Athaliah and Joash^(A)

11 When Athaliah^(B) the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family. ² But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram^[a] and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash^(C) son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes, who were about to be murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah; so he was not killed.^{(D) 3} He remained hidden with his nurse at the temple of the Lord for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.

⁴ In the seventh year Jehoiada sent for the commanders of units of a hundred, the Carites^(E) and the guards and had them brought to him at the temple of the Lord. He made a covenant with them and put them under oath at the temple of the Lord. Then he showed them the king’s son. ⁵ He commanded them, saying, “This is what you are to do: You who are in the three companies that are going on duty on the Sabbath^(F)—a third of you guarding the royal palace,^{(G) 6} a third at the Sur Gate, and a third at the gate behind the guard, who take turns guarding the temple— ⁷ and you who are in the other two companies that normally go off Sabbath duty are all to guard the temple for the king. ⁸ Station yourselves around the king, each of you with weapon in hand. Anyone who approaches your ranks^[b] is to be put to death. Stay close to the king wherever he goes.”

⁹ The commanders of units of a hundred did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each one took his men—those who were going on duty on the Sabbath and those who were going off duty—and came to Jehoiada the priest. ¹⁰ Then he gave the commanders the spears and shields^(H) that had belonged to King David and that were in the temple of the Lord. ¹¹ The guards, each with weapon in hand, stationed themselves around the king—near the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple.

¹² Jehoiada brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him; he presented him with a copy of the covenant^(I) and proclaimed him king. They anointed^(J) him, and the people clapped their hands^(K) and shouted, “Long live the king!”^(L)

¹³ When Athaliah heard the noise made by the guards and the people, she went to the people at the temple of the Lord. ¹⁴ She looked and there was the king, standing by the pillar,^(M) as the custom was. The officers and the trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets.^(N) Then Athaliah tore^(O) her robes and called out, “Treason! Treason!”^(P)

¹⁵ Jehoiada the priest ordered the commanders of units of a hundred, who were in charge of the troops: “Bring her out between the ranks^[c] and put to the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest had said, “She must not be put to death in the temple^(Q) of the Lord.” ¹⁶ So they seized her as she reached the place where the horses enter^(R) the palace grounds, and there she was put to death.^(S)

¹⁷ Jehoiada then made a covenant^(T) between the Lord and the king and people that they would be the Lord’s people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people.^{(U) 18} All the people of the land went to the temple^(V) of Baal and tore it down. They smashed^(W) the altars and idols to pieces and killed Mattan the priest^(X) of Baal in front of the altars.

Then Jehoiada the priest posted guards at the temple of the Lord. ¹⁹ He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the Carites,^(Y) the guards and all the people of the land, and together they brought the king down from the temple of the Lord and went into the palace, entering by way of the gate of the guards. The king then took his place on the royal throne. ²⁰ All the people of the land rejoiced,^(Z) and the city was calm, because Athaliah had been slain with the sword at the palace.

²¹ Joash^[d] was seven years old when he began to reign.^[e]

Ahaziah King of Judah^(A)(B)

22 The people^(C) of Jerusalem^(D) made Ahaziah, Jehoram’s youngest son, king in his place, since the raiders,^(E) who came with the Arabs into the camp, had killed all the older sons. So Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign.

² Ahaziah was twenty-two^[a] years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother’s name was Athaliah, a granddaughter of Omri.

³ He too followed^(F) the ways of the house of Ahab,^(G) for his mother encouraged him to act wickedly. ⁴ He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as the house of Ahab had done, for after his father’s death they became his advisers, to his undoing. ⁵ He also followed their counsel when he went with Joram^[b] son of Ahab king of Israel to wage war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth Gilead.^(H) The Arameans wounded Joram; ⁶ so he returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds they had inflicted on him at Ramoth^[c] in his battle with Hazael^(I) king of Aram.

Then Ahaziah^[d] son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to Jezreel to see Joram son of Ahab because he had been wounded.

⁷ Through Ahaziah’s^(J) visit to Joram, God brought about Ahaziah’s downfall. When Ahaziah arrived, he went out with Joram to meet Jehu son of Nimshi, whom the Lord had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab. ⁸ While Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab,^(K) he found the officials of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s relatives, who had been attending Ahaziah, and he killed them. ⁹ He then went in search of Ahaziah, and his men captured him while he was hiding^(L) in Samaria. He was brought to Jehu and put to death. They buried him, for they said, “He was a son of Jehoshaphat, who sought^(M) the Lord with all his heart.” So there was no one in the house of Ahaziah powerful enough to retain the kingdom.

Athaliah and Joash^(N)

¹⁰ When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family of the house of Judah. ¹¹ But Jehosheba,^[e] the daughter of King Jehoram, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes who were about to be murdered and put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Because Jehosheba,^[f] the daughter of King Jehoram and wife of the priest Jehoiada, was Ahaziah’s sister, she hid the child from Athaliah so she could not kill him. ¹² He remained hidden with them at the temple of God for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.