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2 Kings 11
International Standard Version

Athaliah Reigns as Queen of Judah(A)

11 As soon as Ahaziah’s mother Athaliah learned that her son had died, she seized the throne[a] and executed the entire royal bloodline.[b] 2 But King Joram’s daughter Jehosheba, who was Ahaziah’s sister, rescued[c] Ahaziah’s son Joash from the group of the king’s sons who were being executed and hid him and his nurse in her bedroom, concealing him from Athaliah so he was not put to death. 3 So Joash remained hidden with her in the Lord’s Temple for six years while Athaliah reigned over the land.

4 But during the seventh year of her reign,[d] Jehoiada went out and called together the rulers of hundreds, the captains, and the guards, and assembled them together inside the Lord’s Temple. He made a covenant with them, making them take an oath in the Lord’s Temple, and then he revealed the king’s son to them. 5 He ordered them:

“Here’s what we’ll do: A third of you will enter here on this coming[e] Sabbath dressed[f] as guardians of the watch for the king’s palace, 6 with a third of you at the Sur gate, and a third at the gate behind the guards. Keep watch over the palace[g] and defend it. 7 Two[h] of you who enter here on this coming[i] Sabbath are to stand watch at the Lord’s Temple, 8 guarding the king and surrounding him with weapons in hand. Whoever comes within range is to be killed. Stay with the king wherever he goes, coming or going.”

9 So the captains of hundreds did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each one of them assembled his men who were to enter on the Sabbath, along with those who were to leave on the Sabbath, and approached Jehoiada the priest.

10 The priest issued King David’s personal spears and shields that had been stored in the Lord’s Temple to the captains of hundreds. 11 So the guards stood assembled, every soldier with weapons in hand, surrounding the king from the right side corner of the Temple to the left side corner, including around the altar and the Temple.

12 Then he brought out the king’s son, put the royal crown on him, presented him with the Testimony,[j] and installed him as king. They anointed him, applauded, and said, “May the king live!”

13 When Athaliah heard all of the commotion coming from those who were guarding the people, she approached the people who were in the Lord’s Temple. 14 She looked around—and there was the king, standing near a column, as was the royal custom! He was accompanied by the commanding officers, along with trumpeters who stood beside the king. All the people of the land sounded trumpets in their excitement.

But Athaliah tore her clothes and bellowed, “It’s a plot! A conspiracy!”

Athaliah is Executed(B)

15 Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains in charge of[k] the army, “Take her out the back way[l] and execute anybody who follows her,” since the priest had also issued this order: “Let’s not put her to death in the Lord’s Temple.” 16 So they arrested Athaliah, took her out through the same entrance used by the horses for entering the king’s palace, and executed her.

A Covenant is Made(C)

17 Then Jehoiada entered into a covenant with the Lord, the king, and the people, that they would live as the Lord’s people, and also entered into a covenant with the king and the people. 18 Then all of the people of the land entered Baal’s temple, tore it down, and broke his altars and his images to pieces, killing Mattan the priest of Baal right in front of the altars. Furthermore, Jehoiada[m] the priest appointed officers to guard the Lord’s Temple, 19 and brought the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, the guards, and all the people of the land, taking the king out of the Lord’s Temple, marching through the guard’s gate to the king’s palace, where Joash[n] took his seat on the throne of the kings. 20 After this, everyone throughout the land rejoiced and the city was at peace, because they had executed Athaliah at the king’s palace.

Jehoash (Joash) Reigns over Judah

21 [o] Jehoash began to reign as king when he was seven years old,

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 11:1 Lit. she arose
  2. 2 Kings 11:1 Lit. seed
  3. 2 Kings 11:2 Lit. took
  4. 2 Kings 11:4 The Heb. lacks of her reign
  5. 2 Kings 11:5 The Heb. lacks this coming
  6. 2 Kings 11:5 The Heb. lacks dressed
  7. 2 Kings 11:6 Or Temple; Lit. house
  8. 2 Kings 11:7 Lit. Two hands
  9. 2 Kings 11:7 The Heb. lacks this coming
  10. 2 Kings 11:12 I.e. the tablets that were stored in the ark; cf. Ex 25:16, 31:18
  11. 2 Kings 11:15 Lit. captains of hundred over
  12. 2 Kings 11:15 Lit. out by the ranks; i.e. using a utility entrance (cf. vs. 16)
  13. 2 Kings 11:18 The Heb. lacks Jehoiada
  14. 2 Kings 11:19 Lit. he
  15. 2 Kings 11:21 This vs. is 12:1 in MT
Close LEB

2 Kings 11
Lexham English Bible

Athaliah Usurps the Throne in Judah

11 Now Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, so she prepared to destroy all of the offspring of the royal family. 2 But Jehosheba the daughter of King Joram and sister of Ahaziah took Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, and she stole him from among the sons of the king who were being put to death, putting him and his nurse in the inner bedroom. So they hid him from the presence of Athaliah, and he was not killed. 3 He remained with her in the temple of Yahweh, hidden for six years while Athaliah was reigning over the land.

4 But in the seventh year Jehoiada sent and took the commanders of the hundreds of the Carites and the runners, and he brought them to himself to the temple of Yahweh. Then he made[a] a covenant with them and made them swear in the house of Yahweh and showed them the son of the king. 5 He commanded them, saying, “This is the thing which you must do: one third of you who go off duty on the Sabbath,[b] the keepers of the guard in the house of the king, 6 and another third at the gate of Sur, and a third at the gate behind the runners, shall guard the post of the palace alternately. 7 Two of the units among you, all who go on duty on the Sabbath,[c] guard the post of the temple of Yahweh for the king. 8 You must surround the king all about, each with his weapon in his hand; whoever comes to the ranks must be killed. Be with the king wherever he goes.”[d]

9 So the commanders of hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded, and each took his men who went off duty on the Sabbath[e] and those who came on duty on the Sabbath,[f] and they came to Jehoiada the priest. 10 Then the priest gave to the commanders of the hundreds spears and small round shields which were King David’s, which were in the temple of Yahweh. 11 So the royal runners stood, each with his weapons in his hand, from the side of the temple to the south up to the side of the temple on the north, around the altar and around the temple, about the king all around. 12 Then he brought out the son of the king, put the crown on him with the testimony, and they made him king, anointed him, clapped their hands, and said, “Long live the king!”

13 When Athaliah heard the sound of the runners of the people, she came to the people at the temple of Yahweh. 14 She looked, and there was the king standing by the pillar according to the custom. The commanders and the trumpeters were by the king, and all of the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing on the trumpets. Athaliah tore her clothes and she called, “Treason, treason!” 15 Then Jehoiada the priest commanded the commanders of the hundreds, the appointed of the army, and he said to them, “Bring her out to the house of the ranks! The one coming after her should kill her with the sword,” for the priest had said, “Let her not be killed in the temple of Yahweh.” 16 So they grabbed her[g] as she went by the entranceway of the horses to the palace of the king, and she was killed there. 17 Then Jehoiada made[h] a covenant between Yahweh and the king and the people, that the people should be as a people for Yahweh, and also a covenant between the king and the people. 18 Then all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down, and its altars and its images they broke completely into pieces. Mattan the priest of Baal they killed in front of the altars. Then the priest put guards over the house of Yahweh. 19 He took the commanders of the hundreds and the Carites and the runners and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the temple of Yahweh. And they marched by the way of the runner’s gate to the palace of the king, and he sat on the throne of the kings. 20 All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city rested; for Athaliah had been killed with the sword in the palace of the king.

21 [i] Jehoash was seven years old[j] when he began to reign.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 11:4 Literally “cut”
  2. 2 Kings 11:5 Literally “who go on the Sabbath”
  3. 2 Kings 11:7 Literally “the going out of the Sabbath”
  4. 2 Kings 11:8 Literally “when he goes out and when he comes”
  5. 2 Kings 11:9 Literally “the coming of the Sabbath”
  6. 2 Kings 11:9 Literally “the going out of the Sabbath”
  7. 2 Kings 11:16 Literally “they put hands to her”
  8. 2 Kings 11:17 Literally “cut”
  9. 2 Kings 11:21 2 Kings 11:21–12:21 in the English Bible is 2 Kings 12:1–22 in the Hebrew Bible
  10. 2 Kings 11:21 Literally “a son of seven years”
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2 Kings 10
2 Kings 12
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