The Divided Kingdom

The people living in Yerushalayim made Achazyah his youngest son king in place of him, since the raiding party that had invaded the camp with the Arabs had killed all the older ones. So Achazyah the son of Y'horam king of Y'hudah reigned.

Achazyah was forty-two years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for one year in Yerushalayim. His mother's name was 'Atalyahu the daughter of 'Omri.

He too lived after the example of the house of Ach'av, because his mother was his counselor in acting wickedly.

So he did what was evil from ADONAI's perspective, as had the house of Ach'av; because, to his destruction, they were his counselors after his father died;

and he lived his life by their advice. With Y'horam the son of Ach'av, king of Isra'el, he went to war against Haza'el king of Aram at Ramot-Gil'ad, where the Aramim wounded Yoram.

He returned to Yizre'el to be healed of the wounds which they had inflicted on him at Ramah while fighting Haza'el king of Aram. Achazyah the son of Y'horam, king of Y'hudah, went down to visit Y'horam the son of Ach'av in Yizre'el, because he was not feeling well.

Through Achazyah's visit to Yoram, God brought about his downfall. After he arrived, he accompanied Yoram against Yehu the son of Nimshi, whom ADONAI had anointed to cut off the house of Ach'av.

But it happened that when Yehu was executing judgment on the house of Ach'av, he found the leading men of Y'hudah and Achazyah's nephews in attendance on Achazyah and killed them.

Then he went searching for Achazyah; they caught him where he had been hiding in Shomron, brought him to Yehu and killed him. But [his subjects] buried him, because they said, "He was the [grand]son of Y'hoshafat, who sought ADONAI with all his heart." At this point there was no one in the house of Achazyah strong enough to rule the kingdom.

When 'Atalyah the mother of Achazyah saw that her son was dead, she set about destroying the entire royal family of the house of Y'hudah.

But Y'hoshav'at the daughter of the king took Yo'ash the son of Achazyah, stole him away from among the princes who were being slaughtered, and sequestered him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus Y'hoshav'at the daughter of King Y'horam, wife of Y'hoyada the cohen and sister of Achazyah, hid him from 'Atalyah, so that he was not killed.

He remained hidden with them in the house of God for six years; during this time 'Atalyah ruled the land.

In the seventh year Y'hoyada took courage and formed a conspiracy with certain captains of hundred-man platoons -'Azaryah the son of Yerocham, Yishma'el the son of Y'hochanan, 'Azaryah the son of 'Oved, Ma'aseiyahu the son of 'Adayahu and Elishafat the son of Zikhri.

They canvassed Y'hudah and gathered the L'vi'im from all the cities of Y'hudah, together with the clan heads of Isra'el, and came to Yerushalayim.

The whole assembly made an agreement with the king in the house of God. [Y'hoyada] addressed them: "Here! The king's son will reign, as ADONAI said in regard to the descendants of David!

Here is what you are to do: of you cohanim and L'vi'im who come on duty on Shabbat, a third are to guard the gates

a third the royal palace and a third the Gate of the Foundation; while all the people are to remain in the courtyards of the house of ADONAI.

No one is to enter the house of ADONAI except the cohanim and those L'vi'im who are actually performing the service. These may enter, because they are holy; but all the people are to observe ADONAI's order.

The L'vi'im are to surround the king, each man with his weapons in his hand. Anyone who enters the house is to be killed. Stay with the king whenever he enters or leaves."

The L'vi'im and all Y'hudah did exactly as Y'hoyada the cohen ordered. Each took his men, those coming on duty on Shabbat and those going off duty on Shabbat (for Y'hoyada the cohen did not dismiss the divisions).

Y'hoyada the cohen issued to the captains of hundreds the spears and the large and small shields that had been King David's and were kept in the house of God.

He then positioned all the people, each man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, alongside the altar, alongside [the exterior of] the house and around the king.

Then they brought out the king's son, crowned him, gave him [a copy of] the testimony and thus made him king. Y'hoyada and his sons anointed him, and they shouted, "Long live the king!"

When 'Atalyah heard the sound of the people running and praising the king, she entered the house of ADONAI where the people were,

looked and saw the king standing there on his platform at the entrance, with the leaders and trumpeters next to the king. All the people of the land were celebrating and blowing the trumpets; while the singers with their musical instruments were leading songs of praise. At this, 'Atalyah tore her clothes and cried, "Treason! Treason!"