Jehoiada, having set things in order, maketh Joash king.

1 ¶ And in the seventhº yearº Jehoiadaº strengthened¹ª himself,² and tookºª² the captainsº of hundreds,º Azariahº the sonº of Jeroham,º and Ishmaelº the sonº of Jehohanan,º and Azariahº the sonº of Obed,º and Maaseiahº the sonº of Adaiah,º and Elishaphatº the sonº of Zichri,º into covenantº with² him. 2 And they went aboutºª in Judah,º and gatheredºª² the Levitesº out of all²² the citiesº of Judah,º and the chiefº of the fathersº of Israel,º and they cameºª to² Jerusalem.º 3 And all² the congregationº madeºª a covenantº with² the kingº in the houseº of God.º And he saidºª unto them, Behold,² the king'sº sonº shall reign,ºª as² the LORDº hath saidºª of² the sonsº of David.º 4 This² [is] the thingº that² ye shall do;ºª A third partº of² you enteringºª on the sabbath,º of the priestsº and of the Levites,º [shall be] portersº of the doors;º 5 And a third partº [shall be] at the king'sº house;º and a third partº at the gateº of the foundation:º and all² the peopleº [shall be] in the courtsº of the houseº of the LORD.º 6 But let none² comeºª into the houseº of the LORD,º save²² the priests,º and they that ministerºª of the Levites;º they² shall go in,ºª for² they² [are] holy:º but all² the peopleº shall keepºª the watchº of the LORD.º 7 And the Levitesº shall compassºª² the kingº round about,º every manº with his weaponsº in his hand;º and whosoever [else] comethºª into² the house,º he shall be put to death:ºª but be² ye with² the kingº when he cometh in,ºª and when he goeth out.ºª 8 So the Levitesº and all² Judahº didºª according to all things² that² Jehoiadaº the priestº had commanded,ºª and tookºª every manº² his men¹² that were to come inºª on the sabbath,º with² them that were to goºª [out] on the sabbath:º for² Jehoiadaº the priestº dismissed¹ª² not²² the courses.º 9 Moreover Jehoiadaº the priestº deliveredºª to the captainsº of hundredsº² spears,º and bucklers,º and shields,º that² [had been] kingº David's,º which² [were] in the houseº of God.º 10 And he setºª² all² the people,º every manº having his weaponº in his hand,º from the rightº sideº² of the templeº to² the leftº sideº of the temple,º along by the altarº and the temple,º by² the kingº round about.º 11 Then they brought outºª² the king'sº son,º and putºª upon² him² the crown,º and [gave him] the testimony,º and made him king.ºª² And Jehoiadaº and his sonsº anointedºª him, and said,ºª God saveºª the king.º

Athaliah is slain.

12 ¶ Now when Athaliahº heardºª² the noiseº of the peopleº runningºª and praisingºª² the king,º she cameºª to² the peopleº into the houseº of the LORD:º 13 And she looked,ºª and, behold,² the kingº stoodºª at² his pillarº at the entering in,º and the princesº and the trumpetsº by² the king:º and all² the peopleº of the landº rejoiced,º and soundedºª with trumpets,º also the singersºª with instrumentsº of musick,º and such as taughtºª to sing praise.ºª Then Athaliahº rentºª² her clothes,º and said,ºª Treason,º Treason.º 14 Then Jehoiadaº the priestº brought outºª² the captainsº of hundredsº that were set overºª the host,º and saidºª unto² them, Have her forthºª of the ranges:ºº²² and whoso followethººª her, let him be slainºª with the sword.º For² the priestº said,ºª Slayºª her not² in the houseº² of the LORD.º 15 So they laidºª handsº on her; and when she was comeºª to² the enteringº of the horseº gateº by the king'sº house,º they slewºª her there.²

Jehoiada restoreth the worship of God.

16 ¶ And Jehoiadaº madeºª a covenantº between² him, and between² all² the people,º and between² the king,º that they should be² the LORD'Sº people.º 17 Then all² the peopleº went¹ª to² the houseº of Baal,º and brake it down,ºª and brake¹ª his altarsº and his imagesº in pieces,ºª and slewºª Mattanº the priestº of Baalº beforeº the altars.º 18 Also Jehoiadaº appointedºª the officesº of the houseº of the LORDº by the handº of the priestsº the Levites,º whom² Davidº had distributedºª in² the houseº of the LORD,º to offerºª the burnt offeringsº of the LORD,º as [it is] writtenºª in the lawº of Moses,º with rejoicingº and with singing,º [as it was ordained] byº² David.º 19 And he setºª the portersº at² the gatesº of the houseº of the LORD,º that none² [which was] uncleanº in any² thingº should enter in.ºª 20 And he tookºª² the captainsº of hundreds,º and the nobles,º and the governorsºª of the people,º and all² the peopleº of the land,º and brought downºª² the kingº from the houseº² of the LORD:º and they cameºª throughº the highº gateº into the king'sº house,º and setºª² the kingº upon² the throneº of the kingdom.º 21 And all² the peopleº of the landº rejoiced:ºª and the cityº was quiet,ºª after that they had slainºª Athaliahº with the sword.º