2 Kings 11:1-21
11 And Ahaziah’s mother ʽAthaliah saw that her son was dead, and she stood up and destroyed all of the royal blood.
2 But King Joram’s daughter Jehoshebaʽ, Abaziah’s sister, took Ahaziah’s son Joash and spirited him away from among the princes who were being dispatched, and put him and his nurse in the bedding-closet, and they concealed him from ʽAthaliah and he was not put to death.
3 And he was with her in Jehovah’s house in hiding for six years, and ʽAthaliah reigned over the country.
4 ** And in the seventh year Jehojadaʽ sent and fetched the captains of the Carians and the runners and had them come to him in Jehovah’s house, and he made an agreement with them and had them swear by Jehovah’s house, and let them see the prince;
5 * and he gave them orders, “This is the thing you are to do; the third of you that go in on the sabbath and keep guard at the palace,
6 ——
7 * and the two thirds of you that all come out on the sabbath and keep guard at Jehovah’s house,
8 * shall encircle the king weapon in hand, and whoever comes in up to the cordon shall be put to death; be with the king when he goes out and when he goes in.”
9 * And the captains did just as Jehojadaʽ ordered them, and each fetched his men, those who went in on the sabbath with those who came out on the sabbath, and came to Priest Jehojadaʽ,
10 and the priest gave the captains the spears and bucklers that had belonged to King David, that were in Jehovah’s house,
11 * and the runners stood weapon in hand from the southeast corner of the house to the northeast corner, for the altar and the house, around the king;
12 * and he brought out the prince and put on him the diadem and the armlets, and they declared him king and anointed him, and clapped their hands and said “Long live the king!”
13 And ʽAthaliah heard the voices of the people, and came to the people in Jehovah’s house
14 and saw the scene: there was the king standing by the pillar according to usage, and the captains and the trumpets beside the king, and all the populace rejoicing and blowing trumpets; and ʽAthaliah tore her garments and cried out “Treason! treason!”
15 And Priest Jehojadaʽ gave orders to the captains, the officers of the forces, “Let her out inside the cordon, and put to the sword anyone that goes in after her”; for the priest thought “She must not be put to death in Jehovah’s house.”
16 * And they stood away from her, and she went into the driveway to the palace and was put to death there.
17 * And Jehojadaʽ made a covenant between Jehovah and the king and the people, that they should be Jehovah’s people and for constitutional relations between the king and the people.
18 And all the populace went into the Baal’s house and tore it down, thoroughly broke to pieces its altars and images, and killed Mattan, the priest of the Baal, in front of the altars.
19 And the priest set guards over Jehovah’s house, and took the captains and the Carians and the runners and the whole populace, and they brought the king down from Jehovah’s house and into the palace by way of the runners’ gate, and he took his seat on the royal throne;
20 and all the populace rejoiced, and the city quieted down; and ʽAthaliah they put to death by the sword in the palace.
21 Joash was seven years old at his accession to the throne,
Footnotes
^ 11:4 Var. Priest Jehoiadaʽ sent
^ 11:4 Lit. the captains over hundreds of
^ 11:5 Codd. add (with variations and words of uncertain meaning) verse 6, and a third at Sur Gate, and a third at the gate behind the runners, shall keep guard at the house by turns,
^ 11:7-8 Codd. that all come out on the sabbath shall keep guard at Jehovah’s house to the king, and surround the king
^ 11:8 (cordon) Unc.
^ 11:9 Lit. the captains over hundreds
^ 11:11 (around the king) Susp.
^ 11:12 Codd. the diadem and the Lessons
^ 11:16 (stood away from her) Unc.
^ 11:17 Lit. without the words for constitutional relations
