1. After six years, Jehoiada showed his strength and made an agreement with the captains. These captains were Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zicri.
2. They went around in Judah and gathered the Levites from all the towns of Judah. They also gathered the leaders of the families of Israel. Then they went to Jerusalem.
3. All the people meeting together made an agreement with the king in God’s Temple. Jehoiada said to the people, “The king’s son will rule. That is what the Lord promised about David’s descendants.
4. Now, this is what you must do: One-third of you priests and Levites who go on duty on the Sabbath will guard the doors.
5. And one-third of you will be at the king’s palace, and one-third of you will be at the Foundation Gate. But all the other people will stay in the yards of the Lord’S Temple.
6. Only the priests and Levites who serve in the Lord’S Temple are permitted to enter it. They are the only ones who have been made holy. Don’t let anyone else enter. All the others must do only the work the Lord has given them.
7. The Levites must stay near the king. Every man must have his sword with him. If anyone tries to enter the Temple, kill that person. You must stay with the king everywhere he goes.”
8. The Levites and all the people of Judah obeyed all that Jehoiada the priest commanded. Jehoiada the priest did not excuse anyone from the groups of the priests. So each captain and all his men came in on the Sabbath with those who went out on the Sabbath.
9. Jehoiada the priest gave the spears and the large and small shields that belonged to King David to the officers. The weapons were kept in God’s Temple.
10. Then Jehoiada told the men where to stand. Every man had his weapon in his hand. The men stood all the way from the right side of the Temple to the left side of the Temple. They stood near the altar and the Temple, and near the king.
11. They brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him. They gave him a copy of the agreement. Then they made Joash king. Jehoiada and his sons anointed Joash and said, “Long live the king!”