2 Chronicles 23
1BUT in the eighth year Jodae strengthened himself, and took the captains of hundreds, namely, Azarias son of Joram, and Ismael son of Joanan, and Azarias son of Obed, and Maasias son of Adia, and Elisaphan son of Zacharias, with him into the house of the Lord.
2And when they had made a circuit round Juda, and had assembled the Levites out of all the cities of Juda and the chiefs of the patriarchal families of Israel; and they were come to Jerusalem,
3the whole congregation of Juda, made a covenant with the king in the house of God.
Now when he shewed them the king’s son he said to them, Behold the king’s son! Let him be king as the Lord hath spoken to the house of David.
4Now this is what you must do, Let the third of you, the priests and Levites, come in on the sabbath, to guard the outer gates; and a third of you be at the king’s house,
5and the other third at the middle gate; and all the people in the courts of the house of the Lord;
6and let none enter the house of the Lord, but the priests and the Levites. Such of the Levites as are on duty may come in for they are holy. But let all the people keep the watches of the Lord.
7And let the Levites encompass the king round about, every man with his weapon in his hand; and whoever cometh into the house, let him be put to death. And they shall be with the king, when he cometh in and goeth out.
8So the Levites and all the chiefs of Juda did according to all that Jodae the priest commanded them, and they took every man his men, who were to be on duty from the beginning to the end of the week; for Jodae the priest did not break the courses;
9and Jodae gave them the swords, and shields, and arms which belonged to king David, and were in the house of God.
10And when he had stationed all the people every one with his arms from the right corner of the house, to the left corner of the altar, and the house all around about the king,
11he brought out the king’s son, and put upon him the ensign of royalty, and the testimonies. And Jodae the priest and his sons, proclaimed him king, and anointed him with oil and said, Live the king!
12And when Gotholia heard the noise of the people running, and proclaiming, and praising the king, she went to the king, to the house of the Lord,
13and looked, and lo! the king was on his platform, and at the entrance were the chiefs, with the trumpets. And the chiefs around the king, and all the people of the land, were full of joy; and the trumpets were sounding, accompanied by musicians with their instruments of music, and the singers singing songs of praise.
Upon which she rent her robe and cried with a loud voice, Treason! Treason!
14Thereupon Jodae the priest went out, and gave orders to the captains of hundreds, even the chief officers of the army, and said to them, Drive her out of the house, and go after her and put her to death with the sword. Because the priest said, Let her not be put to death in the house of the Lord,
15therefore they opened a passage for her, and when she had gone out through the horsemen’s gate, of the king’s house, they slew her there.
16Then Jodae made a covenant between the Lord, and the people and the king, that they would be the Lord’s people.
17And all the people of the land, went to the house of Baal and demolished it, and his altars, and broke to pieces his idols, and slew Matthan the priest of Baal before his altars.
18And Jodae the priest committed the works of the house of the Lord to the priests and the Levites, and re-established the courses of the priests, and the Levites, into which David had distributed them. And they offered whole burnt offerings to the Lord, as it was written in the law of Moses, with gladness and with hymns, composed by David.
19And the keepers of the gates attended at the gates of the house of the Lord, that none might enter who was in any respect unclean.
20Then he took the patriarchs and the mighties, and the chiefs of the people, and all the people of the land, and they brought up the king to the house of the Lord, thence he passed through the inner gate to the house of the king, and they seated him on the throne of the kingdom;
21and all the people of the land rejoiced; for the city was quiet, after they had slain Gotholia.