2 Chronicles 23
Open in the reader1Then in the seventh year, He-Who-Is-Knows strengthened himself and made a covenant with the commanders of hundreds—with He-Who-Is-Helps son of May-He-Be-Shown-Compassion, God-Hears son of He-Who-Is-Has-Been-Gracious, He-Who-Is-Helps son of Serving, Work-of-He-Who-Is son of He-Who-Is-Has-Adorned, and God-Has-Judged son of My-Remembrance.
2So they went throughout Praised and gathered the Joined-Ones from all the cities of Praised and the heads of the families of Strives-with-God. And when they came to Foundation-of-Peace,
3the whole assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. “Behold, the king’s son!” said He-Who-Is-Knows. “He must reign, just as He-Who-Is promised concerning the descendants of Beloved.
4This is what you are to do: A third of you priests and Joined-Ones who come on duty on the Rest shall keep watch at the doors,
5a third shall be at the royal palace, and a third at the Foundation Gate, while all the others are to be in the courtyards of the house of He-Who-Is.
6No one is to enter the house of He-Who-Is except the priests and those Joined-Ones who serve; they may enter because they are consecrated, but all the people are to obey the requirement of He-Who-Is.
7The Joined-Ones 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.”
8So the Joined-Ones and all Praised did everything that He-Who-Is-Knows the priest had ordered. Each of them took his men—those coming on duty on the Rest and those going off duty—for He-Who-Is-Knows the priest had not released any of the divisions.
9Then He-Who-Is-Knows the priest gave to the commanders of hundreds the spears and the large and small shields of King Beloved that were in the house of God.
10He 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.
11Then He-Who-Is-Knows 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!”
12When He-Who-Is-Has-Constrained heard the noise of the people running and cheering the king, she went out to them in the house of He-Who-Is.
13And she looked 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 He-Who-Is-Has-Constrained tore her clothes and screamed, “Treason, treason!”
14And He-Who-Is-Knows 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 He-Who-Is.”
15So they seized He-Who-Is-Has-Constrained as she reached the entrance of the Horse Gate on the palace grounds, and there they put her to death.
16Then He-Who-Is-Knows made a covenant between himself and the king and the people that they would be He-Who-Is’s people.
17So all the people went to the temple of The-Ruler and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces and killed Gift the priest of The-Ruler in front of the altars.
18Moreover, He-Who-Is-Knows put the oversight of the house of He-Who-Is into the hands of the Joined-One priests, whom Beloved had appointed over the house of He-Who-Is, to offer burnt offerings to He-Who-Is as written in the Teaching of Drawn-Out, with rejoicing and song, as ordained by Beloved.
19He stationed gatekeepers at the gates of the house of He-Who-Is, so that no one who was in any way unclean could enter.
20And he 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 He-Who-Is and entered the royal palace through the Upper Gate. They seated King He-Who-Is-Has-Aided on the royal throne,
21and all the people of the land rejoiced. And the city was quiet, because He-Who-Is-Has-Constrained had been put to the sword.