2 Kings 11

Athaliah Usurps the Throne

11When Athaliah, ⁱAhaziah’s mother, ^jsaw that her son was dead, ^kshe proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs. ²Jehosheba, ^lwho was King Jehoram’s daughter and Ahaziah’s ^msister, secretly rescued Joash son of Ahaziah from the king’s sons who were being killed and put him and the one who nursed him in a bedroom. So he was hidden from Athaliah and was not killed. ³Joash was in hiding with Jehosheba in the Lord’s temple six years while Athaliah ruled over the land.

Athaliah Overthrown

⁴Then ⁿin the seventh year, Jehoiada ^osent messengers and brought in the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, and the guards. ^pHe had them come to him in the Lord’s temple, where he made a covenant with them and put them under oath. He showed them the king’s son ⁵and commanded them, “This is what you are to do: a third of you who come on duty on the Sabbath ^qare to provide protection for the king’s palace. ⁶A third are to be at the Sur gate and a third at the gate behind the guards. You are to take turns providing protection for the palace. ^rs

⁷“Your two divisions that go off duty on the Sabbath are to provide protection for the Lord’s temple. ⁸You must completely surround the king with weapons in hand. Anyone who approaches the ranks is to be put to death. You must be with the king in all his daily tasks.” ^tu

⁹So the commanders of hundreds did everything Jehoiada the priest commanded. They each brought their men—those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty—and went to Jehoiada the priest. ^v10The priest gave to the commanders of hundreds King David’s spears and shields ^wthat were in the Lord’s temple. ¹¹Then the guards stood with their weapons in hand surrounding the king—from the right side of the temple to the left side, by the altar and by the temple.

¹²He brought out the king’s son, put the crown ^xon him, gave him the testimony, ^yzand made him king. They anointed ^ahim and clapped their hands and cried, “Long live the king!” ^b

¹³When Athaliah ^cheard the noise from the guard and the crowd, she went out to the people at the Lord’s temple. ^d14As she looked, there was the king standing by the pillar ^eaccording to the custom. The commanders and the trumpeters were by the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. ^fAthaliah tore her clothes and screamed “Treason! Treason!” ^g

¹⁵Then Jehoiada ^hthe priest ordered the commanders of hundreds ⁱin charge of the army, “Take her out between the ranks, and put to death by the sword anyone who follows her,” for the priest had said, “She is not to be put to death in the Lord’s temple.” ^j16So they arrested her, and she went through the horse entrance ^kto the king’s palace, where she was put to death. ^l

Jehoiada’s Reforms

¹⁷Then ^mJehoiada made a covenant between the Lord, the king, and the people that they would be the Lord’s people ⁿand another covenant between the king and the people. ^op18So all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They broke its altars and images into pieces, ^qand they killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, at the altars. ^r

Then Jehoiada the priest appointed guards for the Lord’s temple. ^s19He took the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, the guards, ^tand all the people of the land, and they brought the king from the Lord’s temple. They entered the king’s palace by way of the guards’ gate. Then Joash ^usat on the throne of the kings. ²⁰All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet, for they had put Athaliah to death by the sword in the king’s palace.

Judah’s King Joash

^21vJoash ^wxwas seven years old when he became king. ^y