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 when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and 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.

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 who were slain; and they hid him, even him and his nurse, in the bedchamber from Athaliah, so that 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 was with her hid in the house of the LORD six years. And Athaliah 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 Jehoiada sent and took 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 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 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 Another group must guard at the Sur Gate. The other group must guard at the gate behind the other groups.

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

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 You must stand around the king wherever he goes, with your weapons in your hands. You must kill anyone who comes near you.”

And ye shall surround the king on all sides, every man with his weapons in his hand: and he that cometh within the ranks, let him be slain: and be ye with the king as he goeth out and as he cometh 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 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 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 to the captains over hundreds the priest gave king David’s spears and shields, that were in the temple 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 guard stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, around the king, from the right corner of the temple to the left corner of the temple, along by the altar and the temple.

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 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 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 when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people into the temple 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 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 tore her clothes, and cried, Treason, Treason.

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!”

But Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of the hundreds, the officers of the host, and said to them, Have her forth beyond the ranks: 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 [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 on her; and she went by the way by which the horses came into the king’s house: and there was she slain.

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 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 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 broke it down; his altars and his images they broke wholly in pieces, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers 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 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 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 in quiet: and they slew Athaliah with the sword beside the king’s house.

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

Seven years old was Jehoash when he began to reign.