Joash Crowned as Our Father's Promised King
Jehoiada organises the guards, brings out the hidden boy, crowns him and shouts long live the king. Athaliah is marched outside the temple to be killed, Baal's temple is torn down, and priest, people and king covenant together to be our Father's people.
23 1In the seventh year Jehoiada took courage and made a covenant with the commanders of hundreds—Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zichri. 2They traveled through Judah, gathered the Levites from all its cities and the family heads of Israel, and came to Jerusalem. 3The whole assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of our Father. Jehoiada told them, "Look, the king's son will reign, as our Father promised about David's sons. 4Do this: a third of you—priests and Levites entering on the Sabbath—will be gatekeepers at the thresholds." 5A third at the king's house, a third at the Gate of the Foundation, and all the people in the courts of the house of our Father. 6Let no one enter the house of our Father except the priests and the serving Levites; they may enter, for they are holy. Everyone else is to keep guard for our Father. 7The Levites must surround the king, each with weapon in hand; whoever enters the house is to be put to death. Stay with the king wherever he comes and goes.
8The Levites and all Judah did exactly as Jehoiada the priest commanded. Each took his men—those coming on duty the Sabbath with those going off—since Jehoiada the priest did not dismiss any of the divisions. 9Jehoiada the priest gave the commanders of hundreds King David's spears and large and small shields, kept in our Father's house. 10He stationed all the people, each with weapon in hand, from the south side of the temple to the north side, surrounding the altar, the temple, and the king. 11They brought out the king's son, crowned him, gave him the covenant law, and made him king. Jehoiada and his sons anointed him and shouted, "Long live the king!" a a v11 The testimony was a copy of our Father's covenant law, placed in the new king's hands as the sign that he ruled under our Father's authority, not his own.
Our Father's House Expels the Usurper Queen
12Hearing the sound of people running and praising the king, Athaliah came to them at our Father's house. 13She looked—there was the king standing by his pillar at the entrance, officers and trumpeters beside him, all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets, singers with instruments leading the praise. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and shouted, "Treason! Treason!"
14Jehoiada the priest summoned the commanders of hundreds over the army and said, "March her out through the ranks; kill with the sword anyone who follows her." For the priest had said, "Do not kill her in the house of our Father." 15They seized her; when she reached the Horse Gate's entrance by the king's house, they killed her there.
Jehoiada Restores Our Father's Covenant and House
16Then Jehoiada made a covenant among himself, all the people, and the king to be our Father's people. 17All the people went to Baal's temple and tore it down, smashed its altars and idols, and killed Mattan, Baal's priest, before the altars. 18Jehoiada put the Levite priests in charge of our Father's house, whom David had assigned there, to offer burnt offerings to our Father, as written in Moses' law, with joy and song as David had ordered. 19He stationed gatekeepers at the gates of our Father's house so no one unclean in any way could enter. 20He took the commanders of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought the king down from the house of our Father, through the Upper Gate into the king's house, and seated him on the royal throne. 21All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city grew calm, for Athaliah was killed with the sword.
