The Divided Kingdom

Concerning the rest of the actes of Iehu, and all that he did, and all his valiant deedes, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

And Iehu slept with his fathers, and they buryed him in Samaria, and Iehoahaz his sonne reigned in his stead.

And the time that Iehu reigned ouer Israel in Samaria is eight and twentie yeeres.

Then Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah when she saw that her sonne was dead, she arose, and destroyed all the Kings seede.

But Iehosheba the daughter of King Ioram, and sister to Ahaziah tooke Ioash the sonne of Ahaziah, and stale him from among the Kings sonnes that shoulde be slaine, both him and his nource, keeping them in the bed chaber, and they hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not slaine.

And he was with her hid in the house of the Lord sixe yeere: and Athaliah did reigne ouer the land.

And the seuenth yeere Iehoiada sent and tooke the captaines ouer hundreths, with other captaines and them of the garde, and caused them to come vnto him into the house of the Lord, and made a couenant with them, and tooke an othe of them in the house of the Lord, and shewed them the Kings sonne.

And he commanded them, saying, This is it that ye must doe, The third part of you, that commeth on the Sabbath, shall warde towarde the Kings house:

And another third part in the gate of Sur: and another thirde part in the gate behinde them of the garde: and ye shall keepe watche in the house of Massah.

And two parts of you, that is, all that goe out on the Sabbath day, shall keepe the watch of the house of the Lord about the King.

And ye shall compasse the King rounde about, euery man with his weapon in his hande, and whosoeuer commeth within the ranges, let him be slayne: be you with the King, as he goeth out and in.

And the captaines of the hundreths did according to all that Iehoiada the Priest commaded, and they tooke euery man his men that entred in to their charge on the Sabbath with them that went out of it on the Sabbath, and came to Iehoiada the Priest.

And the Priest gaue to the captaines of hundreths the speares and the shieldes that were King Dauids, and were in the house of the Lord.

And the garde stoode, euery man with his weapon in his hande, from the right side of the house to the left side, about the altar and about the house, round about the King.

Then he brought out the Kings sonne, and put the crowne vpon him and gaue him the Testimonie, and they made him King: also they anoynted him, and clapt their handes, and sayde, God saue the King.

And when Athaliah heard the noyse of the running of the people, shee came in to the people in the house of the Lord.

And when shee looked, beholde, the King stoode by a pillar, as the maner was, and the princes and the trumpetters by the King, and al the people of the land reioyced, and blew with trumpets. Then Athaliah rent her clothes, and cryed, Treason, treason.

But Iehoiada the Priest commanded the captaines of the hundreths that had the rule of the hoste, and sayde vnto them, Haue her forth of the ranges, and he that followeth her, let him die by the sworde: for the Priest had sayd, Let her not be slaine in the house of the Lord.

Then they laid hands on her, and she went by the way, by the which the horses goe to the house of the King, and there was she slaine.

And Iehoiada made a couenant betweene the Lord, and the King and the people, that they should be the Lordes people: likewise betweene the King and the people.

Then all the people of the lande went into the house of Baal, and destroyed it with his altars, and his images brake they downe courageously, and slewe Mattan the Priest of Baal before the altars: and the Priest set a garde ouer the house of the Lord.

Then he tooke the captaines of hudreths, and the other captaines, and the garde, and all the people of the lande: and they brought the King from the house of the Lord, and came by the way of the gate of the garde to the Kings house: and he sate him downe on the throne of the Kings.

And all the people of the land reioyced, and the citie was in quiet: for they had slaine Athaliah with the sworde beside the Kings house.

Seuen yeere olde was Iehoash when he began to reigne.

In the seuenth yere of Iehu Iehoash began to reigne, and reigned fourty yeres in Ierusalem, and his mothers name was Zibiah of Beer-sheba.