⁴ In the seventh year Jehoiada summoned^[a] the officers of the units of hundreds of the Carians^[b] and the royal bodyguard.^[c] He met with them^[d] in the Lord’s temple. He made an agreement^[e] with them and made them swear an oath of allegiance in the Lord’s temple. Then he showed them the king’s son. ⁵ He ordered them, “This is what you must do. One third of the unit that is on duty during the Sabbath will guard the royal palace. ⁶ Another third of you will be stationed at the Foundation^[f] Gate. Still another third of you will be stationed at the gate behind the royal guard.^[g] You will take turns guarding the palace.^{[h] 7} The two units who are off duty on the Sabbath will guard the Lord’s temple and protect the king.^{[i] 8} You must surround the king. Each of you must hold his weapon in his hand. Whoever approaches your ranks must be killed. You must accompany the king wherever he goes.”^[j]

⁹ The officers of the units of hundreds did just as^[k] Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each of them took his men, those who were on duty during the Sabbath as well as those who were off duty on the Sabbath, and reported^[l] to Jehoiada the priest. ¹⁰ The priest gave to the officers of the units of hundreds King David’s spears and the shields that were kept in the Lord’s temple. ¹¹ The royal bodyguard^[m] took their stations, each holding his weapon in his hand. They lined up from the south side of the temple to the north side and stood near the altar and the temple, surrounding the king.^{[n] 12} Jehoiada^[o] led out the king’s son and placed on him the crown and the royal insignia.^[p] They proclaimed him king and poured olive oil on his head.^[q] They clapped their hands and cried out, “Long live the king!”

¹³ When Athaliah heard the royal guard^[r] shout, she joined the crowd^[s] at the Lord’s temple. ¹⁴ Then she saw^[t] the king standing by the pillar, according to custom. The officers stood beside the king with their trumpets, and all the people of the land were celebrating and blowing trumpets. Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, “Treason, treason!”^{[u] 15} Jehoiada the priest ordered the officers of the units of hundreds, who were in charge of the army,^[v] “Bring her outside the temple to the guards.^[w] Put to death by the sword anyone who follows her.” The priest gave this order because he had decided she should not be executed in the Lord’s temple.^{[x] 16} They seized her and took her into the precincts of the royal palace through the horses’ entrance.^[y] There she was executed.

¹⁷ Jehoiada then drew up a covenant between the Lord and the king and people, stipulating that they should be loyal to the Lord.^{[z] 18} All the people of the land went and demolished^[aa] the temple of Baal. They smashed its altars and idols^[ab] to bits.^[ac] They killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altar. Jehoiada the priest^[ad] then placed guards at the Lord’s temple. ¹⁹ He took the officers of the units of hundreds, the Carians, the royal bodyguard, and all the people of the land, and together they led the king down from the Lord’s temple. They entered the royal palace through the Gate of the Royal Bodyguard,^[ae] and the king^[af] sat down on the royal throne. ²⁰ All the people of the land celebrated, for the city had rest now that they had killed Athaliah with the sword in the royal palace.

Joash’s Reign over Judah

²¹ (12:1)^[ag] Jehoash^[ah] was seven years old when he began to reign.

23 In the seventh year Jehoiada made a bold move. He made a pact^[a] with the officers of the units of hundreds: Azariah son of Jehoram, Ishmael son of Jehochanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zikri. ² They traveled throughout Judah and assembled the Levites from all the cities of Judah, as well as the Israelite family leaders.

They came to Jerusalem, ³ and the whole assembly made a covenant with the king in the temple of God. Jehoiada^[b] said to them, “The king’s son will rule, just as the Lord promised David’s descendants. ⁴ This is what you must do. One-third of you priests and Levites who are on duty during the Sabbath will guard the doors. ⁵ Another third of you will be stationed at the royal palace and still another third at the Foundation Gate. All the others^[c] will stand in the courtyards of the Lord’s temple. ⁶ No one must enter the Lord’s temple except the priests and Levites who are on duty. They may enter because they are ceremonially pure. All the others should carry out their assigned service to the Lord. ⁷ The Levites must surround the king. Each of you must hold his weapon in his hand. Whoever tries to enter the temple^[d] must be killed. You must accompany the king wherever he goes.”^[e]

⁸ The Levites and all the men of Judah^[f] did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each of them took his men, those who were on duty during the Sabbath as well as those who were off duty on the Sabbath. Jehoiada the priest did not release his divisions from their duties. ⁹ Jehoiada the priest gave to the officers of the units of hundreds King David’s spears and shields^[g] that were kept in God’s temple. ¹⁰ He placed the men at their posts, each holding his weapon in his hand. They lined up from the south side of the temple to the north side and stood near the altar and the temple, surrounding the king.^{[h] 11} Jehoiada and his sons led out the king’s son and placed on him the crown and the royal insignia.^[i] They proclaimed him king and poured olive oil on his head.^[j] They declared, “Long live the king!”

¹² When Athaliah heard the royal guard^[k] shouting and praising the king, she joined the crowd^[l] at the Lord’s temple. ¹³ Then she saw^[m] the king standing by his pillar at the entrance. The officers and trumpeters stood beside the king and all the people of the land were celebrating and blowing trumpets, and the musicians with various instruments were leading the celebration. Athaliah tore her clothes and yelled, “Treason! Treason!”^{[n] 14} Jehoiada the priest sent out the officers of the units of hundreds, who were in charge of the army, and ordered them, “Bring her outside the temple to the guards.^[o] Put the sword to anyone who follows her.” The priest gave this order because he had decided she should not be executed in the Lord’s temple.^{[p] 15} They seized her and took her into the precincts of the royal palace through the horses’ entrance.^[q] There they executed her.

¹⁶ Jehoiada then drew up a covenant stipulating that he, all the people, and the king should be loyal to the Lord.^{[r] 17} All the people went and demolished^[s] the temple of Baal. They smashed its altars and idols.^[t] They killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. ¹⁸ Jehoiada then assigned the duties of the Lord’s temple to the priests, the Levites whom David had assigned to the Lord’s temple. They were responsible for offering burnt sacrifices to the Lord with joy and music, according to^[u] the law of Moses and the edict of David. ¹⁹ He posted guards at the gates of the Lord’s temple, so no one who was ceremonially unclean in any way could enter. ²⁰ He summoned^[v] the officers of the units of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people, and all the people of the land, and he then led the king down from the Lord’s temple. They entered the royal palace through the Upper Gate and seated the king on the royal throne. ²¹ All the people of the land celebrated, for the city had rest now that they had killed Athaliah.^[w]

12 ¹ (12:2) In Jehu’s seventh year Jehoash became king; he reigned for forty years in Jerusalem. His mother was Zibiah, who was from Beer Sheba. ² Jehoash did what the Lord approved^[a] all his days when^[b] Jehoiada the priest taught him. ³ But the high places were not eliminated; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense on the high places.

⁴ Jehoash said to the priests, “I place at your disposal^[c] all the consecrated silver that has been brought to the Lord’s temple, including the silver collected from the census tax,^[d] the silver received from those who have made vows,^[e] and all the silver that people have voluntarily contributed to the Lord’s temple.^{[f] 5} The priests should receive the silver they need from the treasurers and repair any damage to the temple they discover.”^[g]

⁶ By the twenty-third year of King Jehoash’s reign the priests had still not repaired the damage to the temple. ⁷ So King Jehoash summoned Jehoiada the priest along with the other priests, and said to them, “Why have you not repaired the damage to the temple? Now, take no more silver from your treasurers unless you intend to use it to repair the damage.”^{[h] 8} The priests agreed^[i] not to collect silver from the people and relieved themselves of personal responsibility for the temple repairs.^[j]

⁹ Jehoiada the priest took a chest and drilled a hole in its lid. He placed it on the right side of the altar near the entrance of^[k] the Lord’s temple. The priests who guarded the entrance would put into it all the silver brought to the Lord’s temple. ¹⁰ When they saw the chest was full of silver, the royal secretary^[l] and the high priest counted the silver that had been brought to the Lord’s temple and bagged it up.^{[m] 11} They would then hand over^[n] the silver that had been weighed to the construction foremen^[o] assigned to the Lord’s temple. They hired carpenters and builders to work on the Lord’s temple, ¹² as well as masons and stonecutters. They bought wood and chiseled stone to repair the damage to the Lord’s temple and also paid for all the other expenses.^{[p] 13} The silver brought to the Lord’s temple was not used for silver bowls, trimming shears, basins, trumpets, or any kind of gold or silver implements. ¹⁴ It was handed over^[q] to the foremen who used it to repair the Lord’s temple. ¹⁵ They did not audit the treasurers who disbursed^[r] the funds to the foremen, for they were honest.^{[s] 16} (The silver collected in conjunction with reparation offerings and sin offerings was not brought to the Lord’s temple; it belonged to the priests.)

Joash’s Reign

24 Joash was seven years old when he began to reign. He reigned for forty years in Jerusalem. His mother^[a] was Zibiah, who was from Beer Sheba. ² Joash did what the Lord approved^[b] throughout the lifetime^[c] of Jehoiada the priest. ³ Jehoiada chose two wives for him who gave him sons and daughters.

⁴ Later, Joash was determined to repair the Lord’s temple.^{[d] 5} He assembled the priests and Levites and ordered them, “Go out to the cities of Judah and collect the annual quota of silver from all Israel for repairs on the temple of your God. Be quick about it!” But the Levites delayed.

⁶ So the king summoned Jehoiada the chief priest,^[e] and said to him, “Why have you not made^[f] the Levites collect^[g] from Judah and Jerusalem the tax authorized by Moses the Lord’s servant and by the assembly of Israel at the tent containing the tablets of the law?”^{[h] 7} (Wicked Athaliah and her sons had broken into God’s temple and used all the holy items of the Lord’s temple in their worship of the Baals.) ⁸ The king ordered a chest to be made and placed outside the gate of the Lord’s temple.^{[i] 9} An edict was sent throughout Judah and Jerusalem requiring the people to bring to the Lord the tax that Moses, God’s servant, imposed on Israel in the wilderness.^{[j] 10} All the officials and all the people gladly brought their silver and threw it into the chest until it was full. ¹¹ Whenever the Levites brought the chest to the royal accountant and they saw there was a lot of silver, the royal scribe and the accountant of the high priest emptied the chest and then took it back to its place. They went through this routine every day and collected a large amount of silver.

¹² The king and Jehoiada gave it to the construction foremen^[k] assigned to the Lord’s temple. They hired carpenters and craftsmen to repair the Lord’s temple, as well as those skilled in working with iron and bronze to restore the Lord’s temple. ¹³ They worked hard and made the repairs.^[l] They followed the measurements specified for God’s temple and restored it.^{[m] 14} When they were finished, they brought the rest of the silver to the king and Jehoiada. They used it to make items for the Lord’s temple, including items used in the temple service and for burnt sacrifices, pans, and various other gold and silver items. Throughout Jehoiada’s lifetime, burnt sacrifices were offered regularly in the Lord’s temple.

¹⁵ Jehoiada grew old and died at the age of 130. ¹⁶ He was buried in the City of David^[n] with the kings, because he had accomplished good in Israel and for God and his temple.

²⁸ So Jehu eradicated Baal worship^[a] from Israel.

A Summary of Jehu’s Reign

²⁹ However, Jehu did not repudiate the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had encouraged Israel to commit; the golden calves remained in Bethel and Dan.^{[b] 30} The Lord said to Jehu, “You have done well. You have accomplished my will and carried out my wishes with regard to Ahab’s dynasty. Therefore four generations of your descendants will rule over Israel.”^{[c] 31} But Jehu did not carefully and wholeheartedly obey the law of the Lord God of Israel.^[d] He did not repudiate the sins which Jeroboam had encouraged Israel to commit.^[e]

³² In those days the Lord began to reduce the size of Israel’s territory.^[f] Hazael attacked their eastern border.^{[g] 33} He conquered all the land of Gilead, including the territory of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh, extending all the way from the Aroer in the Arnon Valley through Gilead to Bashan.^[h]

³⁴ The rest of the events of Jehu’s reign, including all his accomplishments and successes, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.^{[i] 35} Jehu passed away^[j] and was buried in Samaria. His son Jehoahaz replaced him as king. ³⁶ Jehu reigned over Israel for twenty-eight years in Samaria.

Jehoahaz’s Reign over Israel

13 In the twenty-third year of the reign of Judah’s King Joash son of Ahaziah, Jehu’s son Jehoahaz became king over Israel. He reigned in Samaria for seventeen years. ² He did evil in the sight of^[a] the Lord. He continued in^[b] the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who had encouraged Israel to sin; he did not repudiate those sins.^{[c] 3} The Lord was furious with^[d] Israel and handed them over to^[e] King Hazael of Syria and to Hazael’s son Ben Hadad for many years.^[f]

²² Now King Hazael of Syria oppressed Israel throughout Jehoahaz’s reign.^{[a] 23} But the Lord had mercy on them and felt pity for them.^[b] He extended his favor to them^[c] because of the promise he had made^[d] to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He has been unwilling to destroy them or remove them from his presence to this very day.^[e]