The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 In the seventh year Y'hoyada took courage and formed a conspiracy with certain captains of hundred-man platoons -'Azaryah the son of Yerocham, Yishma'el the son of Y'hochanan, 'Azaryah the son of 'Oved, Ma'aseiyahu the son of 'Adayahu and Elishafat the son of Zikhri.
1
In the seventh year, Jehoiada made himself strong, and made an agreement with the captains of hundreds, Azariah, the son of Jeroham, Ishmael, the son of Jehohanan, Azariah, the son of Obed, Maaseiah, the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat, the son of Zichri.
2 They canvassed Y'hudah and gathered the L'vi'im from all the cities of Y'hudah, together with the clan heads of Isra'el, and came to Yerushalayim.
2
And they went through Judah, getting together the Levites and the heads of families in Israel from all the towns of Judah, and they came to Jerusalem.
3 The whole assembly made an agreement with the king in the house of God. [Y'hoyada] addressed them: "Here! The king's son will reign, as ADONAI said in regard to the descendants of David!
3
And all the people made an agreement with the king in the house of God. And he said to them, Truly, the king's son will be king, as the Lord has said about the sons of David.
4 Here is what you are to do: of you cohanim and L'vi'im who come on duty on Shabbat, a third are to guard the gates
4
This is what you are to do: let a third of you, of the priests and Levites, who come in on the Sabbath, keep the doors
5 a third the royal palace and a third the Gate of the Foundation; while all the people are to remain in the courtyards of the house of ADONAI.
5
And a third are to be stationed at the king's house; and a third at the doorway of the horses: while all the people are waiting in the open spaces round the house of the Lord.
6 No one is to enter the house of ADONAI except the cohanim and those L'vi'im who are actually performing the service. These may enter, because they are holy; but all the people are to observe ADONAI's order.
6
But let no one come into the house of the Lord but only the priests and those of the Levites who have work to do there; they may go in for they are holy; but the rest of the people are to keep the orders of the Lord.
7 The L'vi'im are to surround the king, each man with his weapons in his hand. Anyone who enters the house is to be killed. Stay with the king whenever he enters or leaves."
7
And the Levites are to make a circle round the king, every man being armed; and any man who comes into the house is to be put to death; you are to keep with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.
8 The L'vi'im and all Y'hudah did exactly as Y'hoyada the cohen ordered. Each took his men, those coming on duty on Shabbat and those going off duty on Shabbat (for Y'hoyada the cohen did not dismiss the divisions).
8
So the Levites and all Judah did as Jehoiada the priest had given them orders: every one took with him his men, those who were to come in and those who were to go out on the Sabbath; for Jehoiada had not sent away the divisions.
9 Y'hoyada the cohen issued to the captains of hundreds the spears and the large and small shields that had been King David's and were kept in the house of God.
9
Then Jehoiada the priest gave to the captains of hundreds the spears and body-covers which had been King David's and which were kept in the house of God.
10 He then positioned all the people, each man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, alongside the altar, alongside [the exterior of] the house and around the king.
10
And he put all the people in position, every man with his instruments of war in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left, by the altar and the house and all round the king.
11 Then they brought out the king's son, crowned him, gave him [a copy of] the testimony and thus made him king. Y'hoyada and his sons anointed him, and they shouted, "Long live the king!"
11
Then they made the king's son come out, and they put the crown on his head and gave him the arm-bands and made him king: and Jehoiada and his sons put the holy oil on him and said, Long life to the king.
12 When 'Atalyah heard the sound of the people running and praising the king, she entered the house of ADONAI where the people were,
12
Now Athaliah, hearing the noise of the people running and praising the king, came to the people in the house of the Lord:
13 looked and saw the king standing there on his platform at the entrance, with the leaders and trumpeters next to the king. All the people of the land were celebrating and blowing the trumpets; while the singers with their musical instruments were leading songs of praise. At this, 'Atalyah tore her clothes and cried, "Treason! Treason!"
13
And looking, she saw the king in his place by the pillar at the doorway, and the captains and the horns by his side; and all the people of the land were giving signs of joy and sounding the horns; and the makers of melody were playing on instruments of music, taking the chief part in the song of praise. Then Athaliah, violently parting her robes, said, Broken faith, broken faith!
14 Y'hoyada the cohen brought out the captains of hundreds who were in charge of the army and said to them, "Escort her out past the ranks [of guards]; but anyone who follows her, let him be put to the sword." For the cohen had said, "Do not put her to death in the house of ADONAI.
14
Then Jehoiada the priest gave orders to the captains of hundreds who had authority over the army, saying, Take her outside the lines, and let anyone who goes after her be put to death with the sword. For the priest said, Let her not be put to death in the house of the Lord
15 So they took her by force and led her by the horses' entry to the king's palace, and there they put her to death.
15
So they put their hands on her, and she went to the king's house by the doorway of the king's horses; and there she was put to death.
16 Y'hoyada made a covenant between himself, all the people and the king, that they would be ADONAI's people.
16
And Jehoiada made an agreement between the Lord and all the people and the king, that they would be the Lord's people.
17 Then all the people went to the house of Ba'al and broke it down; they smashed his altars and images and killed Mattan the priest of Ba'al in front of the altars.
17
Then all the people went to the house of Baal and had it pulled down, and its altars and images broken up; and Mattan, the priest of Baal, they put to death before the altars.
18 Y'hoyada appointed officers for the house of ADONAI under the supervision of the cohanim and L'vi'im, whom David had assigned turns of duty in the house of ADONAI, to offer the burnt offerings of ADONAI, as written in the Torah of Moshe, with rejoicing and singing in keeping with David's orders.
18
And Jehoiada put the work and the care of the house of the Lord into the hands of the priests and the Levites, who had been grouped in divisions by David to make burned offerings to the Lord, as it is recorded in the law of Moses, with joy and song as David had said.
19 He stationed guards at the gates of the house of ADONAI, so that no one who was unclean in any respect could enter
19
And he put door-keepers at the doors of the Lord's house, to see that no one who was unclean in any way might come in
20 He took the captains of hundreds, the men of rank, the rulers of the people and all the people of the land; and they brought the king down from the house of ADONAI, going through the Upper Gate to the royal palace, and seated the king on the royal throne.
20
Then he took the captains of hundreds and the chiefs and the rulers of the people and all the people of the land, and they came down with the king from the house of the Lord through the higher doorway into the king's house, and put the king on the seat of the kingdom.
21 All the people of the land celebrated, and at last the city was quiet. That is how they killed 'Atalyah with the sword
21
So all the people of the land were glad and the town was quiet, for they had put Athaliah to death with the sword
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.