2 Rois 11

Athaliah seizes the throne

¹Athaliah, Ahaziah’s mother, saw that her son was dead, and she set out to destroy the whole royal family. ²But Jehosheba, King Joram’s daughter and Ahaziah’s sister, took Ahaziah’s son Joash and secretly took him out from among the king’s sons who were about to be killed. She put him and his nurse in the bedroom, and they hid him from Athaliah, so he was not killed.^{a 3}He stayed hidden with her in the house of the LORD six years, during Athaliah’s rule over the land.

Joash is crowned

⁴In the seventh year Jehoiada sent for the commanders of hundreds of the Carites and of the guards and had them brought to him in the house of the LORD. He made a covenant with them and put them under oath in the house of the LORD. Then he showed them the king’s son.^{b 5}He gave them this order: “Here is what you must do. One third of you, the men who come on duty on the sabbath, will keep watch over the king’s palace,^{c 6}one third at the Sur Gate, and one third at the gate behind the guards. So you will guard the palace in turns.^{d 7}The two companies of you who go off duty on the sabbath are all to keep watch over the house of the LORD to protect the king. ⁸Surround the king on every side, each man with his weapons in hand. Anyone who comes within your ranks must be put to death. Stay with the king wherever he goes.” ⁹The commanders of hundreds did everything Jehoiada the priest had ordered. Each brought his men, both the ones who came on duty on the sabbath and the ones who went off duty that day, and they came to Jehoiada the priest. ¹⁰The priest gave the commanders of hundreds the spears and shields that had belonged to King David and were kept in the house of the LORD. ¹¹The guards took their places, each man with his weapons in hand, from the south side of the temple to the north side, beside the altar and the temple, surrounding the king. ¹²Then Jehoiada brought out the king’s son and put on him the crown and the testimony. They made him king and anointed him. Then they clapped their hands and shouted, “Long live the king!”^e

¹³When Athaliah heard the noise of the guards and the people, she went to the people at the house of the LORD. ¹⁴She looked, and there was the king, standing by the pillar as the custom was, with the commanders and the trumpeters beside him. All the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. Athaliah tore her clothes and cried out, “Treason! Treason!”

¹⁵Jehoiada the priest gave orders to the commanders of hundreds who were in charge of the troops: “Bring her out between the ranks, and kill with the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest had said, “Do not let her be killed in the house of the LORD.” ¹⁶They seized her, and she went out by way of the horses’ entrance to the king’s palace, and there she was put to death.^f

Jehoiada’s covenant and Athaliah’s end

¹⁷Jehoiada made the covenant between the LORD, the king and the people, that they would be the people of the LORD. He also made one between the king and the people. ¹⁸Then all the people of the land went to Baal’s house and tore it down. They smashed its altars and its images to pieces, and killed Mattan, Baal’s priest, before the altars. The priest posted guards over the house of the LORD. ¹⁹He took the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, the guards and all the people of the land. They escorted the king down from the house of the LORD and went by way of the gate of the guards to the king’s palace. And the king took his seat on the royal throne. ²⁰All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was at peace. Athaliah had been put to death with the sword at the king’s palace.