2 Kings 11

A Child Hidden Six Years in the House of God

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Athaliah Destroys the Royal Seed

11:1Athaliah, Ahaziah’s mother, saw that her sons had died, and destroyed all the royal offspring.

11:2Jehosheba, daughter of King Joram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash, her brother’s son, and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were being put to death—him and his nurse—in the chamber of the beds. She hid him from Athaliah, and he was not put to death.

11:3He remained with her in the Lord’s house, hidden for six years, while Athaliah was reigning over the land.

Jehoiada Brings Out the King’s Son

11:4In the seventh year Jehoiada the priest sent for the captains of hundreds, the Chorri and the Rasim. He brought them to him into the Lord’s house, made a covenant of the Lord with them, put them under oath before the Lord, and Jehoiada showed them the king’s son.

11:5He commanded them, saying, ‘This is what you shall do: let a third of you enter on the Sabbath, and you shall guard the king’s house at the gateway,

11:6and a third shall be at the Gate of the Roads, and a third at the gate behind the runners. Keep the watch over the house.

11:7The two divisions among you, everyone going out on the Sabbath, shall keep watch over the Lord’s house for the king.

11:8Surround the king on every side, each man with his equipment in his hand. Whoever enters the saderoth shall die.’ And he was with the king when he went out and came in.

11:9The captains of hundreds did everything Jehoiada the discerning one commanded. Each took his men entering on the Sabbath, together with those going out on the Sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest.

11:10The priest gave the captains of hundreds King David’s lances and threefold weapons that were in the Lord’s house.

11:11The runners stood, each man with his equipment in his hand, from the house’s right flank to its left flank, beside the altar and the house, all around the king.

11:12He brought out the king’s son and put the nezer and the testimony upon him. He made him king and anointed him, and they clapped their hands and said, ‘Long live the king!’

The Death of Athaliah

11:13Athaliah heard the sound of the running people and entered among the people in the Lord’s house.

11:14She looked, and there was the king standing by the pillar according to the ordinance, with the singers and trumpets beside the king. All the people of the land were rejoicing and sounding trumpets. Athaliah tore her garments and cried, ‘Conspiracy! Conspiracy!’

11:15Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of hundreds, the army’s overseers, and said to them, ‘Bring her out from inside the saderoth. Whoever enters after her shall certainly be put to death by the sword.’ For the priest had said, ‘She must not die in the Lord’s house.’

11:16They laid hands on her. She entered by the way of the horses’ entrance of the king’s house, and died there.

The Covenant and the Pulling Down of Baal’s House

11:17Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord, the king, and the people, that they should be the Lord’s people, and between the king and the people.

11:18All the people of the land entered Baal’s house and pulled it down. They thoroughly shattered its altars and images, and killed Mattan, Baal’s priest, before the altars. The priest appointed overseers for the Lord’s house.

11:19He took the captains of hundreds, the Chorri, the Rasim, and all the people of the land. They brought the king down from the Lord’s house. He entered the king’s house by the way of the Runners’ Gate, and they seated him on the throne of the kings.

11:20All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city became quiet. They had put Athaliah to death by the sword in the king’s house.

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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.