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]

10 ^[a]Those who sealed it were:

³ Now let us make a covenant^(A) before our God to send away^(B) all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law.

³¹ The king stood by his pillar^(A) and renewed the covenant^(B) in the presence of the Lord—to follow^(C) the Lord and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, and to obey the words of the covenant written in this book.

¹⁰ Now I intend to make a covenant^(A) with the Lord, the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger^(B) will turn away from us.

¹⁶ Jehoiada then made a covenant^(A) that he, the people and the king^[a] would be the Lord’s people.

³ The king stood by the pillar^(A) and renewed the covenant^(B) in the presence of the Lord—to follow^(C) the Lord and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant.

¹² They entered into a covenant^(A) to seek the Lord,^(B) the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul. ¹³ All who would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, were to be put to death,^(C) whether small or great, man or woman.