11:1 亞哈謝的母親亞她利雅見她兒子死了，就起來剿滅王室。
11:2 但約蘭王的女兒，亞哈謝的妹子約示巴，將亞哈謝的兒子約阿施從那被殺的王子中偷出來，把他和他的乳母都藏在臥房裡，躲避亞她利雅，免得被殺。
11:3 約阿施和他的乳母藏在耶和華的殿裡六年；亞她利雅篡了國位。
11:4 第七年，耶何耶大打發人叫迦利人（或譯：親兵）和護衛兵的眾百夫長來，領他們進了耶和華的殿，與他們立約，使他們在耶和華殿裡起誓，又將王的兒子指給他們看，
11:5 吩咐他們說：「你們當這樣行：凡安息日進班的三分之一要看守王宮，
11:6 三分之一要在蘇珥門，三分之一要在護衛兵院的後門。這樣把守王宮，攔阻閒人。
11:7 你們安息日所有出班的三分之二要在耶和華的殿裡護衛王；
11:8 各人手拿兵器，四圍護衛王。凡擅入你們班次的必當治死，王出入的時候，你們當跟隨他。」
11:9 眾百夫長就照著祭司耶何耶大一切所吩咐的去行，各帶所管安息日進班出班的人來見祭司耶何耶大。
11:10 祭司便將耶和華殿裡所藏大衛王的槍和盾牌交給百夫長。
11:11 護衛兵手中各拿兵器，在壇和殿那裡，從殿右直到殿左，站在王子的四圍。
11:12 祭司領王子出來，給他戴上冠冕，將律法書交給他，膏他作王；眾人就拍掌說：「願王萬歲！」
11:13 亞她利雅聽見護衛兵和民的聲音，就到民那裡，進耶和華的殿，
11:14 看見王照例站在柱旁，百夫長和吹號的人侍立在王左右，國中的眾民歡樂吹號；亞她利雅就撕裂衣服，喊叫說：「反了！反了！」
11:15 祭司耶何耶大吩咐管轄軍兵的百夫長說：「將她趕出班外，凡跟隨她的必用刀殺死！」因為祭司說「不可在耶和華殿裡殺她」，
11:16 眾兵就閃開讓她去；她從馬路上王宮去，便在那裡被殺。
11:17 耶何耶大使王和民與耶和華立約，作耶和華的民；又使王與民立約。
11:18 於是國民都到巴力廟，拆毀了廟，打碎壇和像，又在壇前將巴力的祭司瑪坦殺了。祭司耶何耶大派官看守耶和華的殿，
11:19 又率領百夫長和迦利人（或譯：親兵）與護衛兵，以及國中的眾民，請王從耶和華殿下來，由護衛兵的門進入王宮，他就坐了王位。
11:20 國民都歡樂，閤城都安靜。眾人已將亞她利雅在王宮那裡用刀殺了。
11:21 約阿施登基的時候年方七歲。
When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family. 2 But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram[a] and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes, who were about to be murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah; so he was not killed. 3 He remained hidden with his nurse at the temple of the Lord for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.
4 In the seventh year Jehoiada sent for the commanders of units of a hundred, the Carites and the guards and had them brought to him at the temple of the Lord. He made a covenant with them and put them under oath at the temple of the Lord. Then he showed them the king’s son. 5 He commanded them, saying, “This is what you are to do: You who are in the three companies that are going on duty on the Sabbath—a third of you guarding the royal palace, 6 a third at the Sur Gate, and a third at the gate behind the guard, who take turns guarding the temple— 7 and you who are in the other two companies that normally go off Sabbath duty are all to guard the temple for the king. 8 Station yourselves around the king, each of you with weapon in hand. Anyone who approaches your ranks[b] is to be put to death. Stay close to the king wherever he goes.”
9 The commanders of units of a hundred did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each one took his men—those who were going on duty on the Sabbath and those who were going off duty—and came to Jehoiada the priest. 10 Then he gave the commanders the spears and shields that had belonged to King David and that were in the temple of the Lord. 11 The guards, each with weapon in hand, stationed themselves around the king—near the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple.
12 Jehoiada brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him; he presented him with a copy of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him, and the people clapped their hands and shouted, “Long live the king!”
13 When Athaliah heard the noise made by the guards and the people, she went to the people at the temple of the Lord. 14 She looked and there was the king, standing by the pillar, as the custom was. The officers and the trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her robes and called out, “Treason! Treason!”
15 Jehoiada the priest ordered the commanders of units of a hundred, who were in charge of the troops: “Bring her out between the ranks[c] and put to the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest had said, “She must not be put to death in the temple of the Lord.” 16 So they seized her as she reached the place where the horses enter the palace grounds, and there she was put to death.
17 Jehoiada then made a covenant between the Lord and the king and people that they would be the Lord’s people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people. 18 All the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.
Then Jehoiada the priest posted guards at the temple of the Lord. 19 He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, the guards and all the people of the land, and together they brought the king down from the temple of the Lord and went into the palace, entering by way of the gate of the guards. The king then took his place on the royal throne. 20 All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was calm, because Athaliah had been slain with the sword at the palace.
21 Joash[d] was seven years old when he began to reign.[e]
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上帝不斷的保守大衛的子孫：雖然亞哈謝的母親亞她利雅(北國的公主)見她兒子死了，就起來剿滅王室，自立為王；卻透過約蘭王的女兒，亞哈謝的妹子約示巴，將亞哈謝的兒子約阿施從那被殺的王子中偷出來，把他和他的乳母都藏在臥房裡，躲避亞她利雅，免得被殺。
在聖殿還好有祭司耶何耶大的安排，使約阿施可以順利成為猶大王，除掉亞她利雅。不僅如此，耶何耶大使王和民與耶和華立約，作耶和華的民；又使王與民立約。於是國民都到巴力廟，拆毀了廟，打碎壇和像，又在壇前將巴力的祭司瑪坦殺了。
從這裡我們看見祭司耶何耶大的用心，才能完成上帝給他的任務，讓大衛的子孫能繼續為王，不會被邪惡的亞她利雅所敗壞！這也讓我們清楚，上帝揀選我們成為祂的子民，最重要的任務就是讓信仰能傳承下去！不要畏懼當權的惡勢力，要勇敢為主在這世代見證祂的榮美與大能，正如耶何耶大一樣！
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