Athaliah and Joash
1Athaliah was Ahaziah’s mother. She saw that her son was dead. So she began to destroy the whole royal house of Judah. 2But Jehosheba went and got Joash, the son of Ahaziah. Jehosheba was the daughter of King Jehoram and the sister of Ahaziah. She stole Joash away from among the royal princes. All of them were about to be murdered. She put Joash and his nurse in a bedroom. That’s how she hid him from Athaliah. And that’s why Athaliah didn’t kill him. 3The child remained hidden with his nurse at the Lord’s temple for six years. Athaliah ruled over the land during that time.
4In the seventh year Jehoiada the priest sent for the commanders of military groups of 100 men. They were the commanders over the Carites and the guards. Jehoiada had them brought to him at the temple of the Lord. He made a covenant with them. At the temple he made them promise to be faithful. Then he showed them the king’s son. 5He gave them a command. He said, “Here’s what you must do. There are five groups of you. Some of you are in the three groups that are going on duty on the Sabbath day. A third of you must guard the royal palace. 6A third of you must guard the Sur Gate. And a third of you must guard the gate that is behind the guard. All of you must take turns guarding the temple. 7The rest of you are in the other two groups. Normally you are not on duty on the Sabbath day. But you also must guard the temple for the king. 8Station yourselves around the king. Each of you must have his weapon in his hand. Anyone else who approaches your groups must be put to death. Stay close to the king no matter where he goes.”
9The commanders of the military groups did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each commander got his men and came to Jehoiada. Some of the men were going on duty on the Sabbath day. Others were going off duty. 10Then Jehoiada gave weapons to the commanders. He gave them spears and shields. The weapons had belonged to King David. They had been in the Lord’s temple. 11The guards stationed themselves around the new king. Each of them had his weapon in his hand. They were near the altar and the temple. They stood from the south side of the temple to its north side.
12Jehoiada brought out Ahaziah’s son. He put the crown on him. He gave him a copy of the covenant. And he announced that Joash was king. Jehoiada and his sons anointed him. The people clapped their hands. Then they shouted, “May the king live a long time!”
13Athaliah heard the noise the guards and the people were making. So she went to the people at the Lord’s temple. 14She looked, and there was the king! He was standing next to the pillar. That was the usual practice. The officers and trumpet players were standing beside the king. All the people of the land were filled with joy. They were blowing trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her royal robes. She called out, “Treason! It’s treason!”
15Jehoiada the priest gave an order to the commanders of the military groups of 100 men. The commanders were in charge of the troops. He said to them, “Bring her away from the temple between the line of guards. Use your swords to kill anyone who follows her.” The priest had said, “She must not be put to death at the Lord’s temple.” 16So they grabbed her as she reached the place where the horses enter the palace grounds. There she was put to death.
17Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and people. He had the king and people promise that they would be the Lord’s people. Jehoiada also made a covenant between the king and the people. 18All the people of the land went to Baal’s temple. They tore it down. They smashed to pieces the altars and the statues of gods. They killed Mattan in front of the altars. He was the priest of Baal.
Then Jehoiada the priest stationed guards at the temple of the Lord. 19Jehoiada took with him the commanders of groups of 100 men. They were the commanders over the Carites and the guards. He also took with him all the people of the land. All of them brought the new king down from the Lord’s temple. They went into the palace. They entered it by going through the gate of the guards. Then the king sat down on the royal throne. 20All the people of the land were filled with joy. And the city was calm. That’s because Athaliah had been killed with a sword at the palace.
21Joash was seven years old when he became king.
Atalía y Joás
11:1-21 – 2Cr 22:10–23:21
1Cuando Atalía, madre de Ocozías, vio que su hijo había muerto, tomó medidas para eliminar a toda la familia real. 2Pero Josaba, que era hija del rey Jorán y hermana de Ocozías, raptó a Joás hijo de Ocozías cuando los príncipes estaban a punto de ser asesinados. Metiéndolo en un dormitorio con su nodriza, logró esconderlo de Atalía, de modo que no lo mataron. 3Seis años estuvo Joás escondido con su nodriza en el templo del Señor, mientras Atalía reinaba en el país.
4En el séptimo año, el sacerdote Joyadá mandó llamar a los capitanes,11:4 capitanes. Lit. jefes de cien; también en vv. 9,10,15,19. a los quereteos y a los guardias, para que se presentaran ante él en el templo del Señor. Allí en el templo hizo un pacto con ellos y les tomó juramento. Luego les mostró al hijo del rey, 5y les dio estas órdenes: «Haced lo siguiente: Una tercera parte de los que están de servicio el sábado vigilará el palacio real; 6otra tercera parte, la puerta de Sur; y la otra tercera parte, la puerta detrás del cuartel. Haréis la guardia del templo por turnos. 7Los dos grupos que están libres el sábado protegerán al rey en el templo del Señor. 8Arma en mano, rodead por completo al rey; y, si alguien se atreve a penetrar las filas,11:8 las filas. Alt. los precintos; también en v. 15. matadlo. ¡No dejéis solo al rey, vaya donde vaya!»
9Los capitanes cumplieron con todo lo que el sacerdote Joyadá les había ordenado. Cada uno reunió a sus hombres, tanto a los que estaban de servicio el sábado como a los que estaban libres, y se presentaron ante Joyadá. 10Este repartió entre los capitanes las lanzas y los escudos del rey David, que estaban guardados en el templo del Señor. 11Arma en mano, los guardias tomaron sus puestos alrededor del rey, cerca del altar, y desde el lado sur hasta el lado norte del templo.
12Entonces Joyadá sacó al hijo del rey, le puso la corona y le entregó una copia del pacto.11:12 le puso … pacto. Alt. y le puso la corona y las insignias. Luego lo ungieron, y todos aplaudieron, gritando: «¡Viva el rey!»
13Cuando Atalía oyó el griterío de los guardias y de la tropa, fue al templo del Señor, donde estaba la gente. 14Al ver que el rey estaba de pie junto a la columna, como era la costumbre, y que los capitanes y músicos estaban a su lado, y que toda la gente tocaba alegre las trompetas, Atalía se rasgó las vestiduras y gritó: «¡Traición! ¡Traición!»
15Entonces el sacerdote Joyadá, como no quería que la mataran en el templo del Señor, ordenó a los capitanes que estaban al mando de las fuerzas: «Sacadla de entre las filas; y, si alguien se pone de su lado, ¡matadlo a filo de espada!» 16Así que la apresaron y la llevaron al palacio por la puerta de la caballería, y allí la mataron.
17Luego Joyadá hizo un pacto entre el Señor, el rey y la gente para que fueran el pueblo del Señor; también hizo un pacto entre el rey y el pueblo. 18Entonces toda la gente fue al templo de Baal y lo derribó. Destruyeron los altares y los ídolos, y enfrente de los altares degollaron a Matán, sacerdote de Baal.
El sacerdote Joyadá apostó guardias en el templo del Señor 19y, acompañado de los capitanes y de los quereteos, los guardias y todo el pueblo, llevó al rey desde el templo del Señor hasta el palacio real. Entraron juntos por la puerta del cuartel, y Joás se sentó en el trono real. 20Todo el pueblo estaba alegre, y tranquila la ciudad, pues habían matado a Atalía a filo de espada en el palacio.
21Joás tenía siete años cuando ascendió al trono.
