Jehoiada Makes Joash King of Judah
(2 Kings 11.4-21)1 After Ahaziah's son Joash had hidden in the temple for six years, Jehoiada the priest knew that something had to be done. So he made sure he had the support of several army officers. They were Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zichri. 2 These five men went to the towns in Judah and called together the Levites and the clan leaders. They all came to Jerusalem 3 and gathered at the temple, where they agreed to help Joash.
Jehoiada said to them:
Joash will be our next king, because long ago the Lord promised that one of David's descendants would always be king. 4 Here is what we will do. Three groups of priests and Levites will be on guard duty on the Sabbath—one group will guard the gates of the temple, 5 one will guard the palace, and the other will guard Foundation Gate. The rest of you will stand guard in the temple courtyards. 6 Only the priests and Levites who are on duty will be able to enter the temple, because they will be the only ones who have gone through the ceremony to make themselves clean and acceptable. The others must stay outside in the courtyards, just as the Lord has commanded. 7 You Levites must protect King Joash. Don't let him out of your sight! And keep your swords ready to kill anyone who comes into the temple.
8 The Levites and the people of Judah followed Jehoiada's orders. The guards going off duty were not allowed to go home, and so each commander had all his guards available—those going off duty as well as those coming on duty. 9 Jehoiada went into the temple and brought out the swords and shields that had belonged to King David, and he gave them to the commanders. 10 They gave the weapons to the guards, and Jehoiada then made sure that the guards took their positions around the temple and the altar to protect the king on every side.
11 Jehoiada and his sons brought Joash outside, where they placed the crown on his head and gave him a copy of the instructions for ruling the nation. Olive oil was poured on his head to show that he was now king, and the crowd cheered and shouted, “Long live the king!”
12 As soon as Queen Athaliah heard the crowd cheering for Joash, she went to the temple. 13 There she saw Joash standing by one of the columns near the entrance, which was the usual place for the king. The commanders and the trumpet players were standing next to him, and the musicians were playing instruments and leading the people as they celebrated and blew trumpets. Athaliah tore her clothes in anger and shouted, “You betrayed me, you traitors!”
14 At once, Jehoiada said to the army commanders, “Don't kill her near the Lord's temple. Take her out in front of the troops, and be sure to kill all of her followers!” 15 She tried to escape, but the commanders caught and killed her near the gate where horses are led into the palace.
16 Jehoiada asked King Joash and the people to join with him in being faithful to the Lord. They agreed, 17 then rushed to the temple of the god Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and the idols and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.
18 Jehoiada assigned the priests and Levites their duties at the temple, just as David had done. They were in charge of offering sacrifices to the Lord according to the Law of Moses, and they were responsible for leading the celebrations with singing. 19 Jehoiada ordered the guards at the temple gates to keep out anyone who was unclean.
20 Finally, Jehoiada called together the army commanders, the most important citizens of Judah, and the government officials. The crowd of people followed them as they led Joash from the temple, through the Upper Gate, and into the palace, where he took his place as king of Judah. 21 Everyone celebrated because Athaliah had been killed and Jerusalem was peaceful again.
Joas ta ningi ohamba
1 Ndelenee momudo omutiheyali Jehoiada okwe linyatipaleka nokwa ninga ehangano novanefele Asaria yaJeroham naIsmael yaJohanan naAsaria yaObed naMaasea yaAdaja naElisafat yaSikri. 2 Ndele va endaenda muJuda ndele va ongela Ovalevi vomoilando aishe yomuJuda novakulunhu vomapata aIsrael. Ndele vo ove uya kuJerusalem. 3 Noshiongalele ashishe osha ninga ehangano nohamba mongulu yaKalunga. Opo nee Jehoiada ta ti kuvo: “Taleni, omona wohamba e nokuninga ohamba ngaashi Omwene a popya oludalo laDavid; 4 Mu nokuninga ngaha: Oshitukulwa shimwe shomoitukulwa itatu shomunye, ava mu nolufo okunangela mEshabata, mu nokunangela poivelo, ovo vomovapristeli nomOvalevi. 5 Noshitukulwa shimwe shomoitukulwa itatu shi nokunangela pongulu yohamba, noshitukulwa shimwe shomoitukulwa itatu shi nokunangela pOshivelo shEkanghameno, novanhu aveshe ve nokukala momalupale okomesho yongulu yOmwene. 6 Ndelenee paha kale nande umwe ta i mongulu yOmwene, ovapristeli nOvalevi ava ve li moilonga, vo nava ye mo, shaashi ovo ovayapuki. Ndelenee ovanhu aveshe ve nokudiinina omalombwelo Omwene. 7 NOvalevi ve nokukala ofika nokudingilila ohamba, keshe umwe e noiti yaye meke laye, ndele ou ta i mo mongulu, e nokudipawa, ndele mu nokukala pohamba, yo ngeenge tai piti mo ile tai uya mo.”
8 Ovalevi nOvajuda aveshe va ninga ngaashi omupristeli Jehoiada e va lombwela: keshe umwe okwa kufa ovalumenhu vaye, ava ve nolufo okunangela navenya va dimbuka okunangela mefiku lEshabata. Osheshi omupristeli Jehoiada ina lekela eengudu. 9 Nomupristeli Jehoiada okwa yandja kovanefele omaonga noikelelifo inini noikelelifo yohamba David, oyo ya li mongulu yaKalunga. 10 Nokwa tula po ovakwaita aveshe, keshe umwe noiti yaye meke laye, okudja kombinga youmbuwanhu wongulu fiyo okombinga yokoumbangalanhu wongulu, fiyo okoaltari nokongulu, va dingilila ohamba. 11 Opo nee Jehoiada okwa eta Joas pondje, nde te mu dike oshishani nokwe mu pa embo lomhango youhamba. Ndele ve mu ninga ohamba. Ndele Jehoiada novana vaye ovalumenhu ve i vaeka ndele tava ti: “Ohamba nai kale nomwenyo!” 12 Ndele Atalia, eshi a uda ondaka yovanhu tava tondoka ndele tava kuwilile ohamba, okwe uya kovanhu mongulu yOmwene. 13 Ndele eshi a mona ohamba tai kala ofika monhele ya tumba poshivelo, novakulunhu novashiki vomanghuma va kala ofika pohamba, novanhu aveshe vomoshilongo va hafa ndele tava shiki omanghuma, novaimbi noishikomwa, fimbo tava wilike eimbilo lehambelelo, Atalia ta pombaula oikutu yaye ndele ta ti: “Ekengelelo! Ekengelelo!”
14 Ndelenee omupristeli Jehoiada okwa li ina hala Atalia a dipaelwe popepi notembeli. Onghee a ifana eendjai doita, nde ta ti: “Mu kwateni, mu mu pitifeni mo a upatwa kovaameni vomikweyo mbali. Ndele dipaeni keshe ou ta kendabala oku mu xupifa.” 15 Opo nee ove mu kwata, ndele eshi va fika pomhito yOshivelo Sheenghambe mombala, ove mu dipaa. 16 Ndele Jehoiada okwa ninga ehangano pokati kaye mwene novanhu aveshe nokutya, vo va ninge ovanhu vOmwene. 17 Ovanhu aveshe va ya motembeli yaBaal, ndele tave i ngumauna po, nova tataula po oaltari noiyelekelafano, nova dipaela Mattan, omupristeli waBaal, komesho yoaltari. 18 Omupristeli Jehoiada okwa tula vali ovanangeli pongulu yOmwene ve li mepangelo lOvalevi, novapristeli ovo David e va tukula eengudu okuyamba omaxwikiloyambo Omwene mongulu yOmwene nehafo nomaimbilo panghedimhango yaDavid, ngaashi pa shangwa momhango yaMoses. 19 Nokwa tula yo ovanangeli voivelo poivelo yongulu yOmwene, opo paha kale nande umwe ta dulu okuuya mo ngeenge e linyateka moshinima shonhumba ile shongadi. 20 Nokwa kufa ovanefele novalumenhu ovanamadina naavo va li ovakulunhu vovanhu, novanhu aveshe vomoshilongo, ndele a kufa ohamba mongulu yOmwene. Ndele va ya mo mongulu yohamba, va pita moshivelo shopombadelela, ndele va kaleka ohamba kolukalwapangelo. 21 Novanhu aveshe vomoshilongo va hafa, noshilando sha tulumukwa. Ndelenee va dipaa Atalia neongamukonda.
