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2 Chronicles 23:1-15
Evangelical Heritage Version

Jehoiada Anoints Joash as King

23 In the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself[a] by entering into a covenant with the commanders of the hundreds, namely, Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Ma’aseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zikri. 2 They went around Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah and the leading fathers of Israel, who came to Jerusalem.

3 The whole assembly made a covenant with the king in the House of God. Jehoiada said to them:

Look! Here is the king’s son. He will rule as king, just as the Lord has promised concerning the sons of David.

4 This is what you will do. One third of you who are coming on duty on the Sabbath to perform your duties as priests and Levites are to guard the gates. 5 One third of you will be in the palace of the king, and one third at the Foundation Gate.[b] All the people will be stationed in the courtyards of the House of the Lord.

6 No one will come into the house[c] of the Lord except the priests and the Levites who are serving. They are allowed to enter because they are holy. All the rest of the people will follow the directions of the Lord.

7 The Levites will completely surround the king, each with his weapons in his hand. Anyone who enters the house will be put to death. You accompany the king when he comes in and goes out.

8 The Levites and all Judah did exactly as Jehoiada the priest had commanded. Each leader combined the men coming on duty on the Sabbath with those going off duty on the Sabbath, because Jehoiada the priest did not dismiss the divisions.

9 Jehoiada the priest gave the commanders of the hundreds the spears, the large shields, and the small shields[d] which belonged to King David and which were in the House of God. 10 He stationed all the people, each man with his weapon in his hand, in a circle from the south side of the temple building to the north side of the building, around the altar and all around the building, completely surrounding the king.

11 Then they brought out the king’s son. They set the crown on him and gave him the Testimony,[e] and they made him king. Jehoiada and his sons anointed him and said, “Long live the king!”

Athaliah’s Death

12 When Athaliah heard the noise made by the people who were running and praising the king, she went to the crowd of people at the House of the Lord. 13 She looked, and there was the king standing by his pillar at the entrance. The officials and the trumpeters were beside the king. All the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing the trumpets. The singers with their musical instruments were leading the praise. Athaliah tore her clothes and shouted, “Treason! Treason!”

14 Then Jehoiada the priest brought out the commanders who were in charge of the units of a hundred in the army. He told them, “Bring her out between the ranks. Anyone who follows her is to be put to death with the sword,” but the priest also told them, “You must not put her to death in the House of the Lord.” 15 So they laid their hands on her, and she was taken to the entrance of the Horse Gate by the palace of the king, where she was put to death.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 23:1 Or showed his courage
  2. 2 Chronicles 23:5 In 2 Kings 11:6 this is called the Sur Gate.
  3. 2 Chronicles 23:6 The term house here refers to the sanctuary building itself and the area immediately surrounding it. See also verses 7 and 10. In this part of Chronicles the Hebrew word for house (beth) is used in different senses. It may be a name for the entire temple complex, including the courtyards for the laypeople, or it may refer only to the sanctuary building, where the priests officiated. The translation distinguishes these uses by using House of the Lord as the title of the whole complex and house or building when the reference is only to the sanctuary building itself. The word house is also used to refer to the king’s palace.
  4. 2 Chronicles 23:9 Or quivers
  5. 2 Chronicles 23:11 Probably a copy of the Law
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2 Chronicles 23:1-15
Lexham English Bible

Joash Is Made King

23 And in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself and took with him into a covenant relationship 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 Zicri. 2 And they went around in Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah, and the heads of the families[a] of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem. 3 And all the assembly made[b] a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said to them, “Behold, the son of the king shall reign as Yahweh has spoken concerning the sons of David. 4 This is the thing that you must do: one third of you priests and Levites coming off duty on the Sabbath[c] shall be gatekeepers at the entrances, 5 and one third at the house of the king, and one third at the Gate of the Foundation. And all the people shall be in the courtyards of the house of Yahweh. 6 Let no one enter into the house of Yahweh except the priests and the ministering Levites. They themselves may enter, for they are holy, but all the people shall keep the requirements of Yahweh. 7 And the Levites shall surround the king all around, each with his weapons in his hand. And whoever comes into the house shall be put to death. You shall be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.”

8 And the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded. And they each took his men who were coming off duty on the Sabbath[d] with the ones going out to duty on the Sabbath,[e] for Jehoiada the priest did not dismiss the working groups. 9 And Jehoiada the priest gave the spears and small shields that had belonged to King David that were in the house of God to the commanders of hundreds. 10 And he appointed all the people, each 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 son of the king and set upon him the crown and gave him the statute and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him and said, “Long live the king!”[f]

12 When Athaliah heard the sound of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people at the house of Yahweh. 13 And she looked and, behold, the king was standing by his column at the entrance, and the commanders and trumpeters beside the king, along with all the people of the land, rejoicing and blowing with trumpets, and the singers with the instruments of song leading the praise. And Athaliah tore her garments and cried, “Conspiracy! Conspiracy!” 14 Then Jehoiada the priest brought out the commanders of the hundreds appointed over the troops, and he said to them, “Bring her out between the ranks, and whoever goes after her shall be put to death with the sword.” For the priest had said, “You must not kill her in the house of Yahweh.” 15 And they laid hands on her, and she went into the entrance of the Horse Gate of the house of the king, and they killed her there.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 23:2 Literally “fathers”
  2. 2 Chronicles 23:3 Literally “cut”
  3. 2 Chronicles 23:4 Literally “coming the Sabbath”
  4. 2 Chronicles 23:8 Literally “coming the Sabbath”
  5. 2 Chronicles 23:8 Literally “going out the Sabbath”
  6. 2 Chronicles 23:11 Or “May the king live!”
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2 Chronicles 22
2 Chronicles 24
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Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV)

The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.

Lexham English Bible (LEB)

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