⁴ In the seventh year Jehoiada sent for the commanders of units of a hundred, the Carites^(A) and the guards and had them brought to him at the temple of the Lord. He made a covenant with them and put them under oath at the temple of the Lord. Then he showed them the king’s son.

¹⁹ He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the Carites,^(A) the guards and all the people of the land, and together they brought the king down from the temple of the Lord and went into the palace, entering by way of the gate of the guards. The king then took his place on the royal throne.

⁹ The commanders of units of a hundred did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each one took his men—those who were going on duty on the Sabbath and those who were going off duty—and came to Jehoiada the priest.

¹² They entered into a covenant^(A) to seek the Lord,^(B) the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul.

¹⁷ Jehoiada then made a covenant^(A) between the Lord and the king and people that they would be the Lord’s people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people.^(B)

²⁶ At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people^(A) would stone them.

²⁴ On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests^(A) were at a loss, wondering what this might lead to.

The Agreement of the People

³⁸ “In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement,^(A) putting it in writing,^(B) and our leaders, our Levites and our priests are affixing their seals to it.”^[a]

¹² “We will give it back,” they said. “And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.”

Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath^(A) to do what they had promised.