2 Chronicles 23 Cross References - MSB

¹ Then in the seventh year, Jehoiada strengthened himself and made a covenant with the commanders of hundreds—with Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zichri. ² So they went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah and the heads of the families of Israel. And when they came to Jerusalem, ³ the whole assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. “Behold, the king’s son!” said Jehoiada. “He must reign, just as the LORD promised concerning the descendants of David. ⁴ This is what you are to do: A third of you priests and Levites who come on duty on the Sabbath shall keep watch at the doors, ⁵ a third shall be at the royal palace, and a third at the Foundation Gate, while all the others are 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 serve; they may enter because they are consecrated, but all the people are to obey the requirement of the LORD. ⁷ The Levites must surround the king with weapons in hand, and anyone who enters the temple must be put to death. You must stay close to the king wherever he goes.” ⁸ So the Levites and all Judah did everything that Jehoiada the priest had ordered. Each of them took his men—those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty—for Jehoiada the priest had not released any of the divisions. ⁹ Then Jehoiada the priest gave to the commanders of hundreds the spears and the large and small shields of King David that were in the house of God. ¹⁰ He stationed all the troops, with their weapons in hand, surrounding the king by the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple. ¹¹ Then Jehoiada and his sons brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, presented him with the Testimony, and proclaimed him king. They anointed him and shouted, “Long live the king!” ¹² When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and cheering the king, she went out to them in the house of the LORD. ¹³ And she looked out and saw the king standing by his pillar at the entrance. The officers and 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 clothes and screamed, “Treason, treason!” ¹⁴ And Jehoiada the priest sent out the commanders of hundreds in charge of the army, saying, “Bring her out between the ranks, and put to the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest had said, “She must not be put to death in the house of the LORD.” ¹⁵ So they seized Athaliah as she reached the entrance of the Horse Gate to the palace grounds, and there they put her to death. ¹⁶ Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and the king and the people that they would be the LORD’s people. ¹⁷ So all the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. ¹⁸ Moreover, Jehoiada put the oversight of the house of the LORD into the hands of the Levitical priests, whom David had appointed over the house of the LORD, to offer burnt offerings to the LORD as is written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and song, as ordained by David. ¹⁹ He stationed gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the LORD, so that nothing unclean could enter for any reason. ²⁰ He also took with him the commanders of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of the LORD and entered the royal palace through the Upper Gate. They seated King Joash on the royal throne, ²¹ and all the people of the land rejoiced. And the city was quiet, because Athaliah had been put to the sword.

³ Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.

⁴ Then in the seventh year, Jehoiada sent for the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, and the guards, and had them brought into the house of the LORD. There he made a covenant with them and put them under oath. He showed them the king’s son ⁵ and commanded them, “This is what you are to do: A third of you who come on duty on the Sabbath shall guard the royal palace, ⁶ a third shall be at the gate of Sur, and a third at the gate behind the guards. You are to take turns guarding the temple— ⁷ the two divisions that would go off duty on the Sabbath are to guard the house of the LORD for the king. ⁸ You must surround the king with weapons in hand, and anyone who approaches the ranks must be put to death. You must stay close to the king wherever he goes.” ⁹ So the commanders of hundreds did everything that Jehoiada the priest had ordered. Each of them took his men—those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty—and came to Jehoiada the priest. ¹⁰ Then the priest gave to the commanders of hundreds the spears and shields of King David from the house of the LORD. ¹¹ And the guards stood with weapons in hand surrounding the king by the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple. ¹² Then Jehoiada brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, presented him with the Testimony, and proclaimed him king. They anointed him, and the people clapped their hands and declared, “Long live the king!” ¹³ When Athaliah heard the noise from the guards and the people, she went out to the people in the house of the LORD. ¹⁴ And she looked out and saw the king standing by the pillar, according to the custom. The officers and trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, “Treason! Treason!” ¹⁵ And Jehoiada the priest ordered the commanders of hundreds in charge of the army, “Bring her out between the ranks, and put to the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest had said, “She must not be put to death in the house of the LORD.” ¹⁶ So they seized Athaliah as she reached the horses’ entrance to the palace grounds, and there she was put to death. ¹⁷ Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people that they would be the LORD’s people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people. ¹⁸ So all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. And Jehoiada the priest posted guards for the house of the LORD. ¹⁹ He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, the guards, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of the LORD and entered the royal palace by way of the Gate of the Guards. Then Joash took his seat on the royal throne, ²⁰ and all the people of the land rejoiced. And the city was quiet, because Athaliah had been put to the sword at the royal palace.

¹² Then they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul.

³⁸ In view of all this, we make a binding agreement, putting it in writing and sealing it with the names of our leaders, Levites, and priests.”

¹² And he said to them, “You are the heads of the Levitical families. You and your relatives must consecrate yourselves so that you may bring the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it.

⁶ The scribe, Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded their names in the presence of the king and of the officers: Zadok the priest, Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and the heads of families of the priests and the Levites—one family being taken from Eleazar, and then one from Ithamar.

¹³ Moreover, the priests and Levites from all their districts throughout Israel stood with Rehoboam. ¹⁴ For the Levites left their pasturelands and their possessions and went to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them as priests of the LORD. ¹⁵ And Jeroboam appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat demons and calf idols he had made. ¹⁶ Those from every tribe of Israel who had set their hearts to seek the LORD their God followed the Levites to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD, the God of their fathers. ¹⁷ So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam son of Solomon for three years, because they walked for three years in the way of David and Solomon.

² Jehoram’s brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat, were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah; these were all sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.

⁵ It is well with the man who is generous and lends freely, whose affairs are guided by justice.

¹⁶ Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

¹⁵ Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,

³ So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, where King David made with them a covenant before the LORD. And they anointed him king over Israel.

¹² And when your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom.

¹⁶ Your house and kingdom will endure forever before Me, and your throne will be established forever.”

⁴ and so that the LORD may fulfill His promise to me: ‘If your descendants take heed to walk faithfully before Me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’

⁵ then I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised your father David when I said, ‘You will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’

¹⁷ Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people that they would be the LORD’s people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people.

⁹ and 956 of their relatives according to their genealogy. All these men were heads of their families. ¹⁰ From the priests: Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, and Jachin; ¹¹ Azariah son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the chief official of God’s temple; ¹² Adaiah son of Jeroham, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah; Maasai son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer; ¹³ and 1,760 of their relatives, the heads of their families, able men for the work of the service of the house of God. ¹⁴ From the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, a descendant of Merari; ¹⁵ Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, and Mattaniah son of Mica, the son of Zichri, the son of Asaph; ¹⁶ Obadiah son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun; and Berechiah son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of the Netophathites. ¹⁷ These were the gatekeepers: Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their relatives. Shallum was their chief; ¹⁸ he was previously stationed at the King’s Gate on the east side. These were the gatekeepers from the camp of the Levites. ¹⁹ Shallum son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his relatives from the Korahites were assigned to guard the thresholds of the Tent, just as their fathers had been assigned to guard the entrance to the dwelling of the LORD. ²⁰ In earlier times Phinehas son of Eleazar had been in charge of the gatekeepers, and the LORD was with him. ²¹ Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was the gatekeeper at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. ²² The number of those chosen to be gatekeepers at the thresholds was 212. They were registered by genealogy in their villages. David and Samuel the seer had appointed them to their positions of trust. ²³ So they and their descendants were assigned to guard the gates of the house of the LORD—the house called the Tent. ²⁴ The gatekeepers were stationed on the four sides: east, west, north, and south. ²⁵ Their relatives came from their villages at fixed times to serve with them for seven-day periods. ²⁶ But the four chief gatekeepers, who were Levites, were entrusted with the rooms and the treasuries of the house of God. ²⁷ They would spend the night stationed around the house of God, because they were responsible for guarding it and opening it every morning.

³ So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, where David made a covenant with them before the LORD. And they anointed him king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD through Samuel.

¹⁶ Therefore now, O LORD, God of Israel, keep for Your servant, my father David, what You promised when You said: ‘You will never fail to have a man to sit before Me on the throne of Israel, if only your descendants guard their way to walk in My law as you have walked before Me.’

¹⁸ then I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with your father David when I said, ‘You will never fail to have a man to rule over Israel.’

⁷ Yet the LORD was unwilling to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant He had made with David, and since He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever.

¹⁶ Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and the king and the people that they would be the LORD’s people.

²⁹ I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as the heavens endure.

³⁶ his offspring shall endure forever, and his throne before Me like the sun,

²⁵ Their relatives came from their villages at fixed times to serve with them for seven-day periods.

³ The Levites thirty years of age or older were counted, and the total number of men was 38,000. ⁴ “Of these,” said David, “24,000 are to oversee the work of the house of the LORD, 6,000 are to be officers and judges, ⁵ 4,000 are to be gatekeepers, and 4,000 are to praise the LORD with the instruments I have made for giving praise.” ⁶ Then David divided the Levites into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.

³ With the help of Eleazar’s descendant Zadok and Ithamar’s descendant Ahimelech, David divided them according to the offices of their service. ⁴ Since more leaders were found among Eleazar’s descendants than those of Ithamar, they were divided accordingly. There were sixteen heads of families from the descendants of Eleazar and eight from the descendants of Ithamar. ⁵ Thus they were divided by lot, for there were officers of the sanctuary and officers of God among both Eleazar’s and Ithamar’s descendants. ⁶ The scribe, Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded their names in the presence of the king and of the officers: Zadok the priest, Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and the heads of families of the priests and the Levites—one family being taken from Eleazar, and then one from Ithamar.

¹³ They cast lots for each gate, according to their families, young and old alike. ¹⁴ The lot for the East Gate fell to Shelemiah. Then lots were cast for his son Zechariah, a wise counselor, and the lot for the North Gate fell to him. ¹⁵ The lot for the South Gate fell to Obed-edom, and the lot for the storehouses to his sons. ¹⁶ The lots for the West Gate and the Shallecheth Gate on the ascending highway fell to Shuppim and Hosah. There were guards stationed at every watch.

⁸ One day while Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, ⁹ he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.

⁵ and commanded them, “This is what you are to do: A third of you who come on duty on the Sabbath shall guard the royal palace, ⁶ a third shall be at the gate of Sur, and a third at the gate behind the guards. You are to take turns guarding the temple—

² And the LORD said to me, “This gate is to remain shut. It shall not be opened, and no man shall enter through it, because the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered through it. Therefore it will remain shut. ³ Only the prince himself may sit inside the gateway to eat in the presence of the LORD. He must enter by way of the portico of the gateway and go out the same way.”

² The prince is to enter from the outside through the portico of the gateway and stand by the gatepost, while the priests sacrifice his burnt offerings and peace offerings. He is to bow in worship at the threshold of the gate and then depart, but the gate must not be shut until evening. ³ On the Sabbaths and New Moons the people of the land are also to bow in worship before the LORD at the entrance to that gateway.

² And a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those entering the temple courts.

⁶ a third shall be at the gate of Sur, and a third at the gate behind the guards. You are to take turns guarding the temple— ⁷ the two divisions that would go off duty on the Sabbath are to guard the house of the LORD for the king.

²⁸ but their duty was to assist the descendants of Aaron with the service of the house of the LORD, being responsible for the courts and chambers, the purification of all the holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God, ²⁹ as well as for the rows of the showbread, the fine flour for the grain offering, the wafers of unleavened bread, the baking, the mixing, and all measurements of quantity and size. ³⁰ They were also to stand every morning to give thanks and praise to the LORD, and likewise in the evening. ³¹ Whenever burnt offerings were presented to the LORD on the Sabbaths, New Moons, and appointed feasts, they were to serve regularly before the LORD in the numbers prescribed for them. ³² So the Levites were to carry out the responsibilities for the Tent of Meeting and the Holy Place, and, under their brothers the descendants of Aaron, the service of the house of the LORD.

¹² And you are to set up a boundary for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful not to go up on the mountain or touch its base. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. ¹³ No hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot with arrows—whether man or beast, he must not live.’ Only when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain.”

¹⁴ But if a man schemes and acts willfully against his neighbor to kill him, you must take him away from My altar to be put to death.

¹⁰ So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out the duties of the priesthood; but any outsider who approaches the tabernacle must be put to death.”

³⁸ Moses, Aaron, and Aaron’s sons were to camp to the east of the tabernacle, toward the sunrise, before the Tent of Meeting. They were to perform the duties of the sanctuary as a service on behalf of the Israelites; but any outsider who approached the sanctuary was to be put to death.

⁸ You must surround the king with weapons in hand, and anyone who approaches the ranks must be put to death. You must stay close to the king wherever he goes.” ⁹ So the commanders of hundreds did everything that Jehoiada the priest had ordered. Each of them took his men—those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty—and came to Jehoiada the priest.

⁹ So the commanders of hundreds did everything that Jehoiada the priest had ordered. Each of them took his men—those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty—and came to Jehoiada the priest.

¹ These were the divisions of the descendants of Aaron. The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ² But Nadab and Abihu died before their father did, and they had no sons; so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests. ³ With the help of Eleazar’s descendant Zadok and Ithamar’s descendant Ahimelech, David divided them according to the offices of their service. ⁴ Since more leaders were found among Eleazar’s descendants than those of Ithamar, they were divided accordingly. There were sixteen heads of families from the descendants of Eleazar and eight from the descendants of Ithamar. ⁵ Thus they were divided by lot, for there were officers of the sanctuary and officers of God among both Eleazar’s and Ithamar’s descendants. ⁶ The scribe, Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded their names in the presence of the king and of the officers: Zadok the priest, Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and the heads of families of the priests and the Levites—one family being taken from Eleazar, and then one from Ithamar. ⁷ The first lot fell to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah, ⁸ the third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim, ⁹ the fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin, ¹⁰ the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah, ¹¹ the ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah, ¹² the eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim, ¹³ the thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab, ¹⁴ the fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer, ¹⁵ the seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Happizzez, ¹⁶ the nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezkel, ¹⁷ the twenty-first to Jachin, the twenty-second to Gamul, ¹⁸ the twenty-third to Delaiah, and the twenty-fourth to Maaziah. ¹⁹ This was their appointed order for service when they entered the house of the LORD, according to the regulations prescribed for them by their forefather Aaron, as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded him. ²⁰ Now these were the remaining descendants of Levi: From the sons of Amram: Shubael; from the sons of Shubael: Jehdeiah. ²¹ As for Rehabiah, from his sons: The first was Isshiah. ²² From the Izharites: Shelomoth; from the sons of Shelomoth: Jahath. ²³ From the sons of Hebron: Jeriah was the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth. ²⁴ From the sons of Uzziel: Micah; from the sons of Micah: Shamir. ²⁵ The brother of Micah: Isshiah; from the sons of Isshiah: Zechariah. ²⁶ The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The son of Jaaziah: Beno.

⁹ The priest replied, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here; it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want, you may take it. For there is no other but this one.” And David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”

⁷ And David took the gold shields that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem.

⁶ Place the altar of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting.

¹¹ And the guards stood with weapons in hand surrounding the king by the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple.

¹² Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands.

¹⁶ And place inside the ark the Testimony, which I will give you.

¹⁸ When the LORD had finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.

¹⁸ When he is seated on his royal throne, he must write for himself a copy of this instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. ¹⁹ It is to remain with him, and he is to read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by carefully observing all the words of this instruction and these statutes. ²⁰ Then his heart will not be exalted above his countrymen, and he will not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or to the left, in order that he and his sons may reign many years over his kingdom in Israel.

¹ Then Samuel took a flask of oil, poured it on Saul’s head, kissed him, and said, “Has not the LORD anointed you ruler over His inheritance?

²⁴ Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the one the LORD has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.” And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”

¹⁰ So I stood over him and killed him, because I knew that after he had fallen he could not survive. And I took the crown that was on his head and the band that was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.”

¹⁶ And David’s friend Hushai the Archite went to Absalom and said to him, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”

³⁴ There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet are to anoint him king over Israel. You are to blow the ram’s horn and declare, ‘Long live King Solomon!’

³⁹ Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the ram’s horn, and all the people proclaimed, “Long live King Solomon!”

¹² Then Jehoiada brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, presented him with the Testimony, and proclaimed him king. They anointed him, and the people clapped their hands and declared, “Long live the king!”

¹¹ But Jehoshabeath daughter of King Jehoram took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the sons of the king who were being murdered, and she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Because Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram and the wife of Jehoiada the priest, was Ahaziah’s sister, she hid Joash from Athaliah so that she could not kill him.

¹⁰ Therefore be wise, O kings; be admonished, O judges of the earth. ¹¹ Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. ¹² Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you perish in your rebellion, when His wrath ignites in an instant. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.

³ For You welcomed him with rich blessings; You placed on his head a crown of pure gold.

⁵ For He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers to teach to their children,

²⁰ I have found My servant David; with My sacred oil I have anointed him.

³⁹ You have renounced the covenant with Your servant and sullied his crown in the dust.

¹⁸ I will clothe his enemies with shame, but the crown upon him will gleam.”

¹⁶ Bind up the testimony and seal the law among my disciples.

²⁰ To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.

²³ Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow to you facedown and lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who hope in Me will never be put to shame.”

⁹ The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed were shouting: “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest!”

²⁶ The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against His Anointed One.’ ²⁷ In fact, Herod and Pontius Pilate conspired with the Gentiles and the people of Israel against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed.

⁹ But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.

¹² Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

⁵ Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him?

⁴ Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and on these thrones sat twenty-four elders dressed in white, with golden crowns on their heads.

¹⁰ the twenty-four elders fall down before the One seated on the throne, and they worship Him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying:

¹⁰ You have made them to be kings and priests to serve our God, and they will reign upon the earth.”

¹² He has eyes like blazing fire, and many royal crowns on His head. He has names written on Him, and a name written that only He Himself knows.

³² He looked up at the window and called out, “Who is on my side? Who?” And two or three eunuchs looked down at him. ³³ “Throw her down!” yelled Jehu. So they threw her down, and her blood splattered on the wall and on the horses as they trampled her underfoot. ³⁴ Then Jehu went in and ate and drank. “Take care of this cursed woman,” he said, “and bury her, for she was the daughter of a king.” ³⁵ But when they went out to bury her, they found nothing but her skull, her feet, and the palms of her hands. ³⁶ So they went back and told Jehu, who replied, “This is the word of the LORD, which He spoke through His servant Elijah the Tishbite: ‘On the plot of ground at Jezreel the dogs will devour the flesh of Jezebel. ³⁷ And Jezebel’s body will lie like dung in the field on the plot of ground at Jezreel, so that no one can say: This is Jezebel.’”

¹³ When Athaliah heard the noise from the guards and the people, she went out to the people in the house of the LORD. ¹⁴ And she looked out and saw the king standing by the pillar, according to the custom. The officers and trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, “Treason! Treason!” ¹⁵ And Jehoiada the priest ordered the commanders of hundreds in charge of the army, “Bring her out between the ranks, and put to the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest had said, “She must not be put to death in the house of the LORD.” ¹⁶ So they seized Athaliah as she reached the horses’ entrance to the palace grounds, and there she was put to death.

¹ Then the LORD said to Moses, ² “Make two trumpets of hammered silver to be used for calling the congregation and for having the camps set out. ³ When both are sounded, the whole congregation is to assemble before you at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. ⁴ But if only one is sounded, then the leaders, the heads of the clans of Israel, are to gather before you. ⁵ When you sound short blasts, the camps that lie on the east side are to set out. ⁶ When you sound the short blasts a second time, the camps that lie on the south side are to set out. The blasts are to signal them to set out. ⁷ To convene the assembly, you are to sound long blasts, not short ones. ⁸ The sons of Aaron, the priests, are to sound the trumpets. This shall be a permanent statute for you and the generations to come. ⁹ When you enter into battle in your land against an adversary who attacks you, sound short blasts on the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the LORD your God and saved from your enemies. ¹⁰ And on your joyous occasions, your appointed feasts, and the beginning of each month, you are to blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to serve as a reminder for you before your God. I am the LORD your God.”

⁸ So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred men, who took charge of the provisions and rams’ horns of the others. And the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley.

¹⁸ When I and all who are with me blow our horns, then you are also to blow your horns from all around the camp and shout, ‘For the LORD and for Gideon!’” ¹⁹ Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after the changing of the guard. They blew their horns and broke the jars that were in their hands. ²⁰ The three companies blew their horns and shattered their jars. Holding the torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, they shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!” ²¹ Each Israelite took his position around the camp, and the entire Midianite army fled, crying out as they ran. ²² And when the three hundred rams’ horns sounded, the LORD set all the men in the camp against one another with their swords. The army fled to Beth-shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.

³⁹ Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the ram’s horn, and all the people proclaimed, “Long live King Solomon!” ⁴⁰ All the people followed him, playing flutes and rejoicing with such a great joy that the earth was split by the sound.

¹⁷ When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?” ¹⁸ “I have not troubled Israel,” Elijah replied, “but you and your father’s house have, for you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals.

¹³ Quickly, each man took his garment and put it under Jehu on the bare steps. Then they blew the ram’s horn and proclaimed, “Jehu is king!”

²³ Joram turned around and fled, calling out to Ahaziah, “Treachery, Ahaziah!”

³ So the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments, decrees, and statutes with all his heart and all his soul, and to carry out the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people entered into the covenant.

⁴⁰ And their neighbors from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali came bringing food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen—abundant supplies of flour, fig cakes and raisin cakes, wine and oil, oxen and sheep. Indeed, there was joy in Israel.

¹⁶ David also told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers to lift up their voices with joy, accompanied by musical instruments—harps, lyres, and cymbals. ¹⁷ So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from his brothers, Asaph son of Berechiah; from their brothers the Merarites, Ethan son of Kushaiah; ¹⁸ and with them their brothers next in rank: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel. ¹⁹ The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals. ²⁰ Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play the harps according to Alamoth. ²¹ And Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead the music with lyres according to Sheminith. ²² Chenaniah the head Levite was the director of the music because he was highly skilled.

²⁴ Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer—the priests—were to blow the trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah were also to be guardians of the ark.

²⁷ Now David was dressed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, as well as the singers and Chenaniah, the director of music for the singers. David also wore a linen ephod.

¹ Additionally, David and the commanders of the army set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to prophesy with the accompaniment of lyres, harps, and cymbals. The following is the list of the men who performed this service: ² From the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarelah. These sons of Asaph were under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied under the direction of the king. ³ From the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah—six in all—under the direction of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with the harp, giving thanks and praise to the LORD. ⁴ From the sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. ⁵ All these sons of Heman the king’s seer were given him through the promises of God to exalt him, for God had given Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. ⁶ All these were under the direction of their fathers for the music of the house of the LORD with cymbals, harps, and lyres, for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the direction of the king. ⁷ Together with their relatives, who were all trained and skillful in the songs of the LORD, they numbered 288. ⁸ They cast lots for their duties, young and old alike, teacher as well as pupil.

³¹ So the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments, decrees, and statutes with all his heart and all his soul, and to carry out the words of this covenant that were written in this book.

⁵ There they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is in the company of the righteous.

¹⁰ When the righteous thrive, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.

² When the righteous flourish, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.

¹² For surely no man knows his time: Like fish caught in a cruel net or birds trapped in a snare, so men are ensnared in an evil time that suddenly falls upon them.

¹ You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on another. For on whatever grounds you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. ² And we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth.

²⁵ When he had finished making the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guards and officers, “Go in and kill them. Do not let anyone out.” So the guards and officers put them to the sword, threw the bodies out, and went into the inner room of the temple of Baal.

⁸ You must surround the king with weapons in hand, and anyone who approaches the ranks must be put to death. You must stay close to the king wherever he goes.”

¹⁵ And Jehoiada the priest ordered the commanders of hundreds in charge of the army, “Bring her out between the ranks, and put to the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest had said, “She must not be put to death in the house of the LORD.”

⁷ Then He told them, “Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain. Go forth!” So they went out and began killing throughout the city.

⁷ Then Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have gathered the scraps under my table. As I have done to them, so God has repaid me.” And they brought him to Jerusalem, where he died.

¹⁰ When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs of the house of Judah.

²⁸ Above the Horse Gate, each of the priests made repairs in front of his own house.

⁶ You destroy those who tell lies; the LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.

²³ But You, O God, will bring them down to the Pit of destruction; men of bloodshed and deceit will not live out half their days. But I will trust in You.

⁴⁰ The whole valley of the dead bodies and ashes, and all the fields as far as the Kidron Valley, to the corner of the Horse Gate to the east, will be holy to the LORD. It will never again be uprooted or demolished.”

² For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

¹³ For judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

⁵ And I heard the angel of the waters say: “Righteous are You, O Holy One, who is and was, because You have brought these judgments. ⁶ For they have spilled the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink, as they deserve.” ⁷ And I heard the altar reply: “Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are Your judgments.”

² The LORD our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. ³ He did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with all of us who are alive here today.

¹⁷ Today you have proclaimed that the LORD is your God and that you will walk in His ways, keep His statutes and commandments and ordinances, and listen to His voice. ¹⁸ And today the LORD has proclaimed that you are His people and treasured possession as He promised, that you are to keep all His commandments, ¹⁹ that He will set you high in praise and name and honor above all the nations He has made, and that you will be a holy people to the LORD your God, as He has promised.

¹ These are the words of the covenant that the LORD commanded Moses to make with the Israelites in the land of Moab, in addition to the covenant He had made with them at Horeb. ² Moses summoned all Israel and proclaimed to them, “You have seen with your own eyes everything the LORD did in Egypt to Pharaoh, to all his officials, and to all his land. ³ You saw with your own eyes the great trials, and those miraculous signs and wonders. ⁴ Yet to this day the LORD has not given you a mind to understand, eyes to see, or ears to hear. ⁵ For forty years I led you in the wilderness, yet your clothes and sandals did not wear out. ⁶ You ate no bread and drank no wine or strong drink, so that you might know that I am the LORD your God. ⁷ When you reached this place, Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan came out against us in battle, but we defeated them. ⁸ We took their land and gave it as an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. ⁹ So keep and follow the words of this covenant, that you may prosper in all you do. ¹⁰ All of you are standing today before the LORD your God—you leaders of tribes, elders, officials, and all the men of Israel, ¹¹ your children and wives, and the foreigners in your camps who cut your wood and draw your water— ¹² so that you may enter into the covenant of the LORD your God, which He is making with you today, and into His oath, ¹³ and so that He may establish you today as His people, and He may be your God as He promised you and as He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. ¹⁴ I am making this covenant and this oath not only with you, ¹⁵ but also with those who are standing here with us today in the presence of the LORD our God, as well as with those who are not here today.

²¹ “No!” replied the people. “We will serve the LORD!” ²² Then Joshua told them, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the LORD.” “We are witnesses!” they said. ²³ “Now, therefore,” he said, “get rid of the foreign gods among you and incline your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.” ²⁴ So the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the LORD our God and obey His voice.” ²⁵ On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he established for them a statute and ordinance.

¹⁴ They took an oath to the LORD with a loud voice, with shouting, trumpets, and rams’ horns.

¹⁰ Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel, so that His fierce anger will turn away from us.

³¹ So the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments, decrees, and statutes with all his heart and all his soul, and to carry out the words of this covenant that were written in this book. ³² Then he had everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin take a stand in agreement to it. So all the people of Jerusalem carried out the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.

³ So now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all the foreign wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the command of our God. Let it be done according to the Law.

¹² “We will restore it,” they replied, “and will require nothing more from them. We will do as you say.” So I summoned the priests and required of the nobles and officials an oath that they would do what they had promised. ¹³ I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, “May God likewise shake out of His house and possession every man who does not keep this promise. May such a man be shaken out and have nothing!” The whole assembly said, “Amen,” and they praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.

²⁹ hereby join with their noble brothers and commit themselves with a sworn oath to follow the Law of God given through His servant Moses and to carefully obey all the commandments, ordinances, and statutes of the LORD our Lord. ³⁰ We will not give our daughters in marriage to the people of the land, and we will not take their daughters for our sons. ³¹ When the people of the land bring merchandise or any kind of grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we will not buy from them on a Sabbath or holy day. Every seventh year we will let the fields lie fallow, and will cancel every debt. ³² We also place ourselves under the obligation to contribute a third of a shekel yearly for the service of the house of our God: ³³ for the showbread, for the regular grain offerings and burnt offerings, for the Sabbath offerings, for the New Moons and appointed feasts, for the holy offerings, for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the duties of the house of our God. ³⁴ We have cast lots among the priests, Levites, and people for the donation of wood by our families at the appointed times each year. They are to bring it to the house of our God to burn on the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the Law. ³⁵ We will also bring the firstfruits of our land and of every fruit tree to the house of the LORD year by year. ³⁶ And we will bring the firstborn of our sons and our livestock, as it is written in the Law, and will bring the firstborn of our herds and flocks to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God. ³⁷ Moreover, we will bring to the priests at the storerooms of the house of our God the firstfruits of our dough, of our grain offerings, of the fruit of all our trees, and of our new wine and oil. A tenth of our produce belongs to the Levites, so that they shall receive tithes in all the towns where we labor. ³⁸ A priest of Aaron’s line is to accompany the Levites when they collect the tenth, and the Levites are to bring a tenth of these tithes to the storerooms of the treasury in the house of our God. ³⁹ For the Israelites and the Levites are to bring the contributions of grain, new wine, and oil to the storerooms where the articles of the sanctuary are kept and where the ministering priests, the gatekeepers, and the singers stay. Thus we will not neglect the house of our God.”

⁵ One will say, ‘I belong to the LORD,’ another will call himself by the name of Jacob, and still another will write on his hand, ‘The LORD’s,’ and will take the name of Israel.”

³ Tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, burn up their Asherah poles, cut down the idols of their gods, and wipe out their names from every place.

⁵ Such a prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he has advocated rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery; he has tried to turn you from the way in which the LORD your God has commanded you to walk. So you must purge the evil from among you. ⁶ If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you embrace, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (which neither you nor your fathers have known, ⁷ the gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, whether from one end of the earth or the other), ⁸ you must not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity, and do not spare him or shield him. ⁹ Instead, you must surely kill him. Your hand must be the first against him to put him to death, and then the hands of all the people.

⁴⁰ Then Elijah ordered them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let a single one escape.” So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered them there.

²⁵ When he had finished making the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guards and officers, “Go in and kill them. Do not let anyone out.” So the guards and officers put them to the sword, threw the bodies out, and went into the inner room of the temple of Baal. ²⁶ They brought out the sacred pillar of the temple of Baal and burned it. ²⁷ They also demolished the sacred pillar of Baal. Then they tore down the temple of Baal and made it into a latrine, which it is to this day. ²⁸ Thus Jehu eradicated Baal from Israel,

¹⁸ So all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. And Jehoiada the priest posted guards for the house of the LORD. ¹⁹ He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, the guards, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of the LORD and entered the royal palace by way of the Gate of the Guards. Then Joash took his seat on the royal throne,

⁴ He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He also demolished the bronze snake called Nehushtan that Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had burned incense to it.

⁴ Then in his presence the altars of the Baals were torn down, and he cut to pieces the incense altars that were above them. He shattered the Asherah poles, the carved idols, and the cast images, crushed them to dust, and scattered them over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.

⁷ He tore down the altars and Asherah poles, crushed the idols to powder, and cut to pieces all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

¹⁸ and the idols will vanish completely.

² And on that day, declares the LORD of Hosts, I will erase the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered. I will also remove the prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land. ³ And if anyone still prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will say to him, ‘You shall not remain alive, because you have spoken falsely in the name of the LORD.’ When he prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will pierce him through.

¹ Then the LORD said to Moses, ² “Command the Israelites and say to them: See that you present to Me at its appointed time the food for My offerings by fire, as a pleasing aroma to Me. ³ And tell them that this is the offering made by fire you are to present to the LORD as a regular burnt offering each day: two unblemished year-old male lambs. ⁴ Offer one lamb in the morning and the other at twilight, ⁵ along with a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with a quarter hin of oil from pressed olives. ⁶ This is a regular burnt offering established at Mount Sinai as a pleasing aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD. ⁷ The drink offering accompanying each lamb shall be a quarter hin. Pour out the offering of fermented drink to the LORD in the sanctuary area. ⁸ And offer the second lamb at twilight, with the same grain offering and drink offering as in the morning. It is an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. ⁹ On the Sabbath day, present two unblemished year-old male lambs, accompanied by a grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, as well as a drink offering. ¹⁰ This is the burnt offering for every Sabbath, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering. ¹¹ At the beginning of every month, you are to present to the LORD a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old, all unblemished, ¹² along with three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering with each bull, two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering with the ram, ¹³ and a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering with each lamb. This is a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD. ¹⁴ Their drink offerings shall be half a hin of wine with each bull, a third of a hin with the ram, and a quarter hin with each lamb. This is the monthly burnt offering to be made at each new moon throughout the year. ¹⁵ In addition to the regular burnt offering with its drink offering, one male goat is to be presented to the LORD as a sin offering. ¹⁶ The fourteenth day of the first month is the LORD’s Passover. ¹⁷ On the fifteenth day of this month, there shall be a feast; for seven days unleavened bread is to be eaten. ¹⁸ On the first day there is to be a sacred assembly; you must not do any regular work. ¹⁹ Present to the LORD an offering made by fire, a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old, all unblemished. ²⁰ The grain offering shall consist of fine flour mixed with oil; offer three-tenths of an ephah with each bull, two-tenths of an ephah with the ram, ²¹ and a tenth of an ephah with each of the seven lambs. ²² Include one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for you. ²³ You are to present these in addition to the regular morning burnt offering. ²⁴ Offer the same food each day for seven days as an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. It is to be offered with its drink offering and the regular burnt offering. ²⁵ On the seventh day you shall hold a sacred assembly; you must not do any regular work. ²⁶ On the day of firstfruits, when you present an offering of new grain to the LORD during the Feast of Weeks, you are to hold a sacred assembly; you must not do any regular work. ²⁷ Present a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old as a pleasing aroma to the LORD, ²⁸ together with their grain offerings of fine flour mixed with oil—three-tenths of an ephah with each bull, two-tenths of an ephah with the ram, ²⁹ and a tenth of an ephah with each of the seven lambs. ³⁰ Include one male goat to make atonement for you. ³¹ Offer them with their drink offerings in addition to the regular burnt offering and its grain offering. The animals must be unblemished.

¹ When David was old and full of years, he installed his son Solomon as king over Israel. ² Then he gathered all the leaders of Israel, as well as the priests and Levites. ³ The Levites thirty years of age or older were counted, and the total number of men was 38,000. ⁴ “Of these,” said David, “24,000 are to oversee the work of the house of the LORD, 6,000 are to be officers and judges, ⁵ 4,000 are to be gatekeepers, and 4,000 are to praise the LORD with the instruments I have made for giving praise.” ⁶ Then David divided the Levites into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. ⁷ The Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei. ⁸ The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the first, Zetham, and Joel—three in all. ⁹ The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran—three in all. These were the heads of the families of Ladan. ¹⁰ And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, Jeush, and Beriah. These were the sons of Shimei—four in all. ¹¹ Jahath was the first and Zizah was the second; but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they were counted as one family and received a single assignment. ¹² The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel—four in all. ¹³ The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his descendants were set apart forever to consecrate the most holy things, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister before Him, and to pronounce blessings in His name forever. ¹⁴ As for Moses the man of God, his sons were named among the tribe of Levi. ¹⁵ The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer. ¹⁶ The descendants of Gershom: Shebuel was the first. ¹⁷ The descendants of Eliezer: Rehabiah was the first. Eliezer did not have any other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very numerous. ¹⁸ The sons of Izhar: Shelomith was the first. ¹⁹ The sons of Hebron: Jeriah was the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth. ²⁰ The sons of Uzziel: Micah was the first and Isshiah the second. ²¹ The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish. ²² Eleazar died without having any sons; he had only daughters. Their cousins, the sons of Kish, married them. ²³ The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth—three in all. ²⁴ These were the descendants of Levi by their families—the heads of families, registered individually by name—those twenty years of age or older who worked in the service of the house of the LORD.

²⁸ but their duty was to assist the descendants of Aaron with the service of the house of the LORD, being responsible for the courts and chambers, the purification of all the holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God, ²⁹ as well as for the rows of the showbread, the fine flour for the grain offering, the wafers of unleavened bread, the baking, the mixing, and all measurements of quantity and size. ³⁰ They were also to stand every morning to give thanks and praise to the LORD, and likewise in the evening. ³¹ Whenever burnt offerings were presented to the LORD on the Sabbaths, New Moons, and appointed feasts, they were to serve regularly before the LORD in the numbers prescribed for them.

¹ Additionally, David and the commanders of the army set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to prophesy with the accompaniment of lyres, harps, and cymbals. The following is the list of the men who performed this service: ² From the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarelah. These sons of Asaph were under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied under the direction of the king. ³ From the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah—six in all—under the direction of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with the harp, giving thanks and praise to the LORD. ⁴ From the sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. ⁵ All these sons of Heman the king’s seer were given him through the promises of God to exalt him, for God had given Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. ⁶ All these were under the direction of their fathers for the music of the house of the LORD with cymbals, harps, and lyres, for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the direction of the king. ⁷ Together with their relatives, who were all trained and skillful in the songs of the LORD, they numbered 288. ⁸ They cast lots for their duties, young and old alike, teacher as well as pupil. ⁹ The first lot, which was for Asaph, fell to Joseph, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all; the second to Gedaliah, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all; ¹⁰ the third to Zaccur, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all; ¹¹ the fourth to Izri, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all; ¹² the fifth to Nethaniah, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all; ¹³ the sixth to Bukkiah, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all; ¹⁴ the seventh to Jesarelah, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all; ¹⁵ the eighth to Jeshaiah, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all; ¹⁶ the ninth to Mattaniah, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all; ¹⁷ the tenth to Shimei, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all; ¹⁸ the eleventh to Azarel, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all; ¹⁹ the twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all; ²⁰ the thirteenth to Shubael, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all; ²¹ the fourteenth to Mattithiah, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all; ²² the fifteenth to Jeremoth, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all; ²³ the sixteenth to Hananiah, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all; ²⁴ the seventeenth to Joshbekashah, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all; ²⁵ the eighteenth to Hanani, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all; ²⁶ the nineteenth to Mallothi, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all; ²⁷ the twentieth to Eliathah, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all; ²⁸ the twenty-first to Hothir, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all; ²⁹ the twenty-second to Giddalti, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all; ³⁰ the twenty-third to Mahazioth, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all; ³¹ and the twenty-fourth to Romamti-ezer, his sons, and his brothers—12 in all.

⁵ and they brought up the ark and the Tent of Meeting with all its sacred furnishings. The Levitical priests carried them up.

²⁵ Hezekiah stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, harps, and lyres according to the command of David, of Gad the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet. For the command had come from the LORD through His prophets.

²² The number of those chosen to be gatekeepers at the thresholds was 212. They were registered by genealogy in their villages. David and Samuel the seer had appointed them to their positions of trust. ²³ So they and their descendants were assigned to guard the gates of the house of the LORD—the house called the Tent. ²⁴ The gatekeepers were stationed on the four sides: east, west, north, and south.

¹ These were the divisions of the gatekeepers: From the Korahites: Meshelemiah son of Kore, one of the sons of Asaph. ² Meshelemiah had sons: Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth, ³ Elam the fifth, Jehohanan the sixth, and Eliehoenai the seventh. ⁴ And Obed-edom also had sons: Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, Sachar the fourth, Nethanel the fifth, ⁵ Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh, and Peullethai the eighth. For God had blessed Obed-edom. ⁶ Also to his son Shemaiah were born sons who ruled over their families because they were strong, capable men. ⁷ Shemaiah’s sons were Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad; his brothers were Elihu and Semachiah, also capable men. ⁸ All these were descendants of Obed-edom; they and their sons and brothers were capable men with strength to do the work—62 in all from Obed-edom. ⁹ Meshelemiah also had sons and brothers who were capable men—18 in all. ¹⁰ Hosah the Merarite also had sons: Shimri the first (although he was not the firstborn, his father had appointed him as the first), ¹¹ Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, and Zechariah the fourth. The sons and brothers of Hosah numbered 13 in all. ¹² These divisions of the gatekeepers, through their chief men, had duties for ministering in the house of the LORD, just as their brothers did. ¹³ They cast lots for each gate, according to their families, young and old alike. ¹⁴ The lot for the East Gate fell to Shelemiah. Then lots were cast for his son Zechariah, a wise counselor, and the lot for the North Gate fell to him. ¹⁵ The lot for the South Gate fell to Obed-edom, and the lot for the storehouses to his sons. ¹⁶ The lots for the West Gate and the Shallecheth Gate on the ascending highway fell to Shuppim and Hosah. There were guards stationed at every watch. ¹⁷ Each day there were six Levites on the east, four on the north, four on the south, and two pairs at the storehouse. ¹⁸ As for the court on the west, there were four at the highway and two at the court. ¹⁹ These were the divisions of the gatekeepers who were descendants of Korah and Merari. ²⁰ Now their fellow Levites were in charge of the treasuries of the house of God and the treasuries of the dedicated things. ²¹ From the descendants of Ladan, who were Gershonites through Ladan and heads of the families of Ladan the Gershonite, were Jehieli, ²² the sons of Jehieli, Zetham, and his brother Joel. They were in charge of the treasuries of the house of the LORD. ²³ From the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites: ²⁴ Shebuel, a descendant of Gershom son of Moses, was the officer in charge of the treasuries. ²⁵ His relatives through Eliezer included Rehabiah his son, Jeshaiah his son, Joram his son, Zichri his son, and Shelomith his son. ²⁶ This Shelomith and his brothers were in charge of all the treasuries for the things dedicated by King David, by the heads of families who were the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and by the army commanders. ²⁷ They had dedicated some of the plunder from their battles to the repair of the house of the LORD. ²⁸ Everything that had been dedicated by Samuel the seer, Saul son of Kish, Abner son of Ner, and Joab son of Zeruiah, along with everything else that was dedicated, was under the care of Shelomith and his brothers. ²⁹ From the Izharites, Chenaniah and his sons had the outside duties as officers and judges over Israel. ³⁰ From the Hebronites, Hashabiah and his relatives, 1,700 capable men, had charge of the affairs of Israel west of the Jordan for all the work of the LORD and for the service of the king. ³¹ As for the Hebronites, Jerijah was the chief of the Hebronites, according to the genealogies of his ancestors. In the fortieth year of David’s reign the records were searched, and strong, capable men were found among the Hebronites at Jazer in Gilead. ³² Among Jerijah’s relatives there were 2,700 capable men who were heads of families. King David appointed them over the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh for every matter pertaining to God and to the affairs of the king.

⁹ So the commanders of hundreds did everything that Jehoiada the priest had ordered. Each of them took his men—those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty—and came to Jehoiada the priest. ¹⁰ Then the priest gave to the commanders of hundreds the spears and shields of King David from the house of the LORD.

¹⁹ He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, the guards, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of the LORD and entered the royal palace by way of the Gate of the Guards. Then Joash took his seat on the royal throne,

³⁵ Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense there. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the house of the LORD.

²⁰ and all the people of the land rejoiced. And the city was quiet, because Athaliah had been put to the sword at the royal palace.

¹⁰ The righteous will rejoice when they see they are avenged; they will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked. ¹¹ Then men will say, “There is surely a reward for the righteous! There is surely a God who judges the earth!”

²⁰ Rejoice over her, O heaven, O saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced for you His judgment against her.

¹ After this I heard a sound like the roar of a great multitude in heaven, shouting: “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God! ² For His judgments are true and just. He has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality. He has avenged the blood of His servants that was poured out by her hand.” ³ And a second time they called out: “Hallelujah! Her smoke rises forever and ever.” ⁴ And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne, saying: “Amen, Hallelujah!”