2Ki 11:4-21 | ESV | STEP | 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 .

2 Kings 11:4-21

Joash Anointed King in Judah

4 ^aBut in the seventh year ^bJehoiada sent and brought the captains of ^cthe 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. 5 And he commanded them, “This is the thing that you shall do: one third of you, ^dthose who come off duty on the Sabbath and guard the king’s house 6 ( ^eanother third being at the gate Sur and a third at the gate behind the guards) shall guard the palace. ^{▼▼The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain} 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 ^gwhen he goes out and when he comes in.”

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 ^hshields that had been King David’s, which were in the house of the Lord. 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 ⁱthe crown on him and gave him ^jthe testimony. And they proclaimed him king and anointed him, and they clapped their hands and said, ^k“Long live the king!”

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 ^lby the pillar, according to the custom, and the captains and the trumpeters beside the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and ^mblowing trumpets. And Athaliah ⁿtore her clothes and cried, “Treason! Treason!” 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 ^omade a covenant between the Lord and the king and people, that they should be the Lord’s people, and also ^pbetween the king and the people. 18 Then all the people of the land went to ^qthe house of Baal and tore it down; ^rhis 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. 19 And he took the captains, ^sthe Carites, the guards, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of the Lord, marching through ^tthe gate of the guards to the king’s house. And he took his seat on the throne of the kings. 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.

Jehoash Reigns in Judah

21 ^{▼▼Ch 12:1 in Hebrew} ^vJehoash ^{▼▼ Jehoash is an alternate spelling of Joash (son of Ahaziah) as in verse 2} was seven years old when he began to reign.