2 Chronicles 23:1-10 ▼

1 AND in the seventh year Jehoiadah strengthened himself and took the captains of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jeruham and Ishmael the son of Johanan and Azariah the son of Obed and Shemiah the son of Ido and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, and they made a covenant together.

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

3 And all the congregation made a covenant in the presence of the king in the house of the LORD. And Jehoiadah said to them. Behold, the king's son shall reign over you, as the LORD has spoken to David his servant.

4 This is the thing that you shall do: a third part of you who enter the temple on the sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites and of the porters shall be on guard;

5 And a third part shall be at the king's house; and a third part at the cook's gate: and all the people shall be on guard in the court of the house of the LORD.

6 But let no one enter the house of the LORD except the priests and the Levites; they shall enter, for they are holy: but all the people shall keep watch over the house of the LORD.

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

8 So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiadah the priest had commanded, and every man took his men who were to keep watch on the sabbath, with those who were to go out on the sabbath; for Jehoiadah the priest had dismissed them from their duties.

9 Moreover Jehoiadah the priest delivered spears and bucklers and shields to the captains of hundreds that had been King David's, which were in the house of the LORD.

10 And all the people stood up, 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, and by the king round about.