The Divided Kingdom

Then Iehoiada the Priest brought out the captaines of hundreths that were gouernours of the hoste, and said vnto them, Haue her foorth of the ranges, and he that followeth her, let him dye by the sword: for the Priest had said, Slay her not in the house of the Lord.

So they layde hands on her: and when she was come to the entring of the horsegate by the Kings house, they slew her there.

And Iehoiada made a couenant betweene him, and all the people, and the King, that they would be the Lords people.

And all the people went to the house of Baal, and destroyed, and brake his altars and his images, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

And Iehoiada appointed officers for the house of the Lord, vnder the handes of the Priestes and Leuites, whome Dauid had distributed for the house of the Lord, to offer burnt offrings vnto the Lord, as it is written in the Law of Moses, with reioycing and singing by the appoyntment of Dauid.

And he set porters by the gates of ye house of the Lord, that none that was vncleane in any thing, should enter in.

And he tooke the captaines of hundreths, and the noble men, and the gouernours of the people, and all the people of the land, and he caused the King to come downe out of the house of the Lord, and they went thorowe the hie gate of the Kings house, and set the King vpon the throne of the kingdome.

Then all the people of the land reioyced, and the citie was quiet, after that they had slaine Athaliah with the sword.

Ioash was seuen yere olde, when he began to reigne, and he reigned fourty yeere in Ierusalem: and his mothers name was Zibiah of Beer-sheba.

And Ioash did vprightly in the sight of the Lord, all the dayes of Iehoiada the Priest.

And Iehoiada tooke him two wiues, and he begate sonnes and daughters.

And afterward it came into Ioash mind, to renew the house of the Lord.

And he assembled the Priests and the Leuites, and said to them, Goe out vnto the cities of Iudah, and gather of all Israel money to repaire the house of your God, from yeere to yeere, and haste the thing: but the Leuites hasted not.

Therefore the King called Iehoiada, the chiefe, and said vnto him, Why hast thou not required of the Leuites to bring in out of Iudah and Ierusalem the taxe of Moses the seruant of the Lord, and of the Congregation of Israel, for the Tabernacle of the testimonie?

For wicked Athaliah, and her children brake vp the house of God: and all the things that were dedicate for the house of the Lord, did they bestowe vpon Baalim.

Therefore the King commanded, and they made a chest, and set it at the gate of the house of the Lord without.

And they made proclamation thorow Iudah and Ierusalem, to bring vnto the Lord the taxe of Moses the seruant of God, layde vpon Israel in the wildernesse.

And all the princes and all the people reioyced, and brought in, and cast into the chest, vntill they had finished.

And when it was time, they brought the chest vnto the Kings officer by the hand of the Leuites: and when they saw that there was much siluer, then the Kings Scribe (and one appoynted by the hie Priest) came and emptied the chest, and tooke it, and caried it to his place againe: thus they did day by day, and gathered siluer in abundance.

And the King and Iehoiada gaue it to such as did the labour and worke in the house of the Lord, and hyred masons and carpenters to repayre the house of the Lord: they gaue it also to workers of yron and brasse, to repayre the house of the Lord.

So the workemen wrought, and the worke amended through their hands: and they restored the house of God to his state, and strengthened it.

And when they had finished it, they brought the rest of the siluer before the King and Iehoiada, and he made thereof vessels for the house of the Lord, euen vessels to minister, both morters and incense cuppes, and vessels of golde, and of siluer: and they offred burnt offrings in the house of the Lord continually all the dayes of Iehoiada.

But Iehoiada waxed olde, and was ful of dayes and dyed. An hundreth and thirtie yeere olde was he when he dyed.

And they buried him in the citie of Dauid with the kings, because he had done good in Israel, and toward God and his house.

And after the death of Iehoiada, came the princes of Iudah, and did reuerence to the King, and the King hearkened vnto them.