2 Chronicles 23

Joash Made King

1 m But in the seventh year Jehoiada took courage and entered into a covenant with the commanders 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 And they went about through n Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah, and the heads of fathers' houses of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem. 3 And all the assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And Jehoiada 1 said to them, "Behold, the king's son! Let him reign, o as the Lord spoke concerning the sons of David. 4 This is the thing that you shall do: p of you priests and Levites who come off duty on the Sabbath, one third shall be gatekeepers, 5 and one third shall be at the king's house and one third at the Gate of the Foundation. And all the people shall be in the courts of the house of the Lord. 6 Let no one enter the house of the Lord except the priests q and ministering Levites. They may enter, for they are holy, but all the people shall keep the charge of the Lord. 7 The Levites shall surround the king, each with his weapons in his hand. And whoever enters the house shall be put to death. Be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out."

8 The Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded, and they each brought his men, who were to go off duty on the Sabbath, with those who were to come on duty on the Sabbath, for Jehoiada the priest did not dismiss r the divisions. 9 And Jehoiada the priest gave to the captains the spears and the large and small shields that had been King David's, which were in the house of God. 10 And he set all the people as a guard for the king, every man with his weapon in his hand, from the south side of the house to the north side of the house, around the altar and the house. 11 Then they brought out the king's son and put the crown on him and gave him s the testimony. And they proclaimed him king, and Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and they said, t "Long live the king."

Athaliah Executed

12 When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she went into the house of the Lord to the people. 13 And when she looked, there was the king standing by his pillar at the entrance, and the captains and the trumpeters beside the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and the singers with their musical instruments leading in the celebration. And Athaliah tore her clothes and cried, "Treason! Treason!" 14 Then Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains who were set over the army, saying to them, "Bring her out between the ranks, and anyone who follows her is to be put to death with the sword." For the priest said, "Do not put her to death in the house of the Lord." 15 So they laid hands on her, 2 and she went into the entrance of u the horse gate of the king's house, and they put her to death there.

Jehoiada's Reforms

16 And Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and all the people and the king that they should be the Lord's people. 17 Then all the people went to the house of Baal and tore it down; his altars and his images they broke in pieces, v and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. 18 And Jehoiada posted watchmen for the house of the Lord under the direction of w the Levitical priests and the Levites x whom David had organized to be in charge of the house of the Lord, to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, y as it is written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, z according to the order of David. 19 He stationed a the gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the Lord so that no one should enter who was in any way unclean. 20 And he took the captains, the nobles, the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of the Lord, marching b through the upper gate to the king's house. And they set the king on the royal throne. 21 So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet after Athaliah had been put to death with the sword.

  1. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 23:1 - 21
    But in the seventh year Jehoiada took courage and entered into a covenant with the commanders 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 Kings 11:4 - 20
    But in the seventh year Jehoiada sent and brought the captains of the Carites and of the guards, and had them come to him in the house of the Lord. And he made a covenant with them and put them under oath in the house of the Lord, and he showed them the king's son.
  2. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 21:2
    He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.
  3. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 6:16
    Now therefore, O Lord, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father what you have promised him, saying, 'You shall not lack a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk in my law as you have walked before me.
  4. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 9:25
    And their kinsmen who were in their villages were obligated to come in every seven days, in turn, to be with these.
    1 Chronicles 24:4
    Since more chief men were found among the sons of Eleazar than among the sons of Ithamar, they organized them under sixteen heads of fathers' houses of the sons of Eleazar, and eight of the sons of Ithamar.
  5. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 23:27 - 29
    For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were numbered from twenty years old and upward.
  6. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 24:1
    The divisions of the sons of Aaron were these. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
  7. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 17:18 - 19
    And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests.
  8. Cross References
    1 Samuel 10:24
    And Samuel said to all the people, "Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen? There is none like him among all the people." And all the people shouted, "Long live the king!
  9. Cross References
    Nehemiah 3:28
    Above the Horse Gate the priests repaired, each one opposite his own house.
    Jeremiah 31:40
    The whole valley of the dead bodies and the ashes, and all the fields as far as the brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be sacred to the Lord. It shall not be uprooted or overthrown anymore forever.
    2 Kings 11:16
    So they laid hands on her; and she went through the horses' entrance to the king's house, and there she was put to death.
  10. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 13:9
    But you shall kill him. Your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people.
  11. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 5:5
    And they brought up the ark, the tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the tent; the Levitical priests brought them up.
    2 Chronicles 30:27
    Then the priests and the Levites arose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard, and their prayer came to his holy habitation in heaven.
  12. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 23:6
    And David organized them in divisions corresponding to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
    1 Chronicles 23:30 - 31
    And they were to stand every morning, thanking and praising the Lord, and likewise at evening.
    1 Chronicles 24:1
    The divisions of the sons of Aaron were these. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
  13. Cross References
    Numbers 28:2
    "Command the people of Israel and say to them, 'My offering, my food for my food offerings, my pleasing aroma, you shall be careful to offer to me at its appointed time.'
  14. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 25:2
    Of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asharelah, sons of Asaph, under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied under the direction of the king.
  15. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 26:1 - 19
    As for the divisions of the gatekeepers: of the Korahites, Meshelemiah the son of Kore, of the sons of Asaph.
  16. Cross References
    2 Kings 11:19
    And he took the captains, the Carites, the guards, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of the Lord, marching through the gate of the guards to the king's house. And he took his seat on the throne of the kings.
    2 Kings 15:35
    Nevertheless, the high places were not removed. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. He built the upper gate of the house of the Lord.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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