2 Kings
Chapter 11
1 When Athaliah, Ahaziah’s mother, saw her son was dead, she got up and killed all the royal family members.
2 Jehosheba, King Joram’s daughter and Ahaziah’s sister, took Joash, Ahaziah’s son, and saved him from the king’s sons who were killed. She and a nurse hid him in a bedroom to protect him from Athaliah, so he was not killed.
3 He stayed hidden with her in God’s house for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.
4 In the seventh year, Jehoiada sent for the commanders of units of a hundred, the officers and the guards, and brought them to him in God’s house. There, he made an agreement with them and had them swear an oath in God’s house. He then showed them the king’s son.
5 He told them, “Here’s what you must do: one-third of you who come on the Sabbath will guard the king’s palace.”
6 One third of you will stand at the gate of Sur, another third at the gate behind the guard, and you will guard the house to prevent it from being broken into.
7 Two-thirds of you who go out on the Sabbath must guard God’s house around the king.
8 Surround the king, everyone with their weapons ready: if someone approaches, kill them. Stay with the king wherever he goes.
9 The leaders of the hundreds did everything Priest Jehoiada told them. Each one gathered his men who were to come in on the Sabbath and those going out on the Sabbath and went to Priest Jehoiada.
10 The priest gave David’s spears and shields, which were in God’s temple, to the captains of hundreds.
11 The guards stood around the king, each with his weapon in hand, from the temple’s right side to the left side, near the altar and the temple.
12 He brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, gave him the law; they made him king, anointed him, clapped their hands, and said, “God save the king.”
13 When Athaliah heard the noise of the guards and the crowd, she went to where the people were in God’s temple.
14 When she saw, the king was standing by a column, as was the custom, with the leaders and trumpet players near him. All the people were very happy and played their trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and shouted, “Treason! Treason!”
15 Jehoiada the priest told the army leaders, “Take her out beyond the temple area. If anyone follows her, kill them with the sword.” He had said, “Don’t kill her in God’s house.”
16 They grabbed her, and she took the path that the horses used to enter the king’s palace, where she was killed.
17 Jehoiada made a promise between God, the king, and the people that they would be God’s people, and also between the king and the people.
18 Everyone in the land entered Baal’s temple, destroyed it, broke his altars and statues completely, and killed Mattan, Baal’s priest, by the altars. And the priest set up guards for God’s house.
19 He gathered the leaders of hundreds, commanders, guards, and everyone in the land; they took the king from God’s house, went through the guard gate to the royal palace, and he sat on the kings’ throne.
20 All the people of the land were happy, and the city was peaceful; they killed Athaliah with a sword near the king’s house.
21 Jehoash was seven years old when he became king.