Atalja overtager magten i Juda
1Dengang Atalja, som var mor til kong Ahazja af Juda, hørte, at hendes søn var død, satte hun sig for at udrydde samtlige medlemmer af kongefamilien. 2Men Ahazjas søster, Josheba, fjernede i al hemmelighed Ahazjas yngste søn, Joash, som kun var et spædbarn, fra de øvrige prinser, som skulle dræbes. Josheba gemte både ham og hans amme i et soveværelse. 3Drengen blev derefter holdt skjult på tempelområdet i de seks år, Atalja regerede i Juda.
Joash udråbes til konge
4I Ataljas syvende regeringsår indkaldte præsten Jojada de ledende officerer fra paladsgarden og den kongelige livvagt til et møde i templet, og efter at de højtideligt havde lovet Jojada fuld troskab, førte han kronprinsen, Joash, frem for dem 5og gav dem følgende instrukser: „Næste sabbat når I møder til tjeneste, skal en tredjedel af jer holde vagt ved det kongelige palads. 6En anden tredjedel skal holde vagt ved Sur-porten, mens den sidste tredjedel skal holde vagt ved livvagtens barak. 7De andre to grupper, som egentlig ikke skulle gøre tjeneste på næste sabbat, skal stille sig op ved indgangen til templet for at beskytte kongen. 8På den dag skal I alle fungere som kongens livvagt og holde jeres våben parate. Dræb enhver, der sætter sig op imod jer. Slip ikke kongen af syne på noget tidspunkt.”
9Officererne fulgte nøje Jojadas instrukser. De kom samtidig med det skiftehold, som normalt skulle begynde tjeneste på sabbatten, og sluttede sig til det skiftehold, der var færdig med tjenesten. 10Derpå udrustede Jojada officererne med de spyd og skjolde, som havde tilhørt kong David og blev opbevaret i templets våbenhus. 11De bevæbnede vagter tog opstilling i en lang række fra forgårdens sydside frem til alteret foran indgangen og videre til nordsiden. På den måde forhindrede de folk i at nærme sig tempelindgangen, hvor kongen ville komme til syne.
12Da alt var klar, førte Jojada prinsen ud og satte kongekronen på hans hoved. Han gav ham også en kopi af lovbogen, hvorefter han salvede ham til konge. Folket klappede og råbte: „Længe leve kong Joash.”
Ataljas død
13Da dronning Atalja hørte støjen fra menneskemængden, skyndte hun sig over til templet. 14Dér fik hun øje på den nykronede konge, der stod ved søjlen foran tempelindgangen, som det var skik ved en kroningsceremoni. De ledende officerer og en række trompetblæsere stod ved siden af kongen. De blæste i deres trompeter, mens folket jublede.
Atalja rev i vrede og fortvivlelse sit tøj i stykker og skreg: „Det er højforræderi!”
15„Før hende uden for templet!” råbte Jojada til officererne for livvagten. „Dræb hende ikke på tempelområdet, men slå enhver ned, der forsøger at komme hende til undsætning.” 16Så greb de hende og førte hende ud gennem den port, som hestene bruger til at komme ind på paladsets område. Der slog de hende ihjel.
Jojadas reformer
17Jojada fik kongen og hele folket til at indgå en troskabspagt med Herren: Både kongen og folket skulle altid tilhøre Herren og være hans folk. Han sørgede også for, at folket lovede deres konge troskab. 18Derefter gik hele forsamlingen i samlet trop til ba’alstemplet og rev det ned. De ødelagde altrene og afgudsbillederne og dræbte ba’alspræsten Mattan foran alteret, og Jojada satte vagter ved Herrens tempel. 19-20Dernæst førte han sammen med officererne, livvagten og hele folket den unge konge ud af templet, forbi vagtstuen og ind i paladset, hvor kongen satte sig på tronen.
Alle var glade og lykkelige, og livet i byen gik sin daglige, stille gang efter Ataljas død.
Athaliah and Joash
1When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family. 2But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram11:2 Hebrew Joram, a variant of Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes, who were about to be murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah; so he was not killed. 3He remained hidden with his nurse at the temple of the Lord for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.
4In the seventh year Jehoiada sent for the commanders of units of a hundred, the Carites and the guards and had them brought to him at the temple of the Lord. He made a covenant with them and put them under oath at the temple of the Lord. Then he showed them the king’s son. 5He commanded them, saying, ‘This is what you are to do: you who are in the three companies that are going on duty on the Sabbath – a third of you guarding the royal palace, 6a third at the Sur Gate, and a third at the gate behind the guard, who take turns guarding the temple – 7and you who are in the other two companies that normally go off Sabbath duty are all to guard the temple for the king. 8Station yourselves round the king, each of you with weapon in hand. Anyone who approaches your ranks11:8 Or approaches the precincts is to be put to death. Stay close to the king wherever he goes.’
9The commanders of units of a hundred did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each one took his men – those who were going on duty on the Sabbath and those who were going off duty – and came to Jehoiada the priest. 10Then he gave the commanders the spears and shields that had belonged to King David and that were in the temple of the Lord. 11The guards, each with weapon in hand, stationed themselves round the king – near the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple.
12Jehoiada brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him; he presented him with a copy of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him, and the people clapped their hands and shouted, ‘Long live the king!’
13When Athaliah heard the noise made by the guards and the people, she went to the people at the temple of the Lord. 14She looked and there was the king, standing by the pillar, as the custom was. The officers and the trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her robes and called out, ‘Treason! Treason!’
15Jehoiada the priest ordered the commanders of units of a hundred, who were in charge of the troops: ‘Bring her out between the ranks11:15 Or out from the precincts and put to the sword anyone who follows her.’ For the priest had said, ‘She must not be put to death in the temple of the Lord.’ 16So they seized her as she reached the place where the horses enter the palace grounds, and there she was put to death.
17Jehoiada then made a covenant between the Lord and the king and people that they would be the Lord’s people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people. 18All the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.
Then Jehoiada the priest posted guards at the temple of the Lord. 19He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, the guards and all the people of the land, and together they brought the king down from the temple of the Lord and went into the palace, entering by way of the gate of the guards. The king then took his place on the royal throne. 20All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was calm, because Athaliah had been slain with the sword at the palace.
21Joash11:21 Hebrew Jehoash, a variant of Joash was seven years old when he began his reign.11:21 In Hebrew texts this verse (11:21) is numbered 12:1.
