2 Kings 11

1 When King Ahaziah’s mother Athaliah saw that her son had been killed, she commanded that all the members of Ahaziah’s family [who might become king] must be executed.

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

2 So Ahaziah’s sons were all about to be murdered. But Jehosheba, who was King Jehoram’s daughter and Ahaziah’s half-sister, took Ahaziah’s [very young] son Joash and hid him and (his nursemaid/the woman who took care of him) in a bedroom [in the temple]. So he was not killed.

And Josabee daughter of king Joram, sister of Ochozias, took Joas the son of her brother, and stole him from amongst 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 He stayed with Jehosheba for six years. All during that time, he remained hidden in the temple, while Athaliah ruled [Judah].

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

4 But during the next year, Jehoiada the Supreme Priest summoned the officers who supervised the royal bodyguards and the palace guards. He told them to come to the temple. There he required them to solemnly promise that they would do what he told them to do. And he showed King Ahaziah’s son Joash to them.

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 He gave them these instructions: “There are three groups of you guards. When one group finishes their work on the Sabbath day, [divide yourselves into] three smaller groups. One group must guard the palace.

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

6 Another group must guard at the Sur Gate. The other group must guard at the gate behind the other groups.

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 The two groups that are not working on the Sabbath day must guard the temple [to protect little King Joash].

And there [shall be] two parties amongst 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 You must stand around the king wherever he goes, with your weapons in your hands. You must kill anyone who comes near you.”

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 The officers [who supervised the guards] did what Jehoiada told them to do. Each one brought to Jehoiada the guards that he supervised—the guards who were just finishing their work and those who were about to start their work on the Sabbath day.

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 The priest distributed to the commanders of the guards the spears and shields that had belonged to King David, that were kept/stored in the temple.

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 Then he commanded all the guards to stand in their positions, each one with his sword in his hand, all around the young 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 Then he brought Joash out. He put the crown on his head and gave him a scroll on which were written the rules [that the kings needed to obey]. Then he poured some olive oil on Joash’s head and proclaimed that he was now the king. The people all clapped their hands and shouted, “We desire/hope that the king will live for many years!”

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 When Athaliah heard the noise that was being made by the guards and the other people, she ran to the temple, where the people were gathered.

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 new king standing there alongside one of the big pillars, which was the place at the temple where the kings usually stood. She saw that he was surrounded by the temple officers and men blowing trumpets, and that the people were shouting joyfully, and [some of] them were also blowing trumpets. She tore her clothes [to show her distress] and shouted, “You are traitors! You have tricked/deceived me!”

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 Jehoiada [immediately] said, “Kill her, but do not kill her here at the temple of Yahweh! Take her away between two rows of guards. And kill anyone who tries to rescue her!”

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 [She tried to flee, but] the guards seized her and took her to the palace, to the place where horses enter the courtyard. They killed her 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 made a solemn agreement between the king and the people, that they would always (obey/be faithful to) Yahweh. He also made an agreement requiring the people to be loyal to Joash their king.

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 Then all the people of Israel who were there went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and the statues of Baal. They also killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, in front of the altars. Jehoiada stationed/put guards at the temple of Yahweh.

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 Then he and the officers of the temple, the officers who supervised the royal bodyguards, and the king’s bodyguards brought the king from the temple to the palace. All the people [followed them]. Joash entered the palace at the Guard Gate and sat down on the throne, [which showed that he was the new king].

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 All the people of Judah rejoiced. And because Athaliah had been killed, the city was quiet/calm.

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 Joash was seven years old when he became the king [of Judah].

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