2 Kings 11

1And Athaliah is mother of Ahaziah, and she hath seen that her son is dead, and she riseth, and destroyeth all the seed of the kingdom;

2and Jehosheba daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, taketh Joash son of Ahaziah, and stealeth him out of the midst of the sons of the king who are put to death, him and his nurse, in the inner part of the bed-chambers, and they hide him from the presence of Athaliah, and he hath not been put to death,

3and he is with her, in the house of Jehovah, hiding himself, six years, and Athaliah is reigning over the land.

4And in the seventh year hath Jehoiada sent and taketh the heads of the hundreds, of the executioners and of the runners, and bringeth them in unto him, to the house of Jehovah, and maketh with them a covenant, and causeth them to swear in the house of Jehovah, and sheweth them the son of the king,

5and commandeth them, saying, 'This is the thing that ye do; The third of you are going in on the sabbath, and keepers of the charge of the house of the king,

6and the third is at the gate of Sur, and the third at the gate behind the runners, and ye have kept the charge of the house pulled down;

7and two parts of you, all going out on the sabbath — they have kept the charge of the house of Jehovah about the king,

8and ye have compassed the king round about, each with his weapons in his hand, and he who is coming unto the ranges is put to death; and be ye with the king in his going out and in his coming in.'

9And the heads of the hundreds do according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded, and take each his men going in on the sabbath, with those going out on the sabbath, and come in unto Jehoiada the priest,

10and the priest giveth to the heads of the hundreds the spears and the shields that king David had, that are in the house of Jehovah.

11And the runners stand, each with his weapons in his hand, from the right shoulder of the house unto the left shoulder of the house, by the altar and by the house, by the king round about;

12and he bringeth out the son of the king, and putteth on him the crown, and the testimony, and they make him king, and anoint him, and smite the hand, and say, 'Let the king live.'

13And Athaliah heareth the voice of the runners and of the people, and she cometh in unto the people, to the house of Jehovah,

14and looketh, and lo, the king is standing by the pillar, according to the ordinance, and the heads, and the trumpets, are by the king, and all the people of the land are rejoicing, and blowing with trumpets, and Athaliah rendeth her garments, and calleth, 'Conspiracy! conspiracy!'

15And Jehoiada the priest commandeth the heads of the hundreds, inspectors of the force, and saith unto them, 'Bring her out unto the outside of the ranges, and him who is going after her, put to death by the sword:' for the priest had said, 'Let her not be put to death in the house of Jehovah.'

16And they make for her sides, and she entereth the way of the entering in of the horses to the house of the king, and is put to death there.

17And Jehoiada maketh the covenant between Jehovah and the king and the people, to be for a people to Jehovah, and between the king and the people.

18And all the people of the land go in to the house of Baal, and break it down, its altars and its images they have thoroughly broken, and Mattan priest of Baal they have slain before the altars; and the priest setteth inspectors over the house of Jehovah,

19and taketh the heads of the hundreds, and the executioners, and the runners, and all the people of the land, and they bring down the king from the house of Jehovah, and come by the way of the gate of the runners, to the house of the king, and he sitteth on the throne of the kings.

20And all the people of the land rejoice, and the city is quiet, and Athaliah they have put to death by the sword in the house of the king;

21a son of seven years is Jehoash in his reigning.