1
And in the seventhyearJehoiadastrengthened 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 congregationmade a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said unto them, Behold, the king'sson shall reign, as the LORD hath said of the sons of David.
5
And a third part shall be at the king'shouse; 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 compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whosoever 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 Judahdid 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 priestdismissed not the courses.
9
Moreover Jehoiada the priestdelivered to the captains of hundredsspears, and bucklers, and shields, that had been kingDavid's, which were in the house of God.
10
And he set all the people, every man having his weapon in his hand, from the rightside of the temple to the leftside of the temple, along by the altar and the temple, by the king round about.
11
Then they brought out the king'sson, and put upon him the crown, and gave him the testimony, and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sonsanointed him, and said, God save the king.
13
And she looked, and, behold, the kingstood at his pillar at the entering in, and the princes and the trumpets by the king: and all the people of the landrejoiced, and sounded with trumpets, also the singers with instruments of musick, and such as taught to sing praise. Then Athaliahrent her clothes, and said, Treason,Treason.
14
Then Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds that were set over the host, and said unto them, Have her forth of the ranges*: and whoso followeth* her, let him be slain with the sword. For the priestsaid, Slay her not in the house of the LORD.
17
Then all the peoplewent to the house of Baal, and brake it down, and brake his altars and his images in pieces, and slewMattan the priest of Baalbefore the altars.
18
Also Jehoiadaappointed the offices of the house of the LORD by the hand of the priests the Levites, whom David had distributed in the house of the LORD, to offer the burnt offerings of the LORD, as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as it was ordained byDavid.
20
And he took the captains of hundreds, and the nobles, and the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought down the king from the house of the LORD: and they camethrough the highgate into the king'shouse, and set the king upon the throne of the kingdom.