on duty. They may enter, because they are consecrated, but the rest of the people must obey the Lord's instructions and stay outside. 7 The Levites are to stand guard around the king, with their swords drawn, and are to stay with the king wherever he goes. Anyone who tries to enter the Temple is to be killed.”
8 The Levites and the people of Judah carried out Jehoiada's instructions. The men were not dismissed when they went off duty on the Sabbath, so the commanders had available both those coming on duty and those going off. 9 Jehoiada gave the officers the spears and shields that had belonged to King David and had been kept in the Temple. 10 He stationed the men with drawn swords all around the front of the Temple, to protect the king. 11 Then Jehoiada led Joash out, placed the crown on his head, and gave him a copy of the laws governing kingship. And so he was made king. Jehoiada the priest and his sons anointed Joash, and everyone shouted, “Long live the king!”
12 Athaliah heard the people cheering for the king, so she hurried to the Temple, where the crowd had gathered. 13 There she saw the new king at the Temple entrance, standing by the column reserved for kings and surrounded by the army officers and the trumpeters. All the people were shouting joyfully and blowing trumpets, and the Temple musicians with their instruments were leading the celebration. She tore her clothes in distress and shouted, “Treason! Treason!”
14 Jehoiada did not want Athaliah killed in the Temple area, so he called out the army officers and said, “Take her out between the rows of guards, and kill anyone who tries to rescue her.”
15 They seized her, took her to the palace, and there at the Horse Gate they killed her.
Jehoiada's Reforms(C)
16 The priest Jehoiada had King Joash and the people join him in making a covenant that they would be the Lord's people. 17 Then they all went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols there and killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, in front of the altars. 18 Jehoiada put the priests and Levites in charge of the work of the Temple. They were to carry out the duties assigned to them by King David and to burn the sacrifices offered to the Lord in accordance with the Law of Moses. They were also in charge of the music and the celebrations. 19 Jehoiada also put guards on duty at the Temple gates to keep out anyone who was ritually unclean.
20 The army officers, the leading citizens, the officials, and all the rest of the people joined Jehoiada in a procession that brought the king from the Temple to the palace. They entered by the main gate, and the king took his place on the throne. 21 All the people were filled with happiness, and the city was quiet, now that Athaliah had been killed.
2 Chronicles 23
New King James Version
Joash Crowned King of Judah(A)
23 In (B)the seventh year (C)Jehoiada strengthened himself, and made a covenant with the captains of hundreds: Azariah the son of Jeroham, Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, Azariah the son of (D)Obed, Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri. 2 And they went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah, and the (E)chief fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.
3 Then all the assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said to them, “Behold, the king’s son shall reign, as the Lord has (F)said of the sons of David. 4 This is what you shall do: One-third of you (G)entering on the Sabbath, of the priests and the Levites, shall be keeping watch over the doors; 5 one-third shall be at the king’s house; and one-third at the Gate of the Foundation. All the people shall be in the courts of the house of the Lord. 6 But let no one come into the house of the Lord except the priests and (H)those of the Levites who serve. They may go in, for they are holy; but all the people shall keep the watch of the Lord. 7 And the Levites shall surround the king on all sides, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whoever comes into the house, let him be put to death. You are to be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.”
8 So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded. And each man took his men who were to be on duty on the Sabbath, with those who were going off duty on the Sabbath; for Jehoiada the priest had not dismissed (I)the divisions. 9 And Jehoiada the priest gave to the captains of hundreds the spears and the large and small (J)shields which had belonged to King David, that were in the temple of God. 10 Then he set all the people, every man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, along by the altar and by the temple, all around the king. 11 And they brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, (K)gave him the [a]Testimony, and made him king. Then Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, “Long live the king!”
Death of Athaliah(L)
12 Now when (M)Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people in the temple of the Lord. 13 When she looked, there was the king standing by his pillar at the entrance; and the leaders and the trumpeters were by the king. All the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, also the singers with musical instruments, and (N)those who led in praise. So Athaliah tore her clothes and said, (O)“Treason! Treason!”
14 And Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds who were set over the army, and said to them, “Take her outside under guard, and slay with the sword whoever follows her.” For the priest had said, “Do not kill her in the house of the Lord.”
15 So they seized her; and she went by way of the entrance (P)of the Horse Gate into the king’s house, and they killed her there.
16 Then Jehoiada made a (Q)covenant between himself, the people, and the king, that they should be the Lord’s people. 17 And all the people went to the [b]temple of Baal, and tore it down. They broke in pieces its altars and images, and (R)killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. 18 Also Jehoiada appointed the oversight of the house of the Lord to the hand of the priests, the Levites, whom David had (S)assigned in the house of the Lord, to offer the burnt offerings of the Lord, as it is written in the (T)Law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as it was established by David. 19 And he set the (U)gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the Lord, so that no one who was in any way unclean should enter.
20 (V)Then he took the captains of hundreds, the nobles, the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought the king down from the house of the Lord; and they went through the Upper Gate to the king’s house, and set the king on the throne of the kingdom. 21 So all the people of the land rejoiced; and the city was quiet, for they had slain Athaliah with the sword.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 23:11 Law, Ex. 25:16, 21; 31:18
- 2 Chronicles 23:17 Lit. house
2 Krönikeboken 23
Swedish New Living Bible (Nya Levande Bibeln)
Joas blir kung
23 I drottning Ataljas sjunde regeringsår fattade prästen Jojada mod och sammankallade vissa arméofficerare till en hemlig överläggning. Det var Asarja, Jerohams son, Ismael, Johanans son, Asarja, Obeds son, Maaseja, Adajas son och Elisafat, Sikris son.
2-3 Dessa män reste i hemlighet ut över hela landet för att berätta om Jojadas planer för leviterna och familjernas huvudmän och uppmanade dem att komma till Jerusalem. Där svor de trohet mot den unge kungen, som fortfarande fanns gömd i templet.Nu är tiden inne för kungens son att inta tronen! sa Jojada. Herrens löfte att en ättling till kung David ska vara kung kommer att bli verklighet igen!
4 Så här ska ni göra: En tredjedel av er, präster och leviter, som tjänstgör på sabbaten, ska bevaka alla dörrar,
5-6 en tredjedel ska gå över till palatset, och en tredjedel ska finnas vid Nedre porten. Alla andra måste stanna på templets yttre förgård. Bara präster och leviter i tjänst får gå in i själva templet, eftersom bara de är invigda för detta.
7 Ni leviter ska utgöra kungens livvakt. Håll era vapen i beredskap och döda alla obehöriga som går in i templet. Och håll er nära kungen vad som än händer!
8 Alla gjorde som de blivit beordrade av Jojada. Var och en av de tre ledarna anförde sin del av de präster som infunnit sig till tjänst på sabbaten och av dem som avslutade sitt arbetspass, för översteprästen Jojada lät dem inte gå hem.
9 Sedan såg Jojada till att arméofficerarna fick spjut och sköldar i händerna, vapen som hade tillhört kung David och funnits förvarade i templet.
10 De beväpnade officerarna bildade kedja runt kungen, från ena sidan till den andra framför templet och runt altaret på den yttre förgården.
11 Sedan förde de ut den lille prinsen, satte en krona på hans huvud, gav honom Guds lag och utropade honom till kung.Länge leve kungen! ljöd ropet, när Jojada och hans söner smorde honom.
12 När drottning Atalja hörde all uppståndelse och de höga leveropen för kungen, rusade hon iväg till templet för att se vad som stod på. Där fick hon se kungen stå vid den pelare som brukade vara kungens plats i templet. Officerarna och trumpetarna och folk från hela landet fanns runt honom. Folket jublade och prästerna lät trumpeterna ljuda. Sångarna och musikanterna ledde folket i lovsång.Då rev Atalja sönder sina kläder och ropade: Förräderi! Förräderi!
13-14 För ut henne och döda henne, ropade prästen Jojada till officerarna. Men gör det inte här i templet! Och döda alla som försöker rädda henne!
15-17 Folkmassan öppnade väg för dem, så att de kunde föra ut Atalja, och de dödade henne vid palatsets stallar.Sedan upprättade Jojada ett förbund mellan sig, kungen och folket att de skulle tillhöra Herren. Folkmassan rusade därefter över till Baals tempel, rev ner det och bröt sönder alla altaren och avgudabilder. Mattan, Baals präst, dödades framför altaret.
18 Jojada utsåg sedan levitiska präster som vakter och till att bära fram brännoffer åt Herren, som det var föreskrivet i Moses lag, och han gjorde samma indelning av den levitiska släkten som kung David hade gjort. Alla sjöng av glädje medan de arbetade,
19 och vakterna vid tempelporten såg till att allt som inte var helgat och alla obehöriga personer hölls utanför templet.
20 Sedan ledde officerarna, furstarna, styresmännen och allt folket ut kungen från templet till palatset via Övre porten och satte honom på tronen.
21 Alla i hela landet var glada och tacksamma, och staden fick lugn och ro nu när drottning Atalja var död.
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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