Study Desk

You are to surround the king, each man with his weapons in his hand. Anyone who penetrates the ranks is to be killed. Stay with the king whenever he leaves or enters."

The captains over hundreds 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, and came to Y'hoyada the cohen.

The guards then took positions, each man with his weapons 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.

When ‘Atalyah the mother of Achazyah saw that her son was dead, she set about destroying the entire royal family. But Y'hosheva the daughter of King Yoram, sister of Achazyah, took Yo'ash the son of Achazyah and stole him away from among the princes who were being slaughtered. She took him and his nurse, sequestered them in a bedroom, and hid them from ‘Atalyah, so that he was not killed. He remained hidden with his nurse in the house of Adonai for six years; during this time ‘Atalyah ruled the land. In the seventh year Y'hoyada summoned the captains of hundred-man platoons, of both the Kari and the guard. He brought them into the house of Adonai , made an agreement with them and had them swear to it in the house of Adonai . Then he showed them the king's son and gave them this instruction: "Here is what you are to do: of you who come on duty on Shabbat, a third [normally] guards the royal palace, a third is at the Sur Gate and a third is at the gate behind the guards. [The first third] is to continue guarding the palace and serve as a barrier, while the other two groups of you who come on duty on Shabbat will guard the house of Adonai , where the king is. You are to surround the king, each man with his weapons in his hand. Anyone who penetrates the ranks is to be killed. Stay with the king whenever he leaves or enters." The captains over hundreds 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, and came to Y'hoyada the cohen. The cohen issued to the captains of hundreds the spears and shields that had been King David's and were kept in the house of Adonai . The guards then took positions, each man with his weapons 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 he brought out the king's son, crowned him, gave him [a copy of] the testimony and thus made him king; they anointed him, clapped their hands and shouted, "Long live the king!" When ‘Atalyah heard the shouting of the guard and the people, she entered the house of Adonai where the people were, looked and saw the king standing there on the platform, in keeping with the rule, with the leaders and trumpeters next to the king. All the people of the land were celebrating and blowing the trumpets. At this ‘Atalyah tore her clothes and cried, "Treason! Treason!" Y'hoyada the cohen ordered the captains of hundreds, the army officers, "Escort her out past the ranks [of guards]; but anyone who follows her, kill with the sword." For the cohen had said, "She must not be put to death in the house of Adonai ." So they took her by force and led her through the horses' entry to the royal palace, and there she was put to death. Y'hoyada made a covenant between Adonai , the king and the people, that they would be Adonai 's people, and [a covenant] between the king and the people. Then all the people of the land went to the house of Ba‘al and broke it down; they completely smashed its altars and images and killed Mattan the priest of Ba‘al in front of the altars. Next, the cohen appointed officers over the house of Adonai . He took the captains of hundreds, the Kari, the guards and all the people of the land; and they brought the king down from the house of Adonai , going by way of the gate of the guards to the royal palace. There he sat on the throne of the kings. All the people of the land celebrated, and at last the city was quiet. That is how they killed ‘Atalyah with the sword at the royal palace.

Y'ho'ash was seven years old when he began his reign.

It was in the seventh year of Yehu that Y'ho'ash began to rule, and he ruled forty years in Yerushalayim. His mother's name was Tzivyah, from Be'er-Sheva.

Haza'el king of Aram went up and fought against Gat; and after capturing it, Haza'el made his decision to attack Yerushalayim.

Y'ho'ash king of Y'hudah took all the consecrated articles that Y'hoshafat, Y'horam and Achazyah, his ancestors, kings of Y'hudah, had dedicated, as well as his own consecrated articles and all the gold found in the treasuries of the house of Adonai and of the royal palace, and sent them to Haza'el king of Aram, who then withdrew from Yerushalayim.

Other activities of Yo'ash and all his accomplishments are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Y'hudah.

Then his servants got together, formed a conspiracy and murdered Yo'ash at Beit-Millo on the way down to Sila. His servants Yozakhar the son of Shim‘at and Y'hozavad the son of Shomer struck him, so that he died. They buried him with his ancestors in the City of David, and Amatzyah his son took his place as king.

It was in the twenty-third year of Yo'ash the son of Achazyah, king of Y'hudah, that Y'ho'achaz the son of Yehu began his reign over Isra'el in Shomron; he ruled for seventeen years.

Other activities of Y'ho'achaz, all his accomplishments and his power are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra'el.

Y'ho'achaz slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in Shomron. Then Yo'ash his son took his place as king.

It was in the thirty-seventh year of Yo'ash king of Y'hudah that Yo'ash the son of Y'ho'achaz began his rule over Isra'el in Shomron; he ruled for sixteen years.

Other activities of Yo'ash, all his accomplishments and his power in fighting Amatzyah king of Y'hudah are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra'el.

Yo'ash slept with his ancestors, and Yarov‘am occupied his throne. Yo'ash was buried in Shomron with the kings of Isra'el.

He said to the king of Isra'el, "Put your hand on the bow"; and he put his hand on it. Then Elisha laid his hands on the king's hands

Once it happened that just as they were burying a man, they spotted a raiding party; so they threw the man's body into Elisha's burial cave; and the moment the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.

but Adonai was gracious, took pity on them and looked on them with favor, because of his covenant with Avraham, Yitz'chak and Ya‘akov. He was not willing to destroy them, and to this day he has not banished them from his presence.

Haza'el king of Aram died, and Ben-Hadad his son took his place as king.