Athaliah Queen in Judah
1 Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal offspring. 2 But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were slain and put him and his nurse in the bedroom. They hid him from Athaliah so that he was not slain. 3 He was with her hidden in the house of the Lord for six years while Athaliah reigned over the land.
Joash Anointed King in Judah
4 In the seventh year Jehoiada sent for the captains of hundreds, the Carites and the guards, and brought them to him into the house of the Lord. He made a covenant with them and made them swear to it in the house of the Lord. Then he showed them the king’s son, and 5 he commanded them, “This is what you must do: of you who come on duty on the Sabbath, a third usually guard the king’s house, 6 a third of you are at the gate Sur, and a third of you are at the gate behind the guards. The first group shall continue keeping watch over the king’s house, providing a barrier. 7 Your other two groups who come on duty on the Sabbath shall keep watch over the house of the Lord around the king. 8 You shall surround the king, every man with his weapons in his hand, and anyone who comes within the ranks, let him be slain. Be with the king when he goes out and when he comes in.”
9 The captains over hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded, and they each took his men, those who were to come in on the Sabbath, with those who were to go out on the Sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest. 10 The priest delivered to the captains over hundreds, the spears and shields that had been king David’s, which were in the house of the Lord. 11 The guards stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, along the altar and the house, around the king. 12 Then he brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him and gave him the covenant, and they made him king and anointed him, and they clapped their hands and said, “Long live the king!”
The Death of Athaliah
13 When Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she went to the people into the house of the Lord, 14 and she looked, and there the king stood by the pillar, as the tradition was, with the captains and the trumpets by the king. All the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and cried, “Treason! Treason!”
15 Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of hundreds who were set over the army and said to them, “Bring her out between the ranks. Kill with the sword, anyone who follows her.” For the priest said, “Don’t let her be slain in the house of the Lord.” 16 So they made way for her, and she went by the way of the horses’ entry to the king’s house, and she was slain there.
Jehoiada Restores the Worship of God
17 Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and the people, that they should be the Lord’s people, and also between the king and the people. 18 All the people of the land went to the house of Baal and broke it down. They broke his altars and his images in pieces thoroughly, and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. The priest appointed officers over the house of the Lord. 19 He took the captains over hundreds and the Carites and the guards and all the people of the land, and they brought down the king from the house of the Lord and came by the way of the gate of the guards to the king’s house. He sat on the King’s throne. 20 So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet. They had slain Athaliah with the sword at the king’s house.