2 Kings 11
Athaliah kills royal family, takes throne, Joash survives
Now when Athaliah (Ahaziah’s mom) saw that her son was dead, she took a stand and massacred the entire royal family so she could take the throne. But Jehosheba (King Joram’s daughter and Ahaziah’s sister) kidnapped Joash (Ahaziah’s son) and protected him from the rest of the kings sons who were being put to death. She put the boy and his nurse in a bedroom, hiding him from Athaliah so he wouldn’t be killed. And he stayed there for six years, hidden in the Existing One’s house while Athaliah reigned over the country.
Joash becomes Israel’s king
But in the seventh year Priest Jehoiada had military officials come into the Existing One’s house. Putting them under oath in the Existing One’s house, he made a covenant with them, and showed them the king’s son. He ordered them,
“One third of your men will guard the king’s palace (this can be the third that usually rotates off-duty for the Sabbath). Your other two divisions will surround and protect the king himself (that can be the two thirds that usually stays working on the Sabbath). If anyone approaches your ranks, they’ll be put to death. Stay with the king whenever he goes out and whenever he comes in.”
Just as Jehoiada the priest requested, the captains brought all their troops—the ones who rotate on-duty for the Sabbath, and the ones who rotate off-duty for the Sabbath—and presented them to Jehoiada. The priest armed the captains with the spears and shields in the Existing One’s house which had belonged to King David. With weapons in hand, the men stood guard from the south end of the building all the way to the north, as well as around the altar on behalf of the king. Then he brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him and handed him a copy of God’s law. And they proclaimed him king and anointed him, and they clapped their hands and said, “Long live the king!”
Athaliah executed
When Athaliah heard the commotion, she went inside the Existing One’s house and saw the king standing by the pillar, according to the custom, with the captains and trumpeters beside him with all the people celebrating and blowing trumpets. And Athaliah tore her clothes and cried out,
“Treason! This is treason!”
Then Priest Jhoiada ordered the army’s captains,
“Bring her outside and put to death anyone who follows her.”
That was because the priest said not kill her inside the Existing One’s house. So they arrested her and brought her through the horses’ entrance to the king’s house where they put her to death.
Covenant between Israel and God, peace restored
And Priest Jehoiada made a covenant between the people, and the Existing One, and the king: that the people should be loyal to the king, and that all of them should be loyal to the Existing One. Then everyone went to Baal’s temple and tore it down, breaking his altar and his statues, also killing Baal’s priest Mattan in front of the altars. And the priest posted watchmen over the Existing One’s house. He took the military officials and all the common people, and together they escorted the king, marching him from the Existing One’s house straight to the king’s house where he took his seat on the throne. So all the people rejoiced, and peace was restored to the city now that Athaliah had been put to death.