Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, August 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Read the Bible

Bible in Basic English

2 Chronicles 23:4

This is what you are to do: let a third of you, of the priests and Levites, who come in on the Sabbath, keep the doors;

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Israel, Prophecies Concerning;   Porters;   Zeal, Religious;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Gates;   Kings;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Athaliah;   Joash or Jehoash;   Levites;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Athaliah;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Jehoiada;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Chronicles, I;   Priests and Levites;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Jehoiada ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Joash;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Anoint;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Criticism (the Graf-Wellhausen Hypothesis);   Doorkeeper;   Jehoiada;   Priests and Levites;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Athaliah;   Threshold;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
This is what you are to do: a third of you, priests and Levites who are coming on duty on the Sabbath, are to be gatekeepers.
Hebrew Names Version
This is the thing that you shall do: a third part of you, who come in on the Shabbat, of the Kohanim and of the Levites, shall be porters of the thresholds;
King James Version
This is the thing that ye shall do; A third part of you entering on the sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be porters of the doors;
English Standard Version
This is the thing that you shall do: of you priests and Levites who come off duty on the Sabbath, one third shall be gatekeepers,
New Century Version
Now this is what you must do: You priests and Levites go on duty on the Sabbath. A third of you will guard the doors.
New English Translation
This is what you must do. One third of you priests and Levites who are on duty during the Sabbath will guard the doors.
Amplified Bible
"This is what you shall do: a third of you, of the priests and Levites who are resuming service on the Sabbath, shall be gatekeepers,
New American Standard Bible
"This is the thing which you shall do: a third of you, of the priests and Levites who come in on the Sabbath, shall be gatekeepers,
World English Bible
This is the thing that you shall do: a third part of you, who come in on the Sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be porters of the thresholds;
Geneva Bible (1587)
This is it that ye shal do, The third part of you that come on the Sabbath of the Priests, and the Leuites, shalbe porters of the doores.
Legacy Standard Bible
This is the thing which you shall do: one-third of you, of the priests and Levites who come in on the sabbath, shall be gatekeepers at the thresholds,
Berean Standard Bible
This is what you are to do: A third of you priests and Levites who come on duty on the Sabbath shall keep watch at the doors,
Contemporary English Version
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,
Complete Jewish Bible
Here is what you are to do: of you cohanim and L'vi'im who come on duty on Shabbat, a third are to guard the gates,
Darby Translation
This is the thing which ye shall do: a third part of you that come in on the sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be keepers of the doors;
Easy-to-Read Version
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.
George Lamsa Translation
This is the thing that you shall do: a third part of you who enter the temple on the sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites and of the porters shall be on guard;
Good News Translation
This is what we will do. When the priests and Levites come on duty on the Sabbath, one third of them will guard the Temple gates,
Lexham English Bible
This is the thing that you must do: one third of you priests and Levites coming off duty on the Sabbath shall be gatekeepers at the entrances,
Literal Translation
This is what you shall do: the third of you going in on the sabbath, of the priests, and of the Levites, shall be keepers of the doors;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
This is it therfore yt ye shal do: The thirde parte of you that entre on the Sabbath, shalbe amonge the prestes & Leuites, which are dorekepers at the thresholdes:
American Standard Version
This is the thing that ye shall do: a third part of you, that come in on the sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be porters of the thresholds;
Bishop's Bible (1568)
This is it therfore that ye shal do: The thirde part of you shall on the Sabbath come to the priestes, Leuites, & kepers of the porches,
JPS Old Testament (1917)
This is the thing that ye shall do: a third part of you, that come in on the sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be porters of the doors;
King James Version (1611)
This is the thing that yee shall doe, A third part of you entring on the Sabbath, of the priests and of the Leuites, shalbe porters of the doores.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Now this is the thing which ye shall do. Let a third part of you, even of the priests and of the Levites, enter in on the sabbath, even into the gates of the entrances;
English Revised Version
This is the thing that ye shall do: a third part of you, that come in on the sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be porters of the doors;
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor this is the word, which ye schulen do.
Update Bible Version
This is the thing that you shall do: a third part of you, that come in on the Sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be porters of the thresholds;
Webster's Bible Translation
This [is] the thing that ye shall do: A third part of you entering on the sabbath, of the priests, and of the Levites, [shall be] porters of the doors;
New King James Version
This is what you shall do: One-third of you entering on the Sabbath, of the priests and the Levites, shall be keeping watch over the doors;
New Living Translation
This is what you must do. When you priests and Levites come on duty on the Sabbath, a third of you will serve as gatekeepers.
New Life Bible
This is what you must do. One third of you religious leaders and Levites who come in on the Day of Rest will watch the gates.
New Revised Standard
This is what you are to do: one-third of you, priests and Levites, who come on duty on the sabbath, shall be gatekeepers,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
This, is the thing that ye shall do, - A third of you entering on the sabbath, both of the priests and of the Levites, as doorkeepers of the porch;
Douay-Rheims Bible
And this is the thing that you shall do:
Revised Standard Version
This is the thing that you shall do: of you priests and Levites who come off duty on the sabbath, one third shall be gatekeepers,
Young's Literal Translation
`This [is] the thing that ye do: The third of you, going in on the sabbath, of the priests, and of the Levites, [are] for gatekeepers of the thresholds,
THE MESSAGE
In the seventh year the priest Jehoiada decided to make his move and worked out a strategy with certain influential officers in the army. He picked Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zicri as his associates. They dispersed throughout Judah and called in the Levites from all the towns in Judah along with the heads of families. They met in Jerusalem. The gathering met in The Temple of God. They made a covenant there in The Temple. The priest Jehoiada showed them the young prince and addressed them: "Here he is—the son of the king. He is going to rule just as God promised regarding the sons of David. Now this is what you must do: A third of you priests and Levites who come on duty on the Sabbath are to be posted as security guards at the gates; another third will guard the palace; and the other third will guard the foundation gate. All the people will gather in the courtyards of The Temple of God . No one may enter The Temple of God except the priests and designated Levites—they are permitted in because they've been consecrated, but all the people must do the work assigned them. The Levites are to form a ring around the young king, weapons at the ready. Kill anyone who tries to break through your ranks. Your job is to stay with the king at all times and places, coming and going." All the Levites and officers obeyed the orders of Jehoiada the priest. Each took charge of his men, both those who came on duty on the Sabbath and those who went off duty on the Sabbath, for Jehoiada the priest hadn't exempted any of them from duty. Then the priest armed the officers with spears and the large and small shields originally belonging to King David that were stored in The Temple of God. Well-armed, the guards took up their assigned positions for protecting the king, from one end of The Temple to the other, surrounding both Altar and Temple. Then the priest brought the prince into view, crowned him, handed him the scroll of God's covenant, and made him king. As Jehoiada and his sons anointed him they shouted, "Long live the king!" Athaliah, hearing all the commotion, the people running around and praising the king, came to The Temple to see what was going on. Astonished, she saw the young king standing at the entrance flanked by the captains and heralds, with everybody beside themselves with joy, trumpets blaring, the choir and orchestra leading the praise. Athaliah ripped her robes in dismay and shouted, "Treason! Treason!" Jehoiada the priest ordered the military officers, "Drag her outside—and kill anyone who tries to follow her!" (The priest had said, "Don't kill her inside The Temple of God .") So they dragged her out to the palace's horse corral and there they killed her. Jehoiada now made a covenant between himself and the king and the people: they were to be God 's special people. The people poured into the temple of Baal and tore it down, smashing altar and images to smithereens. They killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altar. Jehoiada turned the care of God 's Temple over to the priests and Levites, the way David had directed originally. They were to offer the Whole-Burnt-Offerings of God as set out in The Revelation of Moses, and with praise and song as directed by David. He also assigned security guards at the gates of God 's Temple so that no one who was unprepared could enter. Then he got everyone together—officers, nobles, governors, and the people themselves—and escorted the king down from The Temple of God , through the Upper Gate, and placed him on the royal throne. Everybody celebrated the event. And the city was safe and undisturbed—Athaliah had been killed; no more Athaliah terror.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"This is the thing which you shall do: one third of you, of the priests and Levites who come in on the sabbath, shall be gatekeepers,

Contextual Overview

1 In the seventh year, Jehoiada made himself strong, and made an agreement with the captains of hundreds, Azariah, the son of Jeroham, Ishmael, the son of Jehohanan, Azariah, the son of Obed, Maaseiah, the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat, the son of Zichri. 2 And they went through Judah, getting together the Levites and the heads of families in Israel from all the towns of Judah, and they came to Jerusalem. 3 And all the people made an agreement with the king in the house of God. And he said to them, Truly, the king's son will be king, as the Lord has said about the sons of David. 4 This is what you are to do: let a third of you, of the priests and Levites, who come in on the Sabbath, keep the doors; 5 And a third are to be stationed at the king's house; and a third at the doorway of the horses: while all the people are waiting in the open spaces round the house of the Lord. 6 But let no one come into the house of the Lord but only the priests and those of the Levites who have work to do there; they may go in for they are holy; but the rest of the people are to keep the orders of the Lord. 7 And the Levites are to make a circle round the king, every man being armed; and any man who comes into the house is to be put to death; you are to keep with the king when he comes in and when he goes out. 8 So the Levites and all Judah did as Jehoiada the priest had given them orders: every one took with him his men, those who were to come in and those who were to go out on the Sabbath; for Jehoiada had not sent away the divisions. 9 Then Jehoiada the priest gave to the captains of hundreds the spears and body-covers which had been King David's and which were kept in the house of God. 10 And he put all the people in position, every man with his instruments of war in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left, by the altar and the house and all round the king.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

entering: 1 Chronicles 23:3-6, 1 Chronicles 24:3-6, Luke 1:8, Luke 1:9

porters: 1 Chronicles 26:13-16

doors: Heb. thresholds

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 11:6 - the gate of Sur 1 Chronicles 9:19 - over the host 1 Chronicles 24:19 - the orderings 2 Chronicles 8:14 - the courses Ecclesiastes 10:10 - wisdom Acts 4:1 - the captain

Cross-References

Genesis 3:19
With the hard work of your hands you will get your bread till you go back to the earth from which you were taken: for dust you are and to the dust you will go back.
Genesis 17:8
And to you and to your seed after you, I will give the land in which you are living, all the land of Canaan for an eternal heritage; and I will be their God.
Genesis 23:12
And Abraham went down on his face before the people of the land.
Genesis 23:13
And Abraham said to Ephron, in the hearing of the people of the land, If only you will give ear to me, I will give you the price of the field; take it, and let me put my dead to rest there.
Genesis 23:16
And Abraham took note of the price fixed by Ephron in the hearing of the children of Heth, and gave him four hundred shekels in current money.
Genesis 47:9
And Jacob said, The years of my wanderings have been a hundred and thirty; small in number and full of sorrow have been the years of my life, and less than the years of the wanderings of my fathers.
Genesis 49:30
In the rock in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in the land of Canaan, which Abraham got from Ephron the Hittite, to be his resting-place.
Genesis 50:13
For they took him into the land of Canaan and put him to rest in the hollow rock in the field of Machpelah, which Abraham got with the field, for a resting-place, from Ephron the Hittite at Mamre.
Leviticus 25:23
No exchange of land may be for ever, for the land is mine, and you are as my guests, living with me for a time.
1 Chronicles 29:15
For we, as all our fathers were, are like men from a strange country before you, who have got a place for a time in the land; our days on the earth are like a shade, and there is no hope of going on.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

:-.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The writer of Chronicles relates the orders that were given to the Levites, the author of Kings those received by the royal body-guard (2 Kings 11:5 note).


 
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