“1 And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead,
she arose and destroyed all the seed royal. 2 But Jehosheba, the
daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah,
and stole him from among the king’s sons [which were] slain; and they
hid him, [even] him and his nurse, in the bedchamber from Athaliah, so
that he was not slain. 3 And he was with her hid in the house of the
LORD six years. And Athaliah did reign over the land.”
“4 And the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers over
hundreds, with the captains and the guard, and brought them to him into
the house of the LORD, and made a covenant with them, and took an oath
of them in the house of the LORD, and shewed them the king’s son. 5 And
he commanded them, saying, This [is] the thing that ye shall do; A third
part of you that enter in on the sabbath shall even be keepers of the
watch of the king’s house; 6 And a third part [shall be] at the gate of
Sur; and a third part at the gate behind the guard: so shall ye keep the
watch of the house, that it be not broken down. 7 And two parts of all
you that go forth on the sabbath, even they shall keep the watch of the
house of the LORD about the king. 8 And ye shall compass the king round
about, every man with his weapons in his hand: and he that cometh within
the ranges, let him be slain: and be ye with the king as he goeth out
and as he cometh in. 9 And the captains over the hundreds did according
to all [things] that Jehoiada the priest commanded: and they took every
man his men that were to come in on the sabbath, with them that should
go out on the sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest. 10 And to the
captains over hundreds did the priest give king David’s spears and
shields, that [were] in the temple of the LORD. 11 And the guard stood,
every man with his weapons in his hand, round about the king, from the
right corner of the temple to the left corner of the temple, [along] by
the altar and the temple. 12 And he brought forth the king’s son, and
put the crown upon him, and [gave him] the testimony; and they made him
king, and anointed him; and they clapped their hands, and said, God save
the king.”
“13 And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard [and] of the
people, she came to the people into the temple of the LORD. 14 And when
she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manner [was], and
the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the
land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets: and Athaliah rent her clothes,
and cried, Treason, Treason. 15 But Jehoiada the priest commanded the
captains of the hundreds, the officers of the host, and said unto them,
Have her forth without the ranges: and him that followeth her kill with
the sword. For the priest had said, Let her not be slain in the house of
the LORD. 16 And they laid hands on her; and she went by the way by the
which the horses came into the king’s house: and there was she slain.”
“17 And Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the
people, that they should be the LORD’S people; between the king also and
the people. 18 And all the people of the land went into the house of
Baal, and brake it down; his altars and his images brake they in pieces
thoroughly, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And
the priest appointed officers over the house of the LORD. 19 And he took
the rulers over hundreds, and the captains, and the guard, and all the
people of the land; and they brought down the king from the house of the
LORD, and came by the way of the gate of the guard to the king’s house.
And he sat on the throne of the kings. 20 And all the people of the land
rejoiced, and the city was in quiet: and they slew Athaliah with the
sword [beside] the king’s house. 21 Seven years old [was] Jehoash when
he began to reign.” (2 Kings 11:1-21 AV)
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