Joash Crowned as Our Father's Promised King
23 1 In the seventh year Jehoiada took courage and entered into 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. a a v1 Commanders of hundreds: military officers each responsible for a unit of one hundred soldiers. 2 They went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah, along with the heads of the families of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem. 3 The whole assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of our Father. Jehoiada said to them, "Look, the king's son will reign, just as our Father promised concerning the sons of David." 4 This is what you are to do: a third of you, the priests and Levites who come on duty on the Sabbath, will serve as gatekeepers at the thresholds; 5 a third will be at the king's house, and a third at the Gate of the Foundation; and all the people will be in the courts of the house of our Father. 6 But let no one enter the house of our Father except the priests and the ministering Levites; they may enter, for they are holy. All the rest of the people are to stand guard for our Father. 7 The Levites are to surround the king, each man with his weapons in hand, and anyone who enters the house is to be put to death. Stay with the king wherever he comes and goes.
8 The Levites and all Judah did everything Jehoiada the priest had commanded. Each took his men—those going off duty on the Sabbath together with those coming on duty—for Jehoiada the priest did not dismiss any of the divisions. 9 Jehoiada the priest gave the commanders of hundreds the spears and the large and small shields that had belonged to King David, which were in the house of our Father. 10 He stationed all the people, each man with his weapon in hand, from the south side of the temple to the north side, around the altar and the temple, surrounding the king. 11 Then they brought out the king's son, placed the crown on him, gave him the covenant law, and proclaimed him king. Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and they shouted, "Long live the king!" b b 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
12 When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to them at the house of our Father. 13 She looked and saw the king standing by his pillar at the entrance, with the commanders and the trumpeters beside him. All the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, while the singers with their instruments led the praise. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and cried out, "Treason! Treason!"
14 Jehoiada the priest brought out the commanders of hundreds in charge of the army and said to them, "Bring her out between the ranks, and put to the sword anyone who follows her." For the priest had said, "Do not put her to death in the house of our Father." 15 So they seized her, and when she reached the entrance of the Horse Gate by the king's house, they put her to death there.
Jehoiada Restores Our Father's Covenant and House
16 Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and all the people and the king, that they would be our Father's people. 17 Then all the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed its altars and idols and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. 18 Jehoiada put the Levitical priests in charge of the house of our Father, whom David had assigned there, to offer the burnt offerings to our Father as written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and song as David had directed. 19 He stationed gatekeepers at the gates of the house of our Father, so that no one unclean in any way could enter. 20 He 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. They went through the Upper Gate into the king's house and seated the king on the royal throne. 21 All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was at peace, for Athaliah had been put to the sword.