Joash Crowned King of Judah

1And 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 himself.

2And they went about in Judah, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the heads of the fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.

3And all the congregation made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said unto them, Behold, the king's son shall reign, as the LORD has said of the sons of David.

4This is the thing that you shall do; A third part of you entering on the sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be gatekeepers of the doors;

5And 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.

6But let none come into the house of the LORD, except 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.

7And the Levites shall surround the king, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whosoever else comes into the house, he shall be put to death: but you be with the king when he comes in, and when he goes out.

8So the Levites and all Judah did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest had commanded, and took everyone his men that were to come on duty on the sabbath, with them that were to go off duty on the sabbath: for Jehoiada the priest dismissed not the divisions.

9Moreover Jehoiada the priest delivered to the captains of hundreds spears, and large, and small shields, that had been king David's, which were in the house of God.

10And he set all the people, every man having his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, along by the altar and the temple, all around the king.

11Then they brought out the king's son, and put upon him the crown, and gave him the testimony, and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, Long live the king.

Death of Athaliah

12Now when Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people into the house of the LORD:

13And she looked, and, behold, the king stood at his pillar at the entrance, and the leaders and the trumpeters by the king: and all the people of the land rejoiced, and sounded with trumpets, also the singers with instruments of music, and such as taught to sing praise. Then Athaliah tore her clothes, and said, Treason, Treason.

14Then Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds that were set over the army, and said unto them, Bring her forth between the ranks: and whoever follows her, let him be slain with the sword. For the priest said, Slay her not in the house of the LORD.

15So they laid hands on her; and when she had come to the entrance of the horse gate by the king's house, they killed her there.

16And Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, and all the people, and the king, that they should be the LORD'S people.

17Then all the people went to the house of Baal, and broke it down, and broke its altars and its images in pieces, and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

18Also Jehoiada appointed the oversight of the house of the LORD to the hands of the priests, the Levites, whom David had assigned 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 by David.

19And he set the gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the LORD, that none which was unclean in anything should enter in.

20And 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 came through the high gate into the king's house, and set the king upon the throne of the kingdom.

21And all the people of the land rejoiced: and the city was quiet, after they had slain Athaliah with the sword.