< 2 Kings 11 >
1 Truly, Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, seeing that her son was dead, rose up and put to death all the royal offspring.
And Gotholia the mother of Ochozias saw that her son was dead, and she destroyed all the seed royal.
2 But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, the sister of Ahaziah, taking Jehoash, the son of Ahaziah, stole him away from the midst of the sons of the king who were being killed, out of the bedroom, with his nurse. And she hid him from the face of Athaliah, so that he would not be killed.
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.
3 And he was with her for six years, hidden in the house of the Lord. But Athaliah reigned over the land.
And he remained with her hid in the house of the Lord six years: and Gotholia reigned over the land.
4 Then, in the seventh year, Jehoiada sent for and took centurions and soldiers, and he brought them to himself in the temple of the Lord. And he formed a pact with them. And taking an oath with them in the house of the Lord, he revealed to them the son of the king.
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 showed them the king's son.
5 And he commanded them, saying: “This is the word that you must do.
And charged them, saying, This [is] the thing which you shall do.
6 Let one third part of you enter on the Sabbath, and keep watch on the house of the king. And let one third part be at the gate of Sur. And let one third part be at the gate behind the dwelling place of the shield bearers. And you shall keep the watch on the house of Mesha.
Let a third part of you go in [on] the sabbath-day, and keep you 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 you the guard of the house.
7 Yet truly, let two parts of you, all who depart on the Sabbath, keep watch over the house of the Lord concerning the king.
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.
8 And you shall surround him, having weapons in your hands. But if anyone will have entered the precinct of the temple, let him be killed. And you shall be with the king, entering and departing.”
And do you 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.
9 And the centurions acted in accord with all the things that Jehoiada, the priest, had instructed them. And taking each one of their men who would enter on the Sabbath, with those who would depart on the Sabbath, they went to Jehoiada, the priest.
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.
10 And he gave to them the spears and weapons of king David, which were in the house of the Lord.
And the priest gave to the captains of hundreds the swords and spears of king David that were in the house of the Lord.
11 And they stood, each one having his weapons in his hand, before the right side of the temple, all the way to the left side of the altar and of the shrine, surrounding the king.
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.
12 And he led forth the son of the king. And he placed the diadem on him, and the testimony. And they made him king, and they anointed him. And clapping their hands, they said: “The king lives!”
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.
13 Then Athaliah heard the sound of the people running. And entering to the crowd at the temple of the Lord,
And Gotholia heard the sound of the people running, and she went in to the people to the house of the Lord.
14 she saw the king standing upon a tribunal, according to custom, and the singers and trumpets near him, and all the people of the land rejoicing and sounding the trumpets. And she tore her garments, and she cried out: “Conspiracy! Conspiracy!”
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 tore her garments, and cried, A conspiracy, a conspiracy.
15 But Jehoiada gave orders to the centurions who were over the army, and he said to them: “Lead her away, beyond the precinct of the temple. And whoever will have followed her, let him be struck with the sword.” For the priest had said, “Do not allow her to be killed in the temple of the Lord.”
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.
16 And they laid hands on her. And they pushed her through the way by which horses enter, beside the palace. And she was killed there.
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.
17 Then Jehoiada formed a covenant between the Lord, and the king and the people, so that they would be the people of the Lord; and between the king and the people.
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.
18 And all the people of the land entered the temple of Baal, and they tore down his altars, and they thoroughly crushed the statues. Also, they killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, before the altar. And the priest placed guards in the house of the Lord.
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 killed Mathan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed overseers over the house of the Lord.
19 And he took the centurions, and the legions of the Cherethites and Pelethites, and all the people of the land, and together they led the king from the house of the Lord. And they went by way of the gate of the shield bearers into the palace. And he sat upon the throne of the kings.
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.
20 And all the people of the land rejoiced. And the city was quieted. But Athaliah was slain with the sword at the house of the king.
And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was at rest: and they killed Gotholia with the sword in the house of the king.
21 Now Jehoash was seven years old when he had begun to reign.
Joas [was] seven years old when he began to reign.