2 Kings 11:13-20

Athaliah Queen of Judah

¹³When Athaliah heard the noise of the guards and of the people, she came to the people at the house of the Lord. ¹⁴And she looked, and behold, the king was standing by the pillar according to the custom, with the captains and the trumpeters beside the king; and all the people of the land were joyful and were blowing trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and cried out, “Conspiracy! Conspiracy!” ¹⁵And Jehoiada the priest commanded 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, “She is not to be put to death at the house of the Lord.” ¹⁶So they seized her, and when they brought her to the horses’ entrance of the king’s house, she was put to death there.

¹⁷Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord, the king, and the people, that they would be the Lord’s people, and between the king and the people. ¹⁸And all the people of the land came to the house of Baal and tore it down; they thoroughly smashed his altars and his images in pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. Then the priest appointed sentries over the house of the Lord. ¹⁹And he took the captains of hundreds and the Carites, and the guards and all the people of the land; and they brought the king down from the house of the Lord, and came by way of the gate of the guards to the king’s house. And he sat on the throne of the kings. ²⁰So all the people of the land rejoiced and the city was peaceful. For they had put Athaliah to death with the sword at the king’s house.