New Living Translation NLT
The Message Bible MSG
1 In the seventh year of Athaliah’s reign, Jehoiada the priest decided to act. He summoned his courage and made a pact with five army commanders: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zicri.
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In the seventh year the priest Jehoiada decided to make his move and worked out a strategy with certain influential officers in the army. He picked Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zicri as his associates.
2 These men traveled secretly throughout Judah and summoned the Levites and clan leaders in all the towns to come to Jerusalem.
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They dispersed throughout Judah and called in the Levites from all the towns in Judah along with the heads of families. They met in Jerusalem.
3 They all gathered at the Temple of God, where they made a solemn pact with Joash, the young king. Jehoiada said to them, “Here is the king’s son! The time has come for him to reign! The LORD has promised that a descendant of David will be our king.
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The gathering met in The Temple of God. They made a covenant there in The Temple.
4 This is what you must do. When you priests and Levites come on duty on the Sabbath, a third of you will serve as gatekeepers.
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Now this is what you must do: A third of you priests and Levites who come on duty on the Sabbath are to be posted as security guards at the gates
5 Another third will go over to the royal palace, and the final third will be at the Foundation Gate. Everyone else should stay in the courtyards of the LORD ’s Temple.
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another third will guard the palace; and the other third will guard the foundation gate. All the people will gather in the courtyards of The Temple of God.
6 Remember, only the priests and Levites on duty may enter the Temple of the LORD, for they are set apart as holy. The rest of the people must obey the LORD ’s instructions and stay outside.
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No one may enter The Temple of God except the priests and designated Levites - they are permitted in because they've been consecrated, but all the people must do the work assigned them.
7 You Levites, form a bodyguard around the king and keep your weapons in hand. Kill anyone who tries to enter the Temple. Stay with the king wherever he goes.”
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The Levites are to form a ring around the young king, weapons at the ready. Kill anyone who tries to break through your ranks. Your job is to stay with the king at all times and places, coming and going."
8 So the Levites and all the people of Judah did everything as Jehoiada the priest ordered. The commanders took charge of the men reporting for duty that Sabbath, as well as those who were going off duty. Jehoiada the priest did not let anyone go home after their shift ended.
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All the Levites and officers obeyed the orders of Jehoiada the priest. Each took charge of his men, both those who came on duty on the Sabbath and those who went off duty on the Sabbath, for Jehoiada the priest hadn't exempted any of them from duty.
9 Then Jehoiada supplied the commanders with the spears and the large and small shields that had once belonged to King David and were stored in the Temple of God.
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Then the priest armed the officers with spears and the large and small shields originally belonging to King David that were stored in The Temple of God.
10 He stationed all the people around the king, with their weapons ready. They formed a line from the south side of the Temple around to the north side and all around the altar.
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Well-armed, the guards took up their assigned positions for protecting the king, from one end of The Temple to the other, surrounding both Altar and Temple.
11 Then Jehoiada and his sons brought out Joash, the king’s son, placed the crown on his head, and presented him with a copy of God’s laws. They anointed him and proclaimed him king, and everyone shouted, “Long live the king!”
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Then the priest brought the prince into view, crowned him, handed him the scroll of God's covenant, and made him king. As Jehoiada and his sons anointed him they shouted, "Long live the king!"
12 When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and the shouts of praise to the king, she hurried to the LORD ’s Temple to see what was happening.
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Athaliah, hearing all the commotion, the people running around and praising the king, came to The Temple to see what was going on.
13 When she arrived, she saw the newly crowned king standing in his place of authority by the pillar at the Temple entrance. The commanders and trumpeters were surrounding him, and people from all over the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. Singers with musical instruments were leading the people in a great celebration. When Athaliah saw all this, she tore her clothes in despair and shouted, “Treason! Treason!”
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Astonished, she saw the young king standing at the entrance flanked by the captains and heralds, with everybody beside themselves with joy, trumpets blaring, the choir and orchestra leading the praise. Athaliah ripped her robes in dismay and shouted, "Treason! Treason!"
14 Then Jehoiada the priest ordered the commanders who were in charge of the troops, “Take her to the soldiers in front of the Temple, and kill anyone who tries to rescue her.” For the priest had said, “She must not be killed in the Temple of the LORD .”
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Jehoiada the priest ordered the military officers, "Drag her outside - and kill anyone who tries to follow her!" (The priest had said, "Don't kill her inside The Temple of God."
15 So they seized her and led her out to the entrance of the Horse Gate on the palace grounds, and they killed her there.
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So they dragged her out to the palace's horse corral and there they killed her.
16 Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and the king and the people that they would be the LORD ’s people.
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Jehoiada now made a covenant between himself and the king and the people: they were to be God's special people.
17 And all the people went over to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They demolished the altars and smashed the idols, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.
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The people poured into the temple of Baal and tore it down, smashing altar and images to smithereens. They killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altar.
18 Jehoiada now put the priests and Levites in charge of the Temple of the LORD, following all the directions given by David. He also commanded them to present burnt offerings to the LORD, as prescribed by the Law of Moses, and to sing and rejoice as David had instructed.
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Jehoiada turned the care of God's Temple over to the priests and Levites, the way David had directed originally. They were to offer the Whole-Burnt-Offerings of God as set out in The Revelation of Moses, and with praise and song as directed by David.
19 He also stationed gatekeepers at the gates of the LORD ’s Temple to keep out those who for any reason were ceremonially unclean.
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He also assigned security guards at the gates of God's Temple so that no one who was unprepared could enter
20 Then the commanders, nobles, rulers, and all the people of the land escorted the king from the Temple of the LORD . They went through the upper gate and into the palace, and they seated the king on the royal throne.
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Then he got everyone together - officers, nobles, governors, and the people themselves - and escorted the king down from The Temple of God, through the Upper Gate, and placed him on the royal throne.
21 So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was peaceful because Athaliah had been killed.
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Everybody celebrated the event. And the city was safe and undisturbed - Athaliah had been killed; no more Athaliah terror
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.