2 Kings 11:1-12

Complete Jewish Bible

11 When ‘Atalyah the mother of Achazyah saw that her son was dead, she set about destroying the entire royal family. ² But Y’hosheva the daughter of King Yoram, sister of Achazyah, took Yo’ash the son of Achazyah and stole him away from among the princes who were being slaughtered. She took him and his nurse, sequestered them in a bedroom, and hid them from ‘Atalyah, so that he was not killed. ³ He remained hidden with his nurse in the house of Adonai for six years; during this time ‘Atalyah ruled the land. ⁴ In the seventh year Y’hoyada summoned the captains of hundred-man platoons, of both the Kari and the guard. He brought them into the house of Adonai, made an agreement with them and had them swear to it in the house of Adonai. Then he showed them the king’s son ⁵ and gave them this instruction: “Here is what you are to do: of you who come on duty on Shabbat, a third [normally] guards the royal palace, ⁶ a third is at the Sur Gate and a third is at the gate behind the guards. [The first third] is to continue guarding the palace and serve as a barrier, ⁷ while the other two groups of you who come on duty on Shabbat will guard the house of Adonai, where the king is. ⁸ You are to surround the king, each man with his weapons in his hand. Anyone who penetrates the ranks is to be killed. Stay with the king whenever he leaves or enters.”

⁹ The captains over hundreds did exactly as Y’hoyada the cohen ordered. Each took his men, those coming on duty on Shabbat and those going off duty on Shabbat, and came to Y’hoyada the cohen. ¹⁰ The cohen issued to the captains of hundreds the spears and shields that had been King David’s and were kept in the house of Adonai. ¹¹ The guards then took positions, each man with his weapons in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, alongside the altar, alongside [the exterior of] the house and around the king. ¹² Then he brought out the king’s son, crowned him, gave him [a copy of] the testimony and thus made him king; they anointed him, clapped their hands and shouted, “Long live the king!”