1 And in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself and took the captains of hundreds, Azariah, the son of Jeroham, and Ishmael, the son of Jehohanan, and Azariah, the son of Obed, and Maaseiah, the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat, the son of Zichri, into covenant with him.
2 And they went about in Judah and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah and the heads of the fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.
3 And all the congregation made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said unto them, Behold, the king’s son who shall reign, as the Lord has said of the sons of David.
4 This is the thing that ye must do: A third part of you, those who enter on the sabbath, shall be porters at the doors with the priests and the Levites;
5 and a third part shall be at the king’s house; and a third part at the gate of the foundation; and all the people shall be in the courts of the house of the Lord.
6 But let no one come into the house of the Lord, except the priests and the Levites that minister; they shall go in, for they are holy; but all the people shall keep the watch of the Lord.
7 And the Levites shall compass the king round about, each one shall have his weapons in his hand; and whoever else comes into the house shall be put to death; and ye shall be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.