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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.

But twenty-three years into the reign of King Y'ho'ash, the cohanim had still not repaired the damaged places in the house.

But none of the money brought into the house of Adonai was used to make silver cups, snuffers, bowls, trumpets or other articles of gold or silver for the house of Adonai ;

But Y'ho'achaz pleaded to Adonai , and Adonai listened to him, because he saw the oppression the king of Aram was inflicting on Isra'el.

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.

But he did not put the children of the murderers to death, because of what is written in the scroll of the Torah of Moshe, as Adonai ordered when he said, "Fathers are not to be executed for the children, nor are children to be executed for the fathers; every person will be executed for his own sin."

Y'ho'ash the king of Isra'el sent this reply to Amatzyah king of Y'hudah: "Once, in the L'vanon, the thistle sent a message to the cedar: ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.' But a wild animal passed by the thistle and squashed it.

True, you have defeated Edom, and now you're ambitious. So enjoy the glory, but stay home! Why provoke calamity, to your own ruin, yours and Y'hudah's too?"

But Amatzyah wouldn't listen. So Y'ho'ash king of Isra'el went up; and he and Amatzyah king of Y'hudah had it out face-to-face at Beit-Shemesh, which belongs to Y'hudah.

Because of a conspiracy formed against him in Yerushalayim, Amatzyah fled to Lakhish; but they followed him to Lakhish and killed him there.

Adonai did not threaten to blot out the name of Isra'el from under heaven, but saved them through Yarov‘am the son of Yo'ash.

Achaz was twenty years old when he began to rule, and he reigned sixteen years in Yerushalayim. But he did not do what was right from the perspective of Adonai his God, as David his ancestor had done.

Then Retzin king of Aram and Pekach son of Remalyah, king of Isra'el, came up to fight against Yerushalayim. They put Achaz under siege, but they could not overcome him.

But the king of Ashur found that Hoshea was conspiring [against him] — he had sent messengers to So the king of Egypt and not paid his tribute to the king of Ashur, as he had previously done every year. For this the king of Ashur imprisoned him, putting him in chains.

Nevertheless, they refused to listen but made themselves as stubborn as their ancestors, who did not put their trust in Adonai their God.

but must fear Adonai your God; then he will rescue you from the power of all your enemies."

However, they didn't listen, but followed their old [pagan] practices.

For he clung to Adonai and did not leave off following him, but obeyed his mitzvot, which Adonai had given Moshe.

This happened because they did not heed the voice of Adonai their God, but violated his covenant, everything that Moshe the servant of Adonai had ordered them to do, and would neither hear it nor do it.

They summoned the king, but those answering the call were Elyakim the son of Hilkiyahu, who was in charge of the household, Shevnah the general secretary and Yo'ach the son of Asaf the foreign minister.