Athaliah and Joash(A)

10 When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family of the house of Judah. 11 But Jehosheba,[a] the daughter of King Jehoram, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes who were about to be murdered and put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Because Jehosheba,[b] the daughter of King Jehoram and wife of the priest Jehoiada, was Ahaziah’s sister, she hid the child from Athaliah so she could not kill him. 12 He remained hidden with them at the temple of God for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.

23 In the seventh year Jehoiada showed his strength. He made a covenant with the commanders of units of a hundred: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zikri. They went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites(B) and the heads of Israelite families from all the towns. When they came to Jerusalem, the whole assembly made a covenant(C) with the king at the temple of God.

Jehoiada said to them, “The king’s son shall reign, as the Lord promised concerning the descendants of David.(D) Now this is what you are to do: A third of you priests and Levites who are going on duty on the Sabbath are to keep watch at the doors, a third of you at the royal palace and a third at the Foundation Gate, and all the others are to be in the courtyards of the temple of the Lord. No one is to enter the temple of the Lord except the priests and Levites on duty; they may enter because they are consecrated, but all the others are to observe(E) the Lord’s command not to enter.[c] The Levites are to station themselves around the king, each with weapon in hand. Anyone who enters the temple is to be put to death. Stay close to the king wherever he goes.”

The Levites and all the men of Judah did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered.(F) Each one took his men—those who were going on duty on the Sabbath and those who were going off duty—for Jehoiada the priest had not released any of the divisions.(G) Then he gave the commanders of units of a hundred the spears and the large and small shields that had belonged to King David and that were in the temple of God. 10 He stationed all the men, each with his weapon in his hand, around the king—near the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple.

11 Jehoiada and his sons brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him; they presented him with a copy(H) of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him and shouted, “Long live the king!”

12 When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and cheering the king, she went to them at the temple of the Lord. 13 She looked, and there was the king,(I) standing by his pillar(J) at the entrance. The officers and the trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and musicians with their instruments were leading the praises. Then Athaliah tore her robes and shouted, “Treason! Treason!”

14 Jehoiada the priest sent out the commanders of units of a hundred, who were in charge of the troops, and said to them: “Bring her out between the ranks[d] and put to the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest had said, “Do not put her to death at the temple of the Lord.” 15 So they seized her as she reached the entrance of the Horse Gate(K) on the palace grounds, and there they put her to death.

16 Jehoiada then made a covenant(L) that he, the people and the king[e] would be the Lord’s people. 17 All the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols and killed(M) Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.

18 Then Jehoiada placed the oversight of the temple of the Lord in the hands of the Levitical priests,(N) to whom David had made assignments in the temple,(O) to present the burnt offerings of the Lord as written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and singing, as David had ordered. 19 He also stationed gatekeepers(P) at the gates of the Lord’s temple so that no one who was in any way unclean might enter.

20 He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people and all the people of the land and brought the king down from the temple of the Lord. They went into the palace through the Upper Gate(Q) and seated the king on the royal throne. 21 All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was calm, because Athaliah had been slain with the sword.(R)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 22:11 Hebrew Jehoshabeath, a variant of Jehosheba
  2. 2 Chronicles 22:11 Hebrew Jehoshabeath, a variant of Jehosheba
  3. 2 Chronicles 23:6 Or are to stand guard where the Lord has assigned them
  4. 2 Chronicles 23:14 Or out from the precincts
  5. 2 Chronicles 23:16 Or covenant between the Lord and the people and the king that they (see 2 Kings 11:17)

Servants of Baal Killed

18 Then Jehu brought all the people together and said to them, “Ahab served(A) Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much. 19 Now summon(B) all the prophets of Baal, all his servants and all his priests. See that no one is missing, because I am going to hold a great sacrifice for Baal. Anyone who fails to come will no longer live.” But Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy the servants of Baal.

20 Jehu said, “Call an assembly(C) in honor of Baal.” So they proclaimed it. 21 Then he sent word throughout Israel, and all the servants of Baal came; not one stayed away. They crowded into the temple of Baal until it was full from one end to the other. 22 And Jehu said to the keeper of the wardrobe, “Bring robes for all the servants of Baal.” So he brought out robes for them.

23 Then Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rekab went into the temple of Baal. Jehu said to the servants of Baal, “Look around and see that no one who serves the Lord is here with you—only servants of Baal.” 24 So they went in to make sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had posted eighty men outside with this warning: “If one of you lets any of the men I am placing in your hands escape, it will be your life for his life.”(D)

25 As soon as Jehu had finished making the burnt offering, he ordered the guards and officers: “Go in and kill(E) them; let no one escape.”(F) So they cut them down with the sword. The guards and officers threw the bodies out and then entered the inner shrine of the temple of Baal. 26 They brought the sacred stone(G) out of the temple of Baal and burned it. 27 They demolished the sacred stone of Baal and tore down the temple(H) of Baal, and people have used it for a latrine to this day.

28 So Jehu(I) destroyed Baal worship in Israel. 29 However, he did not turn away from the sins(J) of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit—the worship of the golden calves(K) at Bethel(L) and Dan.

30 The Lord said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in accomplishing what is right in my eyes and have done to the house of Ahab all I had in mind to do, your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.”(M) 31 Yet Jehu was not careful(N) to keep the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins(O) of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit.

32 In those days the Lord began to reduce(P) the size of Israel. Hazael(Q) overpowered the Israelites throughout their territory 33 east of the Jordan in all the land of Gilead (the region of Gad, Reuben and Manasseh), from Aroer(R) by the Arnon(S) Gorge through Gilead to Bashan.

34 As for the other events of Jehu’s reign, all he did, and all his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annals(T) of the kings of Israel?

35 Jehu rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son succeeded him as king. 36 The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.

Athaliah and Joash(U)

11 When Athaliah(V) the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family. But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram[a] and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash(W) son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes, who were about to be murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah; so he was not killed.(X) He remained hidden with his nurse at the temple of the Lord for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.

In the seventh year Jehoiada sent for the commanders of units of a hundred, the Carites(Y) and the guards and had them brought to him at the temple of the Lord. He made a covenant with them and put them under oath at the temple of the Lord. Then he showed them the king’s son. He commanded them, saying, “This is what you are to do: You who are in the three companies that are going on duty on the Sabbath(Z)—a third of you guarding the royal palace,(AA) a third at the Sur Gate, and a third at the gate behind the guard, who take turns guarding the temple— and you who are in the other two companies that normally go off Sabbath duty are all to guard the temple for the king. Station yourselves around the king, each of you with weapon in hand. Anyone who approaches your ranks[b] is to be put to death. Stay close to the king wherever he goes.”

The commanders of units of a hundred did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each one took his men—those who were going on duty on the Sabbath and those who were going off duty—and came to Jehoiada the priest. 10 Then he gave the commanders the spears and shields(AB) that had belonged to King David and that were in the temple of the Lord. 11 The guards, each with weapon in hand, stationed themselves around the king—near the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple.

12 Jehoiada brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him; he presented him with a copy of the covenant(AC) and proclaimed him king. They anointed(AD) him, and the people clapped their hands(AE) and shouted, “Long live the king!”(AF)

13 When Athaliah heard the noise made by the guards and the people, she went to the people at the temple of the Lord. 14 She looked and there was the king, standing by the pillar,(AG) as the custom was. The officers and the trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets.(AH) Then Athaliah tore(AI) her robes and called out, “Treason! Treason!”(AJ)

15 Jehoiada the priest ordered the commanders of units of a hundred, who were in charge of the troops: “Bring her out between the ranks[c] and put to the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest had said, “She must not be put to death in the temple(AK) of the Lord.” 16 So they seized her as she reached the place where the horses enter(AL) the palace grounds, and there she was put to death.(AM)

17 Jehoiada then made a covenant(AN) between the Lord and the king and people that they would be the Lord’s people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people.(AO) 18 All the people of the land went to the temple(AP) of Baal and tore it down. They smashed(AQ) the altars and idols to pieces and killed Mattan the priest(AR) of Baal in front of the altars.

Then Jehoiada the priest posted guards at the temple of the Lord. 19 He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the Carites,(AS) the guards and all the people of the land, and together they brought the king down from the temple of the Lord and went into the palace, entering by way of the gate of the guards. The king then took his place on the royal throne. 20 All the people of the land rejoiced,(AT) and the city was calm, because Athaliah had been slain with the sword at the palace.

21 Joash[d] was seven years old when he began to reign.[e]

Joash Repairs the Temple(AU)

12 [f]In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash[g](AV) became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother’s name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba. Joash did what was right(AW) in the eyes of the Lord all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him. The high places,(AX) however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 11:2 Hebrew Joram, a variant of Jehoram
  2. 2 Kings 11:8 Or approaches the precincts
  3. 2 Kings 11:15 Or out from the precincts
  4. 2 Kings 11:21 Hebrew Jehoash, a variant of Joash
  5. 2 Kings 11:21 In Hebrew texts this verse (11:21) is numbered 12:1.
  6. 2 Kings 12:1 In Hebrew texts 12:1-21 is numbered 12:2-22.
  7. 2 Kings 12:1 Hebrew Jehoash, a variant of Joash; also in verses 2, 4, 6, 7 and 18

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