The Reign of Ahaziah of Judah

221 And the inhabitants of Jerusalem cause Ahaziah his youngest son to reign in his stead, (for all the elder had the troop slain that came in with the Arabians to the camp,) and Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah reigneth. 2 A son of twenty and two years 'is' Ahaziah in his reigning, and one year he hath reigned in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother 'is' Athaliah daughter of Omri; 3 he also hath walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother hath been his counsellor to do wickedly. 4 And he doth the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, like the house of Ahab, for they have been his counsellors, after the death of his father, for destruction to him. 5 Also, in their counsel he hath walked, and goeth with Jehoram son of Ahab king of Israel to battle against Hazael king of Aram, in Ramoth-Gilead, and they of Ramah smite Joram; 6 and he turneth back to be healed in Jezreel because of the wounds with which they had smitten him in Ramah, in his fighting with Hazael king of Aram. And Azariah son of Jehoram king of Judah hath gone down to see Jehoram son of Ahab, in Jezreel, for he 'is' sick;

Jehu Kills Ahaziah

7 and from God hath been the destruction of Ahaziah, to come unto Joram: and in his coming he hath gone out with Jehoram unto Jehu son of Nimshi, whom Jehovah anointed to cut off the house of Ahab. 8 And it cometh to pass, in Jehu's executing judgment with the house of Ahab, that he findeth the heads of Judah and sons of the brethren of Ahaziah, ministers of Ahaziah, and slayeth them. 9 And he seeketh Ahaziah, and they capture him, (and he is hiding himself in Samaria), and bring him in unto Jehu, and put him to death, and bury him, for they said, 'He 'is' son of Jehoshaphat, who sought Jehovah with all his heart;' and there is none to the house of Ahaziah to retain power for the kingdom.

Athaliah Usurps the Throne

10 And Athaliah mother of Ahaziah hath seen that her son is dead, and she riseth and destroyeth the whole seed of the kingdom of the house of Judah. 11 And Jehoshabeath daughter of the king taketh Joash son of Ahaziah, and stealeth him from the midst of the sons of the king who are put to death, and putteth him and his nurse into the inner part of the bed-chambers, and Jehoshabeath daughter of king Jehoram, wife of Jehoiada the priest, because she hath been sister of Ahaziah, hideth him from the face of Athaliah, and she hath not put him to death. 12 And he is with them in the house of God hiding himself six years, and Athaliah is reigning over the land.

231 And in the seventh year hath Jehoiada strengthened himself, and taketh the heads of the hundreds, even Azariah son of Jeroham, and Ishmael son of Jehohanan, and Azariah son of Obed, and Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zichri, with him into covenant. 2 And they go round about in Judah, and gather the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and heads of the fathers of Israel, and come in unto Jerusalem, 3 and all the assembly make a covenant in the house of God with the king, and he saith to them, 'Lo, the son of the king doth reign, as Jehovah spake concerning the sons of David. 4 'This 'is' the thing that ye do: The third of you, going in on the sabbath, of the priests, and of the Levites, 'are' for gatekeepers of the thresholds, 5 and the third 'are' at the house of the king, and the third at the gate of the foundation, and all the people 'are' in the courts of the house of Jehovah. 6 'And none doth enter the house of Jehovah except the priests, and those ministering of the Levites (they go in for they 'are' holy), and all the people keep the watch of Jehovah: 7 and the Levites have compassed the king round about, each with his weapon in his hand, and he who hath gone in unto the house is put to death; and be ye with the king in his coming in and in his going out.' 8 And the Levites and all Judah do according to all that Jehoiada the priest hath commanded, and take each his men going in on the sabbath, with those going out on the sabbath, for Jehoiada the priest hath not let away the courses. 9 And Jehoiada the priest giveth to the heads of the hundreds the spears, and the shields, and the bucklers that 'are' king David's, that 'are' in the house of God; 10 and he stationeth the whole of the people, and each his dart in his hand, from the right shoulder of the house unto the left shoulder of the house, at the altar, and at the house, by the king, round about. 11 And they bring out the son of the king, and put upon him the crown, and the testimony, and cause him to reign; and Jehoiada and his sons anoint him, and say, 'Let the king live!'

12 And Athaliah heareth the voice of the people who are running, and who are praising the king, and she cometh in unto the people in the house of Jehovah, 13 and seeth, and lo, the king is standing by his pillar in the entrance, and the heads, and the trumpets 'are' by the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and shouting with trumpets, and the singers with instruments of song, and the teachers, to praise, and Athaliah rendeth her garments, and saith, 'Conspiracy, conspiracy.' 14 And Jehoiada the priest bringeth out the heads of the hundreds, inspectors of the force, and saith unto them, 'Take her out from within the rows, and he who hath gone after her is put to death by the sword;' for the priest said, 'Put her not to death 'in' the house of Jehovah.' 15 And they make for her sides, and she cometh in unto the entrance of the gate of the horses at the house of the king, and they put her to death there. 16 And Jehoiada maketh a covenant between him, and between all the people, and between the king, to be for a people to Jehovah; 17 and all the people enter the house of Baal, and break it down, yea, his altars and his images they have broken, and Mattan priest of Baal they have slain before the altars. 18 And Jehoiada putteth the offices of the house of Jehovah into the hand of the priests the Levites whom David had apportioned over the house of Jehovah, to cause to ascend the burnt-offerings of Jehovah, as written in the law of Moses, with joy, and with singing, by the hands of David; 19 and he stationeth the gatekeepers over the gates of the house of Jehovah, and the unclean in anything doth not go in. 20 And he taketh the heads of the hundreds, and the honourable ones, and the rulers among the people, and all the people of the land, and bringeth down the king from the house of Jehovah, and they come in through the high gate to the house of the king, and cause the king to sit on the throne of the kingdom. 21 And all the people of the land rejoice, and the city hath been quiet, and Athaliah they have put to death by the sword.

The Reign of Joash of Judah

241 A son of seven years 'is' Joash in his reigning, and forty years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother 'is' Zibiah of Beer-Sheba. 2 And Joash doth that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah all the days of Jehoiada the priest. 3 And Jehoiada taketh for him two wives, and he begetteth sons and daughters. 4 And it cometh to pass after this, it hath been with the heart of Joash to renew the house of Jehovah, 5 and he gathereth the priests and the Levites, and saith to them, 'Go out to the cities of Judah, and gather from all Israel money to strengthen the house of your God sufficiently year by year, and ye, ye do haste to the matter;' and the Levites have not hasted. 6 And the king calleth for Jehoiada the head, and saith to him, 'Wherefore hast thou not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the tribute of Moses, servant of Jehovah, and of the assembly of Israel, for the tent of the testimony? 7 for sons of Athaliah, the wicked one, have broken up the house of God, and also, all the holy things of the house of Jehovah they have prepared for Baalim.' 8 And the king speaketh, and they make one chest, and put it at the gate of the house of Jehovah without, 9 and give an intimation in Judah and in Jerusalem to bring in to Jehovah the tribute of Moses, servant of God, 'laid' on Israel in the wilderness. 10 And all the heads, and all the people rejoice, and they bring in, and cast into the chest, unto completion. 11 And it cometh to pass, at the time one bringeth in the chest for the inspection of the king by the hand of the Levites, and at their seeing that the money 'is' abundant, that a scribe of the king hath come in, and an officer of the head-priest, and they empty the chest, and take it up and turn it back unto its place; thus they have done day by day, and gather money in abundance. 12 And the king and Jehoiada give it unto the doers of the work of the service of the house of Jehovah, and they are hiring hewers and artificers to renew the house of Jehovah, and also—to artificers in iron and brass to strengthen the house of Jehovah. 13 And those doing the business work, and there goeth up lengthening to the work by their hand, and they establish the house of God, by its proper measure, and strengthen it. 14 And at their completing 'it', they have brought in before the king and Jehoiada the rest of the money, and they make it vessels for the house of Jehovah, vessels of serving, and of offering up, and spoons, even vessels of gold and silver; and they are causing burnt-offerings to ascend in the house of Jehovah continually, all the days of Jehoiada.

15 And Jehoiada is aged and satisfied with days, and dieth—a son of a hundred and thirty years in his death, 16 and they bury him in the city of David, with the kings, for he hath done good in Israel, and with God, and his house. 17 And after the death of Jehoiada come in have heads of Judah, and bow themselves to the king; then hath the king hearkened unto them, 18 and they forsake the house of Jehovah, God of their fathers, and serve the shrines and the idols, and there is wrath upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their guilt. 19 And He sendeth among them prophets, to bring them back unto Jehovah, and they testify against them, and they have not given ear; 20 and the Spirit of God hath clothed Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, and he standeth over-against the people, and saith to them, 'Thus said God, Why are ye transgressing the commands of Jehovah, and prosper not? because ye have forsaken Jehovah—He doth forsake you.' 21 And they conspire against him, and stone him with stones by the command of the king, in the court of the house of Jehovah, 22 and Joash the king hath not remembered the kindness that Jehoiada his father did with him, and slayeth his son, and in his death he said, 'Jehovah doth see, and require.' 23 And it cometh to pass, at the turn of the year, come up hath the force of Aram against him, and they come in unto Judah and Jerusalem, and destroy all the heads of the people from the people, and all their spoil they have sent to the king of Damascus, 24 for with few men have the force of Aram come in, and Jehovah hath given into their hand a mighty force for multitude, because they have forsaken Jehovah, God of their fathers; and with Joash they have executed judgments. 25 And in their going from him—for they left him with many diseases—his servants themselves have conspired against him, for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and slay him on his bed, and he dieth; and they bury him in the city of David, and have not buried him in the graves of the kings. 26 And these 'are' those conspiring against him, Zabad son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad son of Shimrith the Moabitess. 27 As to his sons, and the greatness of the burden upon him, and the foundation of the house of God, lo, they are written on the 'Inquiry' of the book of the Kings; and reign doth Amaziah his son in his stead.