Athaliah Murdered

      12When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came into the house of the LORD to the people. 13She looked, and behold, the king was standing by his pillar at the entrance, and the captains and the trumpeters were beside the king. And all the people of the land rejoiced and blew trumpets, the singers with their musical instruments leading the praise. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and said, “Treason! Treason!” 14Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds who were appointed over the army and said to them, “Bring her out between the ranks; and whoever follows her, put to death with the sword.” For the priest said, “Let her not be put to death in the house of the LORD.” 15So they seized her, and when she arrived at the entrance of the Horse Gate of the king’s house, they put her to death there.

Reforms Carried Out

      16Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and all the people and the king, that they would be the LORD’S people. 17And all the people went to the house of Baal and tore it down, and they broke in pieces his altars and his images, and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. 18Moreover, Jehoiada placed the offices of the house of the LORD under the authority of the Levitical priests, whom David had assigned over the house of the LORD, to offer the burnt offerings of the LORD, as it is written in the law of Moses—with rejoicing and singing according to the order of David. 19He stationed the gatekeepers of the house of the LORD, so that no one would enter who was in any way unclean. 20He took the captains of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people and all the people of the land, and brought the king down from the house of the LORD, and came through the upper gate to the king’s house. And they placed the king upon the royal throne. 21So all of the people of the land rejoiced and the city was quiet. For they had put Athaliah to death with the sword.

NASB ©1995