Kings IV 11

1 And Gotholia the mother of Ochozias saw that her son was dead, and she destroyed all the seed royal.

When Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son was dead, she had all the rest of the royal family murdered.

2 And Josabee daughter of king Joram, sister of Ochozias, took Joas the son of her brother, and stole him from among the king's sons that were put to death, [secreting] him and his nurse in the bedchamber, and hid him from the face of Gotholia, and he was not slain.

But Jehosheba, daughter of King Jehoram, sister of Ahaziah, took Ahaziah's son Joash, stealing him away from the rest of the sons of the king who were being killed. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah, and he was not murdered.

3 And he remained with her hid in the house of the Lord six years: and Gotholia reigned over the land.

Joash stayed hidden in the Lord's Temple for six years while Athaliah ruled the country.

4 And in the seventh year Jodae sent and took the captains of hundreds of the Chorri and of the Rhasim, and brought them to him into the house of the Lord, and made a covenant of the Lord with them, and adjured them, and Jodae shewed them the king's son.

In the seventh year, Jehoiada sent for the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, and the guards, and brought them into the Lord's Temple. He made an agreement with them and made them swear an oath. There in the Lord's Temple he showed them the king's son

5 And charged them, saying, This [is] the thing which ye shall do.

and ordered them, “This is what you are going to do: One third of you who come on duty on the Sabbath will guard the royal palace.

6 Let a third part of you go in [on] the sabbath-day, and keep ye the watch of the king's house in the porch; and another third in the gate of the high way, and a third at the gate behind the footmen; and keep ye the guard of the house.

One third will be at the Sur Gate, and one third at the gate behind the guards. You will alternate in guarding the palace.

7 And there [shall be] two parties among you, even every one that goes out on the Sabbath, and they shall keep the guard of the Lord's house before the king.

The two divisions that would normally go off duty on the Sabbath will guard the Lord's Temple for the king.

8 And do ye compass the king about every man with his weapon in his hand, and he that goes into the ranges shall die: and they shall be with the king in his going out and in his coming in.

Surround the king with weapons drawn, and anyone who approaches this line must be killed. Stay close to the king wherever he goes.”

9 And the captains of hundreds did all things that the wise Jodae commanded; and they took each his men, both those that went in on the sabbath-day, and those that went out on the sabbath-day, and went in to Jodae the priest.

The commanders of hundreds followed all the instructions that Jehoiada the priest had given. They each took their own men, those who were coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty, and came to Jehoiada the priest.

10 And the priest gave to the captains of hundreds the swords and spears of king David that were in the house of the Lord.

Then the priest handed over to the commanders of hundreds the spears and shields that had belonged to King David which were kept in the Lord's Temple.

11 And the footmen stood each with his weapon in his hand from the right corner of the house to the left corner of the house, [by] the altar and the house round about the king.

The guards stood with weapons drawn surrounding the king by the altar, and in a line around the Temple, from the south side to the north side of the Temple.

12 And he brought forth the king's son, and put upon him the crown and [gave him] the testimony; and he made him king, and anointed him: and they clapped [their] hands, and said, Long live the king.

Then Jehoiada led out the king's son, placed the crown on him, and handed him a copy of God's Law. They proclaimed him king and anointed him. The people clapped, and shouted, “Long live the king!”

13 And Gotholia heard the sound of the people running, and she went in to the people to the house of the Lord.

When Athaliah heard the noise of the guards and the people, she rushed to the crowds at the Lord's Temple.

14 And she looked, and, behold, the king stood near a pillar according to the manner; and the singers and the trumpeters were before the king and all the people of the land [even] rejoicing and sounding with trumpets: and Gotholia rent her garments, and cried, A conspiracy, a conspiracy.

She saw the king standing by his pillar as the custom was. The commanders and trumpeters were with the king, and everyone was celebrating and blowing trumpets. Athaliah ripped her clothes and screamed out, “Treason! Treason!”

15 And Jodae the priest commanded the captains of hundreds who were over the host, and said to them, Bring her forth without the ranges, [and] he that goes in after her shall certainly die by the sword. For the priest said, Let her not however be slain in the house of the Lord.

Jehoiada ordered the army commanders, “Bring her to the men standing in front of the Temple, and kill anyone who follows her.” Earlier the priest had made it clear, “She must not be killed in the Lord's Temple.”

16 And they laid hands upon her, and went in by the way of the horses' entrance into the house of the Lord, and she was slain there.

They grabbed hold of her, took her to where the horses enter the palace grounds and they killed her there.

17 And Jodae made a covenant between the Lord and the king and the people, that they should be the Lord's people; also between the king and the people.

Then Jehoiada made a solemn agreement between the Lord, the king, and the people that they would be the Lord's people. He also made an agreement between the king and the people.

18 And all the people of the land went into the house of Baal, and tore it down, and completely broke in pieces his altars and his images, and they slew Mathan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed overseers over the house of the Lord.

Everyone went to the Temple of Baal and tore down its altars and smashed the idols to pieces. They killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, right in front of the altar. Then Jehoiada the priest had guards posted at the Lord's Temple.

19 And he took the captains of the hundreds, and the Chorri, and the Rhasim, and all the people of the land, and brought down the king out of the house of the Lord; and they went in by the way of the gate of the footmen of the king's house, and seated him there on the throne of the kings.

Along with the commanders, the nobles, the governors of the people, and all the people, he led the king in a procession down from the Lord's Temple, entering through the upper gate to the royal palace. There they set the king on the royal throne.

20 And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was at rest: and they slew Gotholia with the sword in the house of the king.

All throughout the land people celebrated, and Jerusalem was at peace, because Athaliah had been killed by the sword at the palace.

21 Joas [was] seven years old when he began to reign.

Joash was seven when he became king.