2 Kings 11

11 ¹ When Athaliah, Ahaziah's mother, saw her son was dead, she set out to destroy the whole royal family. ² But Jehosheba, daughter of King Joram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah, stealing him away from the king's sons being killed. She hid him and his nurse in a bedroom, safe from Athaliah, so he was not killed. ³ He stayed hidden with her in our Father's house six years, while Athaliah ruled the land.

The Father Preserves the Rightful King

⁴ In the seventh year Jehoiada sent for the commanders of hundreds, of the Carites and the guards, and brought them to him in the house of our Father. He made a covenant with them, put them under oath in the house of our Father, and showed them the king's son. ⁵ He ordered them: "Do this: a third of you coming on duty on the Sabbath will guard the royal palace, ⁶ a third at the Sur Gate, a third at the gate behind the guards; take turns guarding the palace. ⁷ Your two divisions who go off duty on the Sabbath must guard the house of our Father for the king. ⁸ Surround the king on every side, each man weapons in hand; kill anyone who comes near the ranks. Stay with the king wherever he goes.

⁹ The commanders of hundreds did all Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each took his men—those coming on duty on the Sabbath with those going off—and came to Jehoiada the priest. ¹⁰ The priest gave the commanders King David's spears and shields, kept in the house of our Father. ¹¹ The guards took position around the king, weapons in hand, from the temple's south side to the north side, by the altar and the temple. ¹² Jehoiada brought out the king's son, placed the crown on him, and gave him the testimony. They made him king, anointed him, clapped their hands, and shouted, "Long live the king!"

¹³ When Athaliah heard the noise of the guards and people, she went to the people in the house of our Father. ¹⁴ She looked—there stood the king by the pillar as custom required, with the commanders and trumpeters beside him, all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets. Athaliah tore her clothes, shouting, "Treason! Treason!"

¹⁵ Jehoiada the priest ordered the commanders of hundreds over the army: "Take her out past the ranks; kill anyone following her with the sword." The priest had said she must not be killed in our Father's house. ¹⁶ So they seized her, and she went by the horses' entrance to the palace, and there she was put to death.

¹⁷ Then Jehoiada made a covenant between our Father and the king and people, that they would be our Father's people; and a covenant between the king and the people. ¹⁸ All the people of the land went to Baal's temple and tore it down. They smashed its altars and idols, and killed Mattan, priest of Baal, before the altars. Then the priest posted guards over the house of our Father. ¹⁹ He took the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, the guards, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of our Father through the guards' gate to the royal palace, where he took his seat on the throne of the kings. ²⁰ All the land's people rejoiced, and the city was calm, now that Athaliah had been killed by the sword at the king's palace.

²¹ Joash was seven years old when he became king.