2 Chronicles 23:1-8 ▼

1 Then in the seventh year, Jehoiada strengthened himself and made a covenant with the commanders of hundreds— with Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zichri.

2 So they went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah and the heads of the families of Israel. And when they came to Jerusalem,

3 the whole assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. “Behold, the king’s son!” said Jehoiada. “He must reign, just as the LORD promised concerning the descendants of David.

4 This is what you are to do: A third of you priests and Levites who come on duty on the Sabbath shall keep watch at the doors,

5 a third shall be at the royal palace, and a third at the Foundation Gate, while all the others are in the courtyards of the house of the LORD.

6 No one is to enter the house of the LORD except the priests and those Levites who serve; they may enter because they are consecrated, but all the people are to obey the requirement of the LORD.

7 The Levites must surround the king with weapons in hand, and anyone who enters the temple must be put to death. You must stay close to the king wherever he goes.”

8 So the Levites and all Judah did everything that Jehoiada the priest had ordered. Each of them took his men— those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty — for Jehoiada the priest had not released any of the divisions.