2 Kings 11:1-21
Athaliah and Joash
1 When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family. 2 But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes, who were about to be murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah; so he was not killed. 3 He remained hidden with his nurse at the temple of the Lord for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.
4 In the seventh year Jehoiada sent for the commanders of units of a hundred, the Carites and the guards and had them brought to him at the temple of the Lord. He made a covenant with them and put them under oath at the temple of the Lord. Then he showed them the king’s son. 5 He commanded them, saying, “This is what you are to do: You who are in the three companies that are going on duty on the Sabbath—a third of you guarding the royal palace, 6 a third at the Sur Gate, and a third at the gate behind the guard, who take turns guarding the temple— 7 and you who are in the other two companies that normally go off Sabbath duty are all to guard the temple for the king. 8 Station yourselves around the king, each of you with weapon in hand. Anyone who approaches your ranks is to be put to death. Stay close to the king wherever he goes.”
9 The commanders of units of a hundred did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each one took his men—those who were going on duty on the Sabbath and those who were going off duty—and came to Jehoiada the priest. 10 Then he gave the commanders the spears and shields that had belonged to King David and that were in the temple of the Lord. 11 The guards, each with weapon in hand, stationed themselves around the king—near the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple.
12 Jehoiada brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him; he presented him with a copy of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him, and the people clapped their hands and shouted, “Long live the king!”
13 When Athaliah heard the noise made by the guards and the people, she went to the people at the temple of the Lord. 14 She looked and there was the king, standing by the pillar, as the custom was. The officers and the trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her robes and called out, “Treason! Treason!”
15 Jehoiada the priest ordered the commanders of units of a hundred, who were in charge of the troops: “Bring her out between the ranks and put to the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest had said, “She must not be put to death in the temple of the Lord.” 16 So they seized her as she reached the place where the horses enter the palace grounds, and there she was put to death.
17 Jehoiada then made a covenant between the Lord and the king and people that they would be the Lord’s people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people. 18 All the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.
Then Jehoiada the priest posted guards at the temple of the Lord. 19 He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, the guards and all the people of the land, and together they brought the king down from the temple of the Lord and went into the palace, entering by way of the gate of the guards. The king then took his place on the royal throne. 20 All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was calm, because Athaliah had been slain with the sword at the palace.
21 Joash was seven years old when he began to reign.
Athaliah was Ahaziah’s mother. She saw that her son was dead, so she got up and killed all the king’s family...Jehosheba was King Joram’s daughter and Ahaziah’s sister...Joash was one of the king’s sons...While the other children were being killed, Jehosheba took Joash and hid him...She put him and his nurse in her bedroom, so Jehosheba and the nurse hid Joash from Athaliah...That way Joash was not killed...Then Joash and Jehosheba hid in the LORD’s Temple...Joash hid there for six years...During that time Athaliah ruled over the land of Judah...In the seventh year Jehoiada the high priest sent for the captains of the Carites[a] and guards...He brought them together in the Lord’s Temple and made an agreement with them. There in the Temple of the LORD he forced them to make a promise...Then he showed the king’s son to them...Then Jehoiada gave them a command...He said, “This is what you must do...One-third of you, from those who go on duty on the Sabbath day, must stand guard at the royal palace...Another third will be at the Sur Gate, and the other third will be at the gate behind the guard...This way you will stand guard over the palace on all sides...Your two divisions who go off duty on the Sabbath day will stand guard at the LORD’s Temple and protect King Joash...You must stay with him wherever he goes...The whole group must surround the king...Each guard must have his weapon in his hand, and you must kill anyone who comes too close to you.”...
The captains obeyed everything that Jehoiada the priest commanded...Each captain took his men, both those who were going on duty on the Sabbath day and those who were going off duty...All these men went to Jehoiada the priest, and he gave spears and shields to the captains...These were the spears and shields David put in the LORD’s Temple...These guards stood with their weapons in their hands from the right corner of the Temple to the left corner...They stood around the altar and the Temple and around the king when he went to the Temple...These men brought out Joash...They put the crown on him and gave him a copy of the agreement...Then they anointed him and made him the new king...They clapped their hands and shouted, “Long live the king!”...Queen Athaliah heard the noise from the guards and the people, so she went to them at the LORD’s Temple...Athaliah saw the king by the column where new kings usually stood...She also saw the leaders and men playing the trumpets for him...She saw that all the people were very happy...She heard the trumpets, and she tore her clothes to show she was upset...Then Athaliah shouted, “Treason!...Treason!”...Jehoiada the priest gave a command to the captains who were in charge of the soldiers...Jehoiada told them, “Take Athaliah outside of the Temple area...Kill any of her followers, but don’t kill them in the LORD’s Temple.”...So the soldiers grabbed Athaliah and killed her as soon as she went through the horse’s entrance to the palace...Then Jehoiada made the agreement between the LORD and the king and the people...This agreement showed that the king and the people belonged to the LORD...Jehoiada also made the agreement between the king and the people...Then all the people went to the temple of Baal...They destroyed the statue of Baal and his altars...They broke them into many pieces...They also killed Baal’s priest, Mattan, in front of the altars...So Jehoiada the priest put men in charge of maintaining the LORD’s Temple...The priest led all the people...They went from the LORD’s Temple to the king’s palace...The king’s special guards and the captains went with the king, and all the other people followed them...They went to the entrance to the king’s palace...Then King Joash sat on the throne...All the people were happy, and the city was peaceful...And Queen Athaliah was killed with a sword near the king’s palace...Joash was seven years old when he became king...