1 Quando Atalia, mãe de Acazias, viu que seu filho era morto, levantou-se e destruiu toda a descendência real. 2 Mas Jeoseba, filha do rei Jorão e irmã de Acazias, raptou Joás, filho de Acazias, do meio dos filhos do rei que seriam mortos e o pôs, juntamente com a sua babá, numa câmara interior; e, assim, o esconderam de Atalia, e ele não foi morto. 3 Joás esteve com ela, escondido na Casa do Senhor, durante seis anos; e Atalia reinava no país.

4 No sétimo ano, Joiada mandou chamar os capitães dos cários e da guarda e reuniu-se com eles na Casa do Senhor. Fez uma aliança com eles, pedindo que jurassem na Casa do Senhor. Então lhes mostrou o filho do rei 5 e lhes deu ordem, dizendo:

— Isto é o que vocês devem fazer: uma terça parte de vocês, que entram de serviço no sábado, fará a guarda do palácio real; 6 outra terça parte estará ao portão Sur; e a outra terça parte, ao portão detrás da guarda; assim, vocês farão a guarda e a defesa deste palácio. 7 Os dois grupos que saem de serviço no sábado, estes todos farão a guarda da Casa do Senhor, junto ao rei. 8 Vocês devem rodear o rei, cada um de armas na mão. E, se alguém quiser entrar nas fileiras, que seja morto. Vocês devem acompanhar o rei aonde quer que ele for.

9 Os capitães de cem fizeram tudo o que o sacerdote Joiada lhes havia ordenado. Cada um reuniu os seus soldados, tanto os que entravam de serviço no sábado como os que saíam de serviço no sábado, e os levou ao sacerdote Joiada. 10 O sacerdote entregou aos capitães de cem as lanças e os escudos que haviam sido do rei Davi e que estavam na Casa do Senhor. 11 Os guardas se puseram, cada um de armas na mão, desde o lado direito da casa real até o seu lado esquerdo, e até o altar, e até o templo, para rodear o rei. 12 Então Joiada trouxe para fora Joás, o filho do rei, pôs a coroa na cabeça dele e lhe entregou o Livro do Testemunho. Eles o constituíram rei, o ungiram, bateram palmas e gritaram:

— Viva o rei!

13 Quando Atalia ouviu o barulho dos guardas e do povo, veio para onde o povo estava, na Casa do Senhor. 14 Olhou, e eis que o rei estava junto à coluna, segundo o costume. Os capitães e os tocadores de trombetas estavam ao lado do rei, e todo o povo da terra se alegrava e tocava trombetas. Então Atalia rasgou as suas roupas e gritou:

— Traição! Traição!

15 Porém o sacerdote Joiada deu ordem aos capitães que comandavam as tropas, dizendo:

— Façam-na sair por entre as fileiras e, se alguém a seguir, matem-no à espada.

Porque o sacerdote tinha dito: "Não a matem na Casa do Senhor."

16 Então eles a prenderam; e ela, pelo caminho da entrada dos cavalos, foi para o palácio real, onde a mataram.

17 Joiada fez uma aliança entre o Senhor, o rei e o povo, para serem eles o povo do Senhor. Fez também uma aliança entre o rei e o povo. 18 Então todo o povo da terra entrou no templo de Baal e o derrubaram, despedaçando os altares e as imagens de Baal. Matã, o sacerdote de Baal, foi morto diante dos altares.

O sacerdote Joiada pôs guardas sobre a Casa do Senhor. 19 Reuniu os capitães dos cários, os da guarda e todo o povo da terra, e todos estes conduziram o rei desde a Casa do Senhor até o palácio real, passando pelo portão da guarda. E Joás sentou-se no trono dos reis. 20 Todo o povo da terra se alegrou, e a cidade ficou tranquila, depois que mataram Atalia à espada, junto ao palácio real. 21 Joás tinha sete anos de idade quando o fizeram rei.

1 Now, when, Athaliah, mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal.

2 But Jehosheba daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the kings sons that were being slainhim and his nurse, into the bedchamber,so she hid him from the face of Athaliah, that he was not slain.

3 And he was with her, in the house of Yahweh, hiding himself, six years,while, Athaliah, was reigning over the land.

4 But, in the seventh year, Jehoiada sent and took the captains over hundreds, of the Carian body-guard, and of the runners, and brought them unto him, in the house of Yahweh,and, when he had solemnised a Covenant with them, and put them on oath, in the house of Yahweh, then shewed he them the kings son;

5 and commanded them, sayingThis, is the thing which ye must do,A third part of you, will be coming in on the sabbath, and keeping the watch of the house of the king;

6 and, a third, in the side-gate; and, a third, in the gate behind the runners,so shall ye keep the watch of the house, by turns.

7 And, two parts of you, are all that are going out on the sabbath,so shall ye keep the watch of the house of Yahweh, as touching the king.

8 Thus shall ye encompass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand, and, he that cometh within the ranks, let him be slain,so be ye with the king, when he cometh out and when he goeth in.

9 And the captains of hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded, and they took every man his men who were coming in on the sabbath, with them who were going out on the sabbath,and came unto Jehoiada the priest.

10 And the priest gave unto the captains of hundreds the spears and the shields which belonged to King David,which were in the house of Yahweh.

11 And the runners stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, from the right corner of the house, as far as the left corner of the house, by the altar and the house,near the king, round about.

12 Then brought he forth the kings son, and set upon him the crown, and the testimony, and they made him king, and anointed him,and clapped their hands, and saidMay the king live!

13 And, when Athaliah heard the noise of the runners, the people, then came she in unto the people, in the house of Yahweh,

14 and looked, and lo! the king, standing by the pillar, as the custom was, and the captains and the trumpeters, by the king, and, all the people of the land, rejoicing, and blowing with trumpets,so Athaliah rent her garments, and cried outConspiracy! conspiracy!

15 And Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of hundredsofficers of the force, and said unto themTake her forth into the inside of the ranks, and, he that cometh in after her, to slay with the sword. For the priest said, Let her not be slain, in the house of Yahweh.

16 So they made way for her, and she entered the road by which the horses approached the house of the king, and was slain there.

17 And Jehoiada solemnised a covenant between Yahweh, and the king, and the people, that they should become a people unto Yahweh,also between the king and the people.

18 And all the people of the land entered the house of Baal, and brake it down, his altars and his images, brake they in pieces, utterly, and, Mattan the priest of Baal, they slew before the altars,and the priest appointed officers over the house of Yahweh.

19 And he took the captains of hundreds and the Carian bodyguard, and the runners, and all the people of the land, and they brought down the king out of the house of Yahweh, and they came, by way of the gate of the runners, into the house of the king,and he took his seat on the throne of the kings;

20 and all the people of the land rejoiced, and, the city, had rest,when they had put, Athaliah, to death with the sword, in the house of the king.

21 Seven years old, was Jehoash, when he began to reign.