o touch one another's
hands, and by that means excluding those from entering that ought not to
enter. So they brought the child into the midst of them, and put on him
the royal crown, and Jehoiada anointed him with the oil, and made him
king; and the multitude rejoiced, and made a noise, and cried, "God save
the king!"

3. When Athaliah unexpectedly heard the tumult and the acclamations, she
was greatly disturbed in her mind, and suddenly issued out of the royal
palace with her own army; and when she was come to the temple, the
priests received her; but as for those that stood round about the
temple, as they were ordered by the high priest to do, they hindered the
armed inert that followed her from going in. But when Athaliah saw the
child standing upon a pillar, with the royal crown upon his head, she
rent her clothes, and cried out vehemently, and commanded [her guards]
to kill him that had laid snares for her, and endeavored to deprive her
of the government. But Jehoiada called for the captains of hundreds, and
commanded them to bring Athaliah to the valley of Cedron, and slay her
there, for he would not have the temple defiled with the punishments of
this pernicious woman; and he gave order, that if any one came near to
help her, he should be slain also; wherefore those that had the charge
of her slaughter took hold of her, and led her to the gate of the king's
mules, and slew her there.

4. Now as soon as what concerned Athaliah was by this stratagem, after
this manner, despatched, Jehoiada called together the people and the
armed men into the temple, and made them take an oath that they would be
obedient to the king, and take care of his safety, and of the safety of
his government; after which he obliged the king to give security [upon
oath] that he would worship God, and not transgress the laws of Moses.
They then ran to the house of Baal, which Athaliah and her husband
Jehoram had built, to the dishonor of the God of their fathers, and
to the honor of Ahab, and demolished it, and slew Mattan, that had his
priesthood. But Jehoiada intrusted the care and custody of the temple to
the priests and Levites, according to the appointment of king David, and
enjoined them to bring their regular burnt-offerings twice a day, and
to offer incense according to the law. He also ordained some of the
Levites, with the porters, to be a guard to the temple, that no one that
was defiled might come there.

5. And when Jehoiada ha