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the seventh year Jehoiada summoned his courage, and he made a covenant with the commanders of the hundreds: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zichri. 2 They went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites and the heads of Israelite families from all the cities of Judah. When they arrived at Jerusalem, 3 the whole assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God.
Jehoiada said to them, “Here is the king’s son! He must reign, just as the Lord has promised concerning the sons of David. 4 This is what you are to do: A third of you, priests and Levites who are going on duty on the Sabbath, are to keep watch at the gates, 5 a third are to be at the king’s palace, and a third are to be at the Foundation Gate, and all the other troops are to be 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 are ministering; they may enter because they are consecrated, but all the other people are to obey the instructions of the Lord. 7 The Levites are to surround the king, each man with his weapons in his hand, and anyone who enters the temple must be put to death. You must always stay close to the king—wherever he goes out to, or wherever he comes back from.”
8 So the Levites and all Judah did everything Jehoiada the priest commanded. Each one took his men—those who were to come on duty on the Sabbath and those going off on the Sabbath—for Jehoiada the priest did not dismiss any of the divisions. 9 Then Jehoiada the priest gave to the commanders of hundreds the spears and the large and small shields that had belonged to King David and that were in God’s temple. 10 Then he stationed all the troops, each with his weapon in his hand, surrounding the king from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, by the altar and by the temple.
11 Then they brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him; and presenting him with a copy of the Testimony, they proclaimed him king. Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and they all shouted, “Long live the king!”
12 When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running around praising the king, she went to the people in the House of the Lord. 13 She looked and saw the king standing by his pillar at the entrance. The commanders and the trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets while the singers with musical instruments were leading the praises. Then Athaliah tore her robes and screamed, “Treason, treason!”
14 Then Jehoiada the priest brought out the commanders of hundreds, who were in charge of the army, and said to them, “Bring her out between the ranks, and anyone who follows her is to put to death with the sword.” For the priest had said, “Do not put her to death in the House of the Lord.” 15 So they seized her as she reached the entrance to the Horse Gate of the king’s palace, and they put her to death there.
16 Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, the king, and all the people that they and the king would be the Lord’s people. 17 So all the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They broke its altars and images into pieces and killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, in front of the altars.
18 Then Jehoiada placed the oversight of the House of the Lord in the hands of the Levitical priests, whom David had appointed over the House of the Lord, to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, as it is written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as David had ordered. 19 He stationed gatekeepers at the gates of the House of the Lord, so that no one who was in any way unclean could enter.
20 Then he took the commanders of hundreds, 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. They entered through the Upper Gate into the king’s palace, and seated the king on the throne of the kingdom. 21 All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet, because Athaliah had been slain with the sword.