The Divided Kingdom

And the inhabitants of Ierusalem made Ahaziah his yongest sonne King in his steade: for the armie that came with the Arabians to the campe, had slayne all the eldest: therefore Ahaziah the sonne of Iehoram King of Iudah reigned.

Two and fourtie yeere olde was Ahaziah when he began to reigne, and he reigned one yeere in Ierusalem. and his mothers name was Athaliah the daughter of Omri.

He walked also in the wayes of the house of Ahab: for his mother counselled him to doe wickedly.

Wherefore he did euill in the sight of the Lord, like the house of Ahab: for they were his counsellers after the death of his father, to his destruction.

And he walked after their counsel, and went with Iehoram the sonne of Ahab King of Israel to fight against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth Gilead: and the Aramites smote Ioram.

And he returned to be healed in Izreel, because of the woundes wherewith they had wounded him at Ramah, when he fought with Hazael King of Aram. Nowe Azariah the sonne of Iehoram King of Iudah went downe to see Iehoram the sonne of Ahab at Izreel, because hee was diseased.

And the destruction of Ahaziah came of God in that he went to Ioram: for when he was come, he went forth with Iehoram against Iehu the sonne of Nimshi, whom the Lord had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab.

Therefore when Iehu executed iudgement vpon the house of Ahab, and found the princes of Iudah and the sonnes of the brethren of Ahaziah that waited on Ahaziah, he slew them also.

And he sought Ahaziah, and they caught him where he was hid in Samaria, and brought him to Iehu, and slewe him, and buryed him, because, sayd they, he is the sonne of Iehoshaphat, which sought the Lord with all his heart. So the house of Ahaziah was not able to reteine the kingdome.

Therefore when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah sawe that her sonne was dead, shee arose and destroyed all the Kings seede of the house of Iudah.

But Iehoshabeath the daughter of ye King, tooke Ioash the sonne of Ahaziah, and stale him from among the Kings sonnes, that shoulde be slayne, and put him and his nource in the bed chamber: so Iehoshabeath the daughter of King Iehoram the wife of Iehoiada the Priest (for shee was the sister of Ahaziah) hid him from Athaliah: so she slew him not.

And hee was with them hid in the house of God sixe yeeres, whiles Athaliah reigned ouer the land.

And in the seuenth yeere Iehoiada waxed bolde, and tooke the captaines of hundreths, to wit, Azariah the sonne of Ieroham, and Ishmael the sonne of Iehohanan, and Azariah the sonne of Obed, and Maasiah the sonne of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the sonne of Zichri in couenant with him.

And they went about in Iudah, and gathered the Leuites out of all the cities of Iudah, and the chiefe fathers of Israel: and they came to Ierusale.

And al the Congregation made a couenant with the King in the house of God: and he sayde vnto them, Behold, the Kings sonne must reigne, as the Lord hath sayd of the sonnes of Dauid.

This is it that ye shall do, The third part of you that come on the Sabbath of the Priests, and the Leuites, shalbe porters of the doores.

And another third part towarde the Kings house, and another thirde part at the gate of the foundation, and al the people shalbe in the courts of the house of the Lord.

But let none come into the house of the Lord, saue the Priests, and the Leuites that minister: they shall go in, for they are holy: but all the people shall keepe the watch of the Lord.

And the Leuites shall compasse the King rounde about, and euery man with his weapon in his hand, and he that entreth into the house, shall be slaine, and be you with the King, when he commeth in, and when he goeth out.

So the Leuites and all Iudah did according to all things that Iehoiada the Priest had commanded, and tooke euery man his men that came on the Sabbath, with them that went out on the Sabbath: for Iehoiada the Priest did not discharge the courses.

And Iehoiada the Priest deliuered to the captaines of hundreths speares, and shieldes, and bucklers which had bene King Dauids, and were in the house of God.

And he caused all the people to stand (euery man with his weapon in his hande) from the right side of the house, to ye left side of the house by the altar and by the house round about ye king.

Then they brought out the Kings sonne, and put vpon him the crowne and gaue him the testimonie, and made him King. And Iehoiada and his sonnes anoynted him, and sayd, God saue the King.

But when Athaliah heard the noyse of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people into the house of the Lord.

And when she looked, beholde, the King stoode by his pillar at the entring in, and the princes and the trumpets by the King, and all the people of the land reioyced, and blew the trumpets, and the singers were with instruments of musike, and they that could sing prayse: then Athaliah rent her clothes, and said, Treason, treason.