1
And in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took the captains of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jeroham, and Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, and Azariah the son of Obed, and Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, into covenant with him.
2
And they went about in Judah, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the chief of the fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.
3
And all the congregation made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said to them, Behold, the king's son shall reign, as the LORD hath said of the sons of David.
4
This [is] the thing that ye shall do: A third part of you entering on the sabbath, of the priests, and of the Levites, [shall be] porters of the doors
5
And a third part [shall be] at the king's house; and a third part at the gate of the foundation: and all the people [shall be] in the courts of the house of the LORD.
6
But let none come into the house of the LORD, save the priests, and they that minister of the Levites; they shall go in, for they [are] holy: but all the people shall keep the watch of the LORD.
7
And the Levites shall encompass the king, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whoever [else] cometh into the house, he shall be put to death: but be ye with the king when he cometh in, and when he goeth out.
8
So the Levites and all Judah did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest had commanded, and took every man his men that were to come in on the sabbath, with them that were to go [out] on the sabbath: for Jehoiada the priest dismissed not the courses.