Queen Athaliah of Judah
(2 Chronicles 22.10—23.15)1 As soon as King Ahaziah's mother Athaliah learned of her son's murder, she gave orders for all the members of the royal family to be killed. 2 Only Ahaziah's son Joash escaped. He was about to be killed with the others, but was rescued by his aunt Jehosheba, who was King Jehoram's daughter and Ahaziah's half sister. She took him and his nurse into a bedroom in the Temple and hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not killed. 3 For six years Jehosheba took care of the boy and kept him hidden in the Temple, while Athaliah ruled as queen.
4 But in the seventh year Jehoiada the priest sent for the officers in charge of the royal bodyguard and of the palace guards, and told them to come to the Temple, where he made them agree under oath to what he planned to do. He showed them King Ahaziah's son Joash 5 and gave them the following orders: “When you come on duty on the Sabbath, one third of you are to guard the palace; 6 another third are to stand guard at the Sur Gate, and the other third are to stand guard at the gate behind the other guards. 7 The two groups that go off duty on the Sabbath are to stand guard at the Temple to protect the king. 8 You are to guard King Joash with drawn swords and stay with him wherever he goes. Anyone who comes near you is to be killed.”
9 The officers obeyed Jehoiada's instructions and brought their men to him—those going off duty on the Sabbath and those going on duty. 10 He gave the officers the spears and shields that had belonged to King David and had been kept in the Temple, 11 and he stationed the men with drawn swords all around the front of the Temple, to protect the king. 12 Then Jehoiada led Joash out, placed the crown on his head, and gave him a copy of the laws governing kingship. Then Joash was anointed and proclaimed king. The people clapped their hands and shouted, “Long live the king!”
13 Queen Athaliah heard the noise being made by the guards and the people, so she hurried to the Temple, where the crowd had gathered. 14 There she saw the new king standing by the column at the entrance of the Temple, as was the custom. He was surrounded by the officers and the trumpeters, and the people were all shouting joyfully and blowing trumpets. Athaliah tore her clothes in distress and shouted, “Treason! Treason!”
15 Jehoiada did not want Athaliah killed in the Temple area, so he ordered the army officers: “Take her out between the rows of guards, and kill anyone who tries to rescue her.” 16 They seized her, took her to the palace, and there at the Horse Gate they killed her.
Jehoiada's Reforms
(2 Chronicles 23.16-21)17 The priest Jehoiada had King Joash and the people make a covenant with the Lord that they would be the Lord's people; he also made a covenant between the king and the people. 18 Then the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down; they smashed the altars and the idols, and killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, in front of the altars.
Jehoiada put guards on duty at the Temple, 19 and then he, the officers, the royal bodyguard, and the palace guards escorted the king from the Temple to the palace, followed by all the people. Joash entered by the Guard Gate and took his place on the throne. 20 All the people were filled with happiness, and the city was quiet, now that Athaliah had been killed in the palace.
21 Joash became king of Judah at the age of seven.
1 Then Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah when she saw that her sonne was dead, she arose, and destroyed all the Kings seede. 2 But Iehosheba the daughter of King Ioram, and sister to Ahaziah tooke Ioash the sonne of Ahaziah, and stale him from among the Kings sonnes that shoulde be slaine, both him and his nource, keeping them in the bed chaber, and they hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not slaine. 3 And he was with her hid in the house of the Lord sixe yeere: and Athaliah did reigne ouer the land. 4 And the seuenth yeere Iehoiada sent and tooke the captaines ouer hundreths, with other captaines and them of the garde, and caused them to come vnto him into the house of the Lord, and made a couenant with them, and tooke an othe of them in the house of the Lord, and shewed them the Kings sonne. 5 And he commanded them, saying, This is it that ye must doe, The third part of you, that commeth on the Sabbath, shall warde towarde the Kings house: 6 And another third part in the gate of Sur: and another thirde part in the gate behinde them of the garde: and ye shall keepe watche in the house of Massah. 7 And two parts of you, that is, all that goe out on the Sabbath day, shall keepe the watch of the house of the Lord about the King. 8 And ye shall compasse the King rounde about, euery man with his weapon in his hande, and whosoeuer commeth within the ranges, let him be slayne: be you with the King, as he goeth out and in. 9 And the captaines of the hundreths did according to all that Iehoiada the Priest commaded, and they tooke euery man his men that entred in to their charge on the Sabbath with them that went out of it on the Sabbath, and came to Iehoiada the Priest. 10 And the Priest gaue to the captaines of hundreths the speares and the shieldes that were King Dauids, and were in the house of the Lord. 11 And the garde stoode, euery man with his weapon in his hande, from the right side of the house to the left side, about the altar and about the house, round about the King. 12 Then he brought out the Kings sonne, and put the crowne vpon him and gaue him the Testimonie, and they made him King: also they anoynted him, and clapt their handes, and sayde, God saue the King. 13 And when Athaliah heard the noyse of the running of the people, shee came in to the people in the house of the Lord. 14 And when shee looked, beholde, the King stoode by a pillar, as the maner was, and the princes and the trumpetters by the King, and al the people of the land reioyced, and blew with trumpets. Then Athaliah rent her clothes, and cryed, Treason, treason. 15 But Iehoiada the Priest commanded the captaines of the hundreths that had the rule of the hoste, and sayde vnto them, Haue her forth of the ranges, and he that followeth her, let him die by the sworde: for the Priest had sayd, Let her not be slaine in the house of the Lord. 16 Then they laid hands on her, and she went by the way, by the which the horses goe to the house of the King, and there was she slaine. 17 And Iehoiada made a couenant betweene the Lord, and the King and the people, that they should be the Lordes people: likewise betweene the King and the people. 18 Then all the people of the lande went into the house of Baal, and destroyed it with his altars, and his images brake they downe courageously, and slewe Mattan the Priest of Baal before the altars: and the Priest set a garde ouer the house of the Lord. 19 Then he tooke the captaines of hudreths, and the other captaines, and the garde, and all the people of the lande: and they brought the King from the house of the Lord, and came by the way of the gate of the garde to the Kings house: and he sate him downe on the throne of the Kings. 20 And all the people of the land reioyced, and the citie was in quiet: for they had slaine Athaliah with the sworde beside the Kings house. 21 Seuen yeere olde was Iehoash when he began to reigne.