Athaliah Rules Judah

11 When Ahaziah’s mother Athaliah saw that her son was dead, she got up and killed all the king’s children. ² But King Joram’s daughter Jehosheba, Ahaziah’s sister, took Joash the son of Ahaziah. She stole him away from the king’s sons who were being killed, and put him and his nurse in the bedroom. They hid him from Athaliah, and he was not killed. ³ Joash was hid with his nurse in the house of the Lord six years, while Athaliah was ruling over the land.

⁴ In the seventh year, Jehoiada sent for the captains of hundreds, men who watch over the king and the soldiers. He brought them into the house of the Lord, and made an agreement with them. He had them make a promise in the house of the Lord. Then he showed them the king’s son. ⁵ He told them, “This is what you must do. One third of you who come in on the Day of Rest must keep watch over the king’s house. ⁶ One third are to be at the gate Sur and one third at the gate behind the soldiers. So you will keep watch over the king’s house. ⁷ And two parts of all of you who go out on the Day of Rest must keep watch over the house of the Lord for the king. ⁸ You will stand around the king, with spears in your hands. Whoever comes near must be killed. Be with the king when he goes out and when he comes in.”

⁹ The captains of hundreds did all that Jehoiada the religious leader told them to do. Each one of them brought his men to Jehoiada the religious leader. Each one brought those who were to come in on the Day of Rest, and those who were to go out on the Day of Rest. ¹⁰ The religious leader gave the captains the spears and coverings that had been King David’s, which were in the house of the Lord. ¹¹ And the soldiers stood from the right side of the house to the left side of the house. Each one held his spear. They stood by the altar and by the house, around the king. ¹² Then Jehoiada brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him, and gave him the Law. They made him king and poured oil on him. Then they clapped their hands and said, “Long live the king!”

¹³ When Athaliah heard the noise of the soldiers and the people, she came to the people in the house of the Lord. ¹⁴ She looked and saw the king standing by the pillar, as was done in those days. The captains and those who blew horns were standing beside the king. And all the people of the land were filled with joy and blew horns. Athaliah tore her clothes and cried, “They are turning against the queen!” ¹⁵ Then Jehoiada the religious leader told the captains of the army, “Bring her out among the soldiers, and kill with the sword whoever follows her.” For the religious leader said, “Do not let her be put to death in the house of the Lord.” ¹⁶ So they took hold of her, and she was put to death at the horses’ gate of the king’s house.

¹⁷ Then Jehoiada made an agreement between the Lord and the king and the people, that they should be the Lord’s people. And he made an agreement between the king and the people. ¹⁸ Then all the people of the land went to the house of Baal and tore it down. They broke to pieces all his altars and objects. And they killed Mattan the religious leader of Baal in front of the altars. Then the religious leaders chose men to watch over the house of the Lord. ¹⁹ Jehoiada took the captains and the men who watch over the king, and the soldiers and all the people of the land. They brought the king down from the house of the Lord, by the way of the soldiers’ gate, to the king’s house. And he sat on the throne of the kings. ²⁰ So all the people of the land were filled with joy, and the city was quiet. For they had put Athaliah to death with the sword at the king’s house.

²¹ Joash was seven years old when he became king.

Joash Rules Judah

12 In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash became king. He ruled for forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba. ² Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all his days, because Jehoiada the religious leader taught him. ³ But the high places were not taken away. The people still gave gifts and burned special perfume on the high places.

⁴ Then Joash said to the religious leaders, “All the money of the holy things brought into the house of the Lord, money for which each man is taxed, and money that is brought in because a man wants in his heart to bring it into the house of the Lord, ⁵ the religious leaders may take this money. Each leader should take it from those whom he knows. And they should use it to build the house again in the places where it has been broken and destroyed.

⁶ But by the twenty-third year of King Joash, the religious leaders had not put together the broken places of the house. ⁷ So King Joash called for Jehoiada the religious leader and the other religious leaders. He said to them, “Why do you not put together the broken places of the house? Do not take any more money from those you know, but give it for the work that is needed on the house.” ⁸ So the religious leaders agreed that they should take no more money from the people. And they agreed that they should not do the work that was needed on the house.

⁹ Then Jehoiada the religious leader took a box and cut a hole in its cover. He put it beside the altar, on the right side as one comes into the house of the Lord. And the religious leaders who watched the door put all the money into it that was brought into the house of the Lord. ¹⁰ When they saw that there was much money in the box, the king’s writer and the head religious leader came up to the house of the Lord. They found out how much money was there, and tied it up in bags. ¹¹ After weighing it, they gave the money to those who watched over the work that was being done on the house of the Lord. Then these men paid the wood-workers and the builders who worked on the house of the Lord. ¹² They paid the stonecutters and those who laid the stones in place. And they bought the cut wood and stone and all that was needed for the work on the house of the Lord. ¹³ But there were no silver cups, objects to put out the lights, pots, horns, or dishes of gold or silver made for the house of the Lord. None of these were made from the money brought into the house of the Lord. ¹⁴ For they gave that to those who did the work. It was used to put together the broken places of the house of the Lord. ¹⁵ And they did not ask the men who paid those who did the work how the money was spent. For they were men of honor. ¹⁶ The money from the guilt gifts and sin gifts was not brought into the house of the Lord. It was for the religious leaders.

¹⁷ At that time King Hazael of Syria went up and fought against Gath, and took it. Then he turned to go up to Jerusalem. ¹⁸ But Joash king of Judah took all the holy things that had been set apart by his fathers, Jehoshaphat, Jehoram and Ahaziah, kings of Judah. He took his own holy things, and all the gold that was found in the storehouses of the house of the Lord and the king’s house. And he sent it to Hazael king of Syria. Then Hazael went away from Jerusalem.

¹⁹ The rest of the acts of Joash and all he did are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. ²⁰ His servants made plans against Joash, and killed him at the house of Millo on the way down to Silla. ²¹ He was killed by Jozacar the son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants. They buried him in the city of David. His son Amaziah became king in his place.