Joash Anointed King of Judah
And in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took the commanders 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 him.
And they went around in Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah, and the heads of the fathers of Israel; and they came to Jerusalem.
And all the assembly cut a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said to them: “Look — the son of the king shall reign, as the LORD spoke concerning the sons of David.
This is the thing you shall do: a third of you coming on duty on the sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, as gatekeepers of the thresholds;
and a third at the house of the king; and a third at the Gate of the Foundation; and all the people in the courts of the house of the LORD.
And let no one enter the house of the LORD except the priests and those of the Levites who minister; they may enter, for they are holy. And all the people shall keep the watch of the LORD.
And the Levites shall surround the king all around, each man with his weapons in his hand; and whoever comes into the house shall be put to death. And be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.”
And the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest had commanded; and each took his men — those coming on duty on the sabbath together with those going off duty on the sabbath — for Jehoiada the priest had not dismissed the divisions.
And Jehoiada the priest gave the commanders of hundreds the spears, and the bucklers, and the shields that had belonged to King David, which were in the house of God.
And he stationed all the people, each man with his weapon in his hand, from the right shoulder of the house to the left shoulder of the house, by the altar and by the house, around the king on every side.
And they brought out the son of the king, and put on him the crown and the testimony; and they made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and they said, “Long live the king!”
The Death of Athaliah
And Athaliah heard the sound of the people running and praising the king; and she came to the people, to the house of the LORD.
And she looked — and look, the king standing by his pillar at the entrance, and the commanders and the trumpeters beside the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and the singers with the instruments of song, leading the praise. And Athaliah tore her garments and said, “Conspiracy! Conspiracy!”
And Jehoiada the priest brought out the commanders of hundreds, those appointed over the force, and said to them, “Bring her out between the ranks; and whoever follows her shall be put to death with the sword.” For the priest had said, “You shall not put her to death in the house of the LORD.”
And they laid hands on her; and she came to the entrance of the Horse Gate of the house of the king, and they put her to death there.
Jehoiada Restores the Worship of the LORD
And Jehoiada cut the covenant between himself and all the people and the king, that they should be a people for the LORD.
And all the people came to the house of the Baal and tore it down; and his altars and his images they shattered, and Mattan, the priest of the Baal, they killed before the altars.
And Jehoiada put the offices of the house of the LORD into the hand of the priests, the Levites, whom David had divided over the house of the LORD, to offer up the burnt offerings of the LORD, as it is written in the instruction of Moses — with rejoicing and with song, by the hands of David.
And he set the gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the LORD, so that no one unclean in any matter should enter.
And he took the commanders of hundreds, and the nobles, and the rulers over the people, and all the people of the land; and he brought the king down from the house of the LORD, and they came through the Upper Gate to the house of the king. And they seated the king on the throne of the kingdom.
And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet. And Athaliah they had put to death with the sword.