Athaliah Usurps the Throne

11 When Athaliah,^(A) Ahaziah’s mother,^(B) saw that her son was dead,^(C) she proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs. ² Jehosheba,^(D) who was King Jehoram’s daughter and Ahaziah’s^(E) sister, secretly rescued Joash son of Ahaziah from the king’s sons who were being killed and put him and the one who nursed him in a bedroom. So he was hidden from Athaliah and was not killed. ³ Joash was in hiding with Jehosheba in the Lord’s temple six years while Athaliah ruled over the land.

Athaliah Usurps the Throne

¹⁰ When^(A) Athaliah, Ahaziah’s mother, saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs^[a] of the house of Judah. ¹¹ Jehoshabeath,^[b] the king’s daughter, rescued Joash son of Ahaziah from the king’s sons who were being killed and put him and the one who nursed him in a bedroom. Now Jehoshabeath was the daughter of King Jehoram and the wife of Jehoiada the priest. Since she was Ahaziah’s sister, she hid Joash from Athaliah so that she did not kill him. ¹² While Athaliah ruled over the land, he was hiding with them in God’s temple six years.

Athaliah Overthrown

⁴ Then^(A) in the seventh year, Jehoiada^(B) sent messengers and brought in the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, and the guards.^(C) He had them come to him in the Lord’s temple, where he made a covenant with them and put them under oath. He showed them the king’s son ⁵ and commanded them, “This is what you are to do: a third of you who come on duty on the Sabbath^(D) are to provide protection for the king’s palace. ⁶ A third are to be at the Sur gate and a third at the gate behind the guards. You are to take turns providing protection for the palace.^[a](E)

⁷ “Your two divisions that go off duty on the Sabbath are to provide protection for the Lord’s temple. ⁸ You must completely surround the king with weapons in hand. Anyone who approaches the ranks is to be put to death. You must be with the king in all his daily tasks.”^[b](F)

⁹ So the commanders of hundreds did everything Jehoiada the priest commanded. They each brought their men—those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty—and went to Jehoiada the priest.^{(G) 10} The priest gave to the commanders of hundreds King David’s spears and shields^(H) that were in the Lord’s temple. ¹¹ Then the guards stood with their weapons in hand surrounding the king—from the right side of the temple to the left side, by the altar and by the temple.

¹² He brought out the king’s son, put the crown^(I) on him, gave him the testimony,^[c](J) and made him king. They anointed^(K) him and clapped their hands and cried, “Long live the king!”^(L)

Athaliah Overthrown

23 Then, in the seventh year,^(A) Jehoiada summoned his courage and took the commanders of hundreds into a covenant with him: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zichri. ² They made a circuit throughout Judah. They gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah and the heads of the families of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.

³ Then the whole assembly made a covenant with the king in God’s temple. Jehoiada said to them, “Here is the king’s son! He must reign, just as the Lord promised^(B) concerning David’s sons. ⁴ This is what you are to do: a third of you, priests and Levites who are coming on duty on the Sabbath,^(C) are to be gatekeepers. ⁵ A third are to be at the king’s palace, and a third are to be at the Foundation Gate, and all the troops will be in the courtyards of the Lord’s temple. ⁶ No one is to enter the Lord’s temple but the priests and those Levites who serve;^(D) they may enter because they are holy, but all the people are to obey the requirement of the Lord. ⁷ You must completely surround the king with weapons in hand. Anyone who enters the temple is to be put to death. You must be with the king in all his daily tasks.”^[a]

⁸ So the commanders of hundreds did everything Jehoiada the priest commanded. They each brought their men—those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty on the Sabbath—for Jehoiada the priest did not release the divisions.^{(E) 9} Jehoiada the priest gave to the commanders of hundreds King David’s spears, shields, and quivers^[b] that were in God’s temple. ¹⁰ Then he stationed all the troops with their weapons in hand surrounding the king—from the right side of the temple to the left side, by the altar and by the temple.

¹¹ They brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, gave him the testimony,^(F) and made him king. Jehoiada and his sons anointed him and cried, “Long live the king!”^(G)

¹³ When Athaliah^(A) heard the noise from the guard and the crowd, she went out to the people at the Lord’s temple.^{(B) 14} As she looked, there was the king standing by the pillar^(C) according to the custom. The commanders and the trumpeters were by the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets.^(D) Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed “Treason! Treason!”^(E)

¹⁵ Then Jehoiada^(F) the priest ordered the commanders of hundreds^(G) in charge of the army, “Take her out between the ranks, and put to death by the sword anyone who follows her,” for the priest had said, “She is not to be put to death in the Lord’s temple.”^{(H) 16} So they arrested her, and she went through the horse entrance^(I) to the king’s palace, where she was put to death.^(J)