2 Kings 11

Modern

Literal

Athaliah and Joash

¹When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs.

¹And Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, and she arose and destroyed all the seed of the kingdom.

²But Jehosheba^a daughter of King Joram,^b the sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the sons of the king who were being murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah, and he was not killed.

²And Jehosheba the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah, and she stole him away from the midst of the sons of the king who were to be killed. And with his nurse in the bedroom they hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not killed.

³And Joash remained hidden with his nurse in the house of the LORD for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.

³And he was with her in the house of YHWH, hidden six years, and Athaliah reigned over the land.

Joash Anointed King of Judah

⁴Then in the seventh year, Jehoiada sent for the commanders of hundreds, the Carites,^a and the guards, and had them brought into the house of the LORD. There he made a covenant with them and put them under oath.

He showed them the king’s son

⁴And in the seventh year Jehoiada sent and brought the heads of the hundreds, the Carites, and the runners, and he brought them to him into the house of YHWH. And he made with them a covenant and took an oath from them in the house of YHWH. And he showed them the son of the king.

⁵and commanded them, “This is what you are to do: A third of you who come on duty on the Sabbath shall guard the royal palace,

⁵And he commanded them, saying, “This is the thing that you shall do: A third of you who come on duty on the Sabbath shall be keeping the watch over the house of the king,

⁶a third shall be at the gate of Sur, and a third at the gate behind the guards. You are to take turns guarding the temple—

⁶and a third at the gate of Sur, and a third at the gate behind the runners. And you shall keep the watch of the house pulled down.

⁷the two divisions that would go off duty on the Sabbath are to guard the house of the LORD for the king.

⁷And the two hands of you who go off duty on the Sabbath shall keep the watch of the house of YHWH for the king.

⁸You must surround the king with weapons in hand, and anyone who approaches the ranks must be put to death. You must stay close to the king wherever he goes.”

⁸And you shall surround upon the king on all sides, each man and his weapons in his hand. And he who is coming to the ranks will be killed. And You are to be with the king in his going out and in his coming in.”

⁹So the commanders of hundreds did everything that Jehoiada the priest had ordered. Each of them took his men—those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty—and came to Jehoiada the priest.

⁹And the captains of the hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded, and took each of them his men—those going in on the Sabbath with those going out on the Sabbath—and they came to Jehoiada the priest.

¹⁰Then the priest gave to the commanders of hundreds the spears and shields of King David from the house of the LORD.

¹⁰And the priest gave the captains of the hundreds the spears and the shields that were unto King David, which were in the house of YHWH.

¹¹And the guards stood with weapons in hand surrounding the king by the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple.

¹¹And the runners stood, each man and his weapons in his hand, from the right shoulder of the house to the left shoulder of the house, by the altar and the house, upon the king all around.

¹²Then Jehoiada brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, presented him with the Testimony, and proclaimed him king. They anointed him, and the people clapped their hands and declared, “Long live the king!”

¹²And he brought out the son of the king and put on him the diadem and the Testimony. And they made him king and anointed him, and they clapped their hands and said, “Long live the king.”

The Death of Athaliah

¹³When Athaliah heard the noise from the guards and the people, she went out to the people in the house of the LORD.

¹³And Athaliah heard the voice of the runners and of the people, and she came to the people in the house of YHWH.

¹⁴And she looked out and saw the king standing by the pillar, according to the custom. The officers and trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets.

Then Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, “Treason! Treason!”

¹⁴And she looked, and behold, the king was standing by a pillar according to custom, and the leaders and the trumpets by the king. And all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing with the trumpets. And Athaliah tore her clothes and cried out, “Treason! Treason!”

¹⁵And Jehoiada the priest ordered the commanders of hundreds in charge of the army, “Bring her out between the ranks,^a and put to the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest had said, “She must not be put to death in the house of the LORD.”

¹⁵And Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of the hundreds, inspectors of the army, and said to them, “Take her outside to the house between the ranks, and the one who comes after her put to death with the sword.” For the priest had said, “Do not let her be killed in the house of YHWH.”

¹⁶So they seized Athaliah as she reached the horses’ entrance to the palace grounds, and there she was put to death.

¹⁶And they seized her hands, and she went by way of the entrance of the horses to the house of the king, and she was put to death there.

Jehoiada Restores the Worship of the LORD

¹⁷Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people that they would be the LORD’s people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people.

¹⁷And Jehoiada cut a covenant between YHWH and between the king and between the people, that they should be a people of YHWH—and also between the king and between the people.

¹⁸So all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.

And Jehoiada the priest posted guards for the house of the LORD.

¹⁸And all the people of the land went to the house of the Baal and tore it down. Its altars and images they broke in pieces thoroughly, and Mattan the priest of the Baal they killed before the face of the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the house of YHWH.

¹⁹He took with him 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 the LORD and entered the royal palace by way of the Gate of the Guards.

Then Joash took his seat on the royal throne,

¹⁹And he took the captains of the hundreds, and the Carites, and the runners, and all the people of the land, and they brought down the king from the house of YHWH, and they went by way of the gate of the runners to the house of the king. And he sat on the throne of the kings.

²⁰and all the people of the land rejoiced. And the city was quiet, because Athaliah had been put to the sword at the royal palace.

²⁰And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet. For they had killed Athaliah with the sword in the house of the king.

²¹Joash^a was seven years old when he became king.

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