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2 Kings 11

New International Reader’s Version



1 Athaliah was Ahaziah’s mother. She saw that her son was dead. So she began to destroy the whole royal house of Judah. 2 But Jehosheba went and got Joash, the son of Ahaziah. Jehosheba was the daughter of King Jehoram and the sister of Ahaziah. She stole Joash away from among the royal princes. All of them were about to be murdered. She put Joash and his nurse in a bedroom. That’s how she hid him from Athaliah. And that’s why Athaliah didn’t kill him. 3 The child remained hidden with his nurse at the LORD’s temple for six years. Athaliah ruled over the land during that time. 4 In the seventh year Jehoiada the priest sent for the commanders of military groups of 100 men. They were the commanders over the Carites and the guards. Jehoiada had them brought to him at the temple of the LORD. He made a covenant with them. At the temple he made them promise to be faithful. Then he showed them the king’s son. 5 He gave them a command. He said, ‘Here’s what you must do. There are five groups of you. Some of you are in the three groups that are going on duty on the Sabbath day. A third of you must guard the royal palace. 6 A third of you must guard the Sur Gate. And a third of you must guard the gate that is behind the guard. All of you must take turns guarding the temple. 7 The rest of you are in the other two groups. Normally you are not on duty on the Sabbath day. But you also must guard the temple for the king. 8 Station yourselves around the king. Each of you must have his weapon in his hand. Anyone else who approaches your groups must be put to death. Stay close to the king no matter where he goes.’ 9 The commanders of the military groups did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each commander got his men and came to Jehoiada. Some of the men were going on duty on the Sabbath day. Others were going off duty. 10 Then Jehoiada gave weapons to the commanders. He gave them spears and shields. The weapons had belonged to King David. They had been in the LORD’s temple. 11 The guards stationed themselves around the new king. Each of them had his weapon in his hand. They were near the altar and the temple. They stood from the south side of the temple to its north side. 12 Jehoiada brought out Ahaziah’s son. He put the crown on him. He gave him a copy of the covenant. And he announced that Joash was king. Jehoiada and his sons anointed him. The people clapped their hands. Then they shouted, ‘May the king live a long time!’ 13 Athaliah heard the noise the guards and the people were making. So she went to the people at the LORD’s temple. 14 She looked, and there was the king! He was standing next to the pillar. That was the usual practice. The officers and trumpet players were standing beside the king. All the people of the land were filled with joy. They were blowing trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her royal robes. She called out, ‘Treason! It’s treason!’ 15 Jehoiada the priest gave an order to the commanders of the military groups of 100 men. The commanders were in charge of the troops. He said to them, ‘Bring her away from the temple between the line of guards. Use your swords to kill anyone who follows her.’ The priest had said, ‘She must not be put to death at the LORD’s temple.’ 16 So they grabbed her as she reached the place where the horses enter the palace grounds. There she was put to death. 17 Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and people. He had the king and people promise that they would be the LORD’s people. Jehoiada also made a covenant between the king and the people. 18 All the people of the land went to Baal’s temple. They tore it down. They smashed to pieces the altars and the statues of gods. They killed Mattan in front of the altars. He was the priest of Baal. Then Jehoiada the priest stationed guards at the temple of the LORD. 19 Jehoiada took with him the commanders of groups of 100 men. They were the commanders over the Carites and the guards. He also took with him all the people of the land. All of them brought the new king down from the LORD’s temple. They went into the palace. They entered it by going through the gate of the guards. Then the king sat down on the royal throne. 20 All the people of the land were filled with joy. And the city was calm. That’s because Athaliah had been killed with a sword at the palace. 21 Joash was seven years old when he became king. 

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2 Kings 11

English Standard Version



1 Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal family. (2Ki 8:26; 2Ch 22:10) 2 But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were being put to death, and she put[1] him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus they[2] hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not put to death. (2Ki 11:21; 2Ki 12:1) 3 And he remained with her six years, hidden in the house of the Lord, while Athaliah reigned over the land. 



4 But in the seventh year Jehoiada sent and brought the captains of the Carites and of the guards, and had them come to him in the house of the Lord. And he made a covenant with them and put them under oath in the house of the Lord, and he showed them the king’s son. (2Ki 11:9; 2Ki 11:19; 2Ch 23:1) 5 And he commanded them, “This is the thing that you shall do: one third of you, those who come off duty on the Sabbath and guard the king’s house (1Ch 9:25) 6 (another third being at the gate Sur and a third at the gate behind the guards) shall guard the palace.[3] (2Ch 23:5) 7 And the two divisions of you, which come on duty in force on the Sabbath and guard the house of the Lord on behalf of the king, 8 shall surround the king, each with his weapons in his hand. And whoever approaches the ranks is to be put to death. Be with the king when he goes out and when he comes in.” (Nu 27:17) 9 The captains did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded, and they each brought his men who were to go off duty on the Sabbath, with those who were to come on duty on the Sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest. 10 And the priest gave to the captains the spears and shields that had been King David’s, which were in the house of the Lord. (2Sa 8:7; 1Ch 18:7) 11 And the guards stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, from the south side of the house to the north side of the house, around the altar and the house on behalf of the king. 12 Then he brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him and gave him the testimony. And they proclaimed him king and anointed him, and they clapped their hands and said, “Long live the king!” (Ex 25:16; Ex 31:18; De 17:18; 1Sa 10:24; 2Sa 1:10; 2Sa 16:16; 1Ki 1:39) 13 When Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she went into the house of the Lord to the people. 14 And when she looked, there was the king standing by the pillar, according to the custom, and the captains and the trumpeters beside the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets. And Athaliah tore her clothes and cried, “Treason! Treason!” (Ge 44:13; 1Ki 1:34; 2Ki 23:3; 2Ch 34:31) 15 Then Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains who were set over the army, “Bring her out between the ranks, and put to death with the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest said, “Let her not be put to death in the house of the Lord.” 16 So they laid hands on her; and she went through the horses’ entrance to the king’s house, and there she was put to death. 17 And Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and people, that they should be the Lord’s people, and also between the king and the people. (Jos 24:25; 2Sa 5:3) 18 Then all the people of the land went to the house of Baal and tore it down; his altars and his images they broke in pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest posted watchmen over the house of the Lord. (De 12:3; 2Ki 10:21; 2Ki 10:23; 2Ki 10:26) 19 And he took the captains, the Carites, the guards, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of the Lord, marching through the gate of the guards to the king’s house. And he took his seat on the throne of the kings. (2Ki 11:4; 2Ki 11:6; 2Ch 23:20) 20 So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet after Athaliah had been put to death with the sword at the king’s house. 



21 [4] Jehoash[5] was seven years old when he began to reign. (2Ch 24:1) 

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The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved.