2 Kings 11

Revised Geneva Translation

11 Then Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, when she saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the king’s seed.

² But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, sister to Ahaziah, took Joash, the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king’s sons who were to be killed, he and his nurse, from the bedchamber. And they hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not killed.

³ And he was hidden in the House of the LORD with her for six years. And Athaliah reigned over the land.

⁴ And the seventh year, Jehoiada sent and took the captains over hundreds, with captains and those of the guard, and had them come to him, into the House of the LORD, and made a covenant with them, and took an oath from them in the House of the LORD and showed them the king’s son.

⁵ And he commanded them, saying, “This is what you must do: One third of you, who comes on the Sabbath, shall keep watch over the king’s house,

⁶ “and one third on the gate of Sur, and one third on the gate behind those of the guard. And you shall keep watch on the House of Massah.

⁷ “And two parts of you, all who go out on the Sabbath Day, shall keep the watch of the House of the LORD for the king.

⁸ “And you shall surround the king, all around, each man with his weapon in his hand. And whoever comes within range, let him be killed. You be with the king, as he goes out and in.”

⁹ And the captains of the hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada the Priest commanded. And they took every man from his men who entered on the Sabbath, with those who went out on the Sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the Priest.

¹⁰ And the Priest gave the spears and the shields that were King David’s, and were in the House of the LORD, to the captains of hundreds.

¹¹ And the guards stood, every man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the House to the left side, around the Altar and around the House, all around the king.

¹² Then he brought out the king’s son, and put the crown upon him, and gave him the Testimony. And they made him king. They also anointed him, and clapped their hands, and said, “God save the king!”

¹³ And when Athaliah heard the noise of the running of the people, she came in to the people in the House of the LORD.

¹⁴ And when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar (as the manner was). And the princes and the trumpeters were by the king. And all the people of the land rejoiced and blew trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her clothes, and cried, “Treason! Treason!”

¹⁵ But Jehoiada the Priest commanded the captains of the hundreds who had the rule of the army, and said to them, “Take her forth between the ranks, and he who follows her, let him die by the sword.” For the Priest had said, “Do not let her be killed in the House of the LORD.”

¹⁶ Then they laid hands on her. And she went by the way which the horses take to the house of the king. And she was killed there.

¹⁷ And Jehoiada made a Covenant between the LORD and the king and the people, so that they would be the LORD’s people, and also between the king and the people.

¹⁸ Then all the people of the land went into the house of Baal, and destroyed it with its altars, and they courageously broke down its images, and killed Mattan, the Priest of Baal, before the altars. And the Priest set a guard over the House of the LORD.

¹⁹ Then he took the captains of hundreds, and the other captains, and the guard, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king from the House of the LORD and came by way of the gate of the guard to the king’s house. And he sat down on the throne of the kings.

²⁰ And all the people of the land rejoiced. And the city was quiet. For they had killed Athaliah with the sword, beside the king’s house.

²¹ Jehoash was seven years old when he began to reign.