Open English Translation 2KI Chapter 11

11 When Ahazyah’s mother Atalyah she saw that her son had been killed, she went and had all of his descendants executed so that none of them could claim the throne. 2 However, King Yehoram’s daughter Yehosheva took Yoash, the son of her sister Ahazyah, and him hid in the bedroom along with his wet-nurse. Although he was on the list of kings sons to be executed, they hid him from Atalyah, and so he wasn’t killed. 3 Then he was able to stay hidden with her in the temple for the six years while Atalyah ruled Yehudah.

4 In the seventh year, Yehoyada the priest sent for the officers over the royal bodyguards and the palace bodyguards to come to him inside the temple Yahweh. He made them agree to take an oath of secrecy and loyalty in the temple, then he let them see the king’s son. 5 Then he commanded them, “This is what you all need to do: On the Rest Day, one third of you must go and guard the king’s palace. 6 The second third must guard the Sur gate, and the remainder must stay behind the others roaming back and forth, 7 and the two off-duty groups must guard the temple and protect the young king. 8 You’ll surround the king—each man holding his weapons at the ready right around him—killing any person who approaches your ranks, and accompanying the king when he goes out or comes in.

9 So the officers over the royal bodyguards did everything that the priest Yehoyada had commanded. Both the on-duty and the off-duty men fulfilled their roles under Yehoyada’s direction that Rest Day. 10 The priest had taken the spears and the shields out of the temple that had belonged to King David and given them to the officers over the royal bodyguards, 11 and they all stood in position, each man holding his weapons ready in his hand, right around the palace and the temple and the altar, and the king. 12 Then the priest brought young Yoash out and put the crown on his head. He handed him the official scroll, and they anointed him and made him king. Then they clapped their hands and shouted, “Long live the king!”

13 When Atalyah heard the sound of the people and the guards, she came to the people gathered at Yahweh’s temple 14 and was stunned to see the young, new king standing near the pillar as was the custom, with the captains and the trumpeters near the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and sounding trumpets. Then Atalyah tore her clothes and shouted out, “Treachery! Treason!” 15 Then Yehoyada the priest commanded the officials over the bodyguards and the army officers, “Bring her out away from these public buildings. Don’t kill her in the temple, but kill anyone who tries to rescue her. 16 So they grabbed her by each arm and took her out through the entrance for the horses to the palace, and she was executed there.

17 Then Yehoyada led the making of an agreement between Yahweh and the king and the people, for the people to serve Yahweh, and also between the king and between the people. 18 Then people from all over the country went to the temple of Baal and broke down the altars. They smashed his images to pieces and killed Mattan the priest of the Baal in front of the altars. Meanwhile, Yehoyada the priest placed guards over Yahweh’s temple. 19 Then he organised the officers over the royal guard and the palace guards to bring the king down from the temple of Yahweh, and along with all the people, they entered the palace via the gate usually used by the king’s bodyguards, and he sat on the throne. 20 All the people celebrated and the city was quiet because Atalyah had been put to death with the sword at the palace.

21 Yoash was only seven when he became king of Yehudah.