Athaliah Reigns in Judah

¹uNow when vAthaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal family. ²But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took wJoash the son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the king's sons who were being put to death, and she put1 him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus they2 hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not put to death. ³And he remained with her six years, hidden in the house of the Lord, while Athaliah reigned over the land.

Joash Anointed King in Judah

⁴xBut in the seventh year yJehoiada sent and brought the captains of zthe Carites and of the guards, and had them come to him in the house of the Lord. And he made a covenant with them and put them under oath in the house of the Lord, and he showed them the king's son. ⁵And he commanded them, “This is the thing that you shall do: one third of you, athose who come off duty on the Sabbath and guard the king's house ⁶(banother third being at the gate Sur and a third at the gate behind the guards) shall guard the palace.3 ⁷And the two divisions of you, which come on duty in force on the Sabbath and guard the house of the Lord on behalf of the king, ⁸shall surround the king, each with his weapons in his hand. And whoever approaches the ranks is to be put to death. Be with the king cwhen he goes out and when he comes in.”

⁹The captains did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded, and they each brought his men who were to go off duty on the Sabbath, with those who were to come on duty on the Sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest. ¹⁰And the priest gave to the captains the spears and dshields that had been King David's, which were in the house of the Lord. ¹¹And the guards stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, from the south side of the house to the north side of the house, around the altar and the house on behalf of the king. ¹²Then he brought out the king's son and put ethe crown on him and gave him fthe testimony. And they proclaimed him king and anointed him, and they clapped their hands and said, g“Long live the king!”

¹³When Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she went into the house of the Lord to the people. ¹⁴And when she looked, there was the king standing hby the pillar, according to the custom, and the captains and the trumpeters beside the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and iblowing trumpets. And Athaliah jtore her clothes and cried, “Treason! Treason!” ¹⁵Then Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains who were set over the army, “Bring her out between the ranks, and put to death with the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest said, “Let her not be put to death in the house of the Lord.” ¹⁶So they laid hands on her; and she went through the horses' entrance to the king's house, and there she was put to death.

¹⁷And Jehoiada kmade a covenant between the Lord and the king and people, that they should be the Lord's people, and also lbetween the king and the people. ¹⁸Then all the people of the land went to mthe house of Baal and tore it down; nhis altars and his images they broke in pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest posted watchmen over the house of the Lord. ¹⁹And he took the captains, othe Carites, the guards, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of the Lord, marching through pthe gate of the guards to the king's house. And he took his seat on the throne of the kings. ²⁰So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet after Athaliah had been put to death with the sword at the king's house.

Jehoash Reigns in Judah

²¹4 qJehoash5 was seven years old when he began to reign.