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Queen Athaliah dies

12 Queen Athaliah heard the soldiers and the people as they shouted and praised the new king. So she went to the Lord's temple where all the people were. 13 Then she saw the king! He was standing in the king's place beside the pillar at the entrance of the temple.[a] The army officers and the men with trumpets were standing beside the king. All the people of Judah were shouting with joy. There were musicians making music with trumpets and other musical instruments. They helped the people to sing and to praise God.

When Athaliah saw this, she was very upset. She tore her clothes. She shouted, ‘Treason! Treason!’[b]

14 Jehoiada the priest sent a message to the army officers who had authority over groups of 100 soldiers. He told them, ‘Bring her out of the temple to the line of guards outside. Use your swords to kill anyone who follows her.’ That was because Jehoiada had said, ‘You must not kill her inside the Lord's temple.’

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Footnotes

  1. 23:13 This was the special place for a king to stand, to show that he had authority to rule.
  2. 23:13 ‘Treason’ is when people turn against their ruler.