1Kwathi ukuba u-Athaliya, unina ka-Ahaziya, abone ukuthi indodana yakhe ifile, waqala ukubhubhisa bonke abasebukhosini.
2Kepha uJehoshebha, indodakazi yenkosi uJoramu, udadewabo ka-Ahaziya, wathatha uJowashi, indodana ka-Ahaziya. Wameba phakathi kwamadodana enkosi ayezobulawa, wamfihla nomzanyana wakhe ekamelweni. Wamfihla kanjalo ku-Athaliya ukuze angabulawa.
3UJowashi wahlala efihlwe lapho endlini kaSimakade iminyaka eyisithupha, ngesikhathi izwe libuswa ngu-Athaliya.
4Ngonyaka wesikhombisa, uJehoyada wathumela walanda izinduna zamakhulu zamaKharithe nezabalindi, wazingenisa kuye endlini kaSimakade. Wenza isivumelwano nazo, wazifungisa zisendlini kaSimakade, wayesezibonisa indodana yenkosi.
5Waziyala wathi: “Nansi into okumele niyenze: ingxenye eyodwa kokuthathu yenu engena ngesabatha iyakuba ngabalindi bendlu yenkosi,
6enye ingxenye yokuthathu yenu ibe sesangweni eZuri, enye ingxenye yokuthathu yenu ibe sesangweni emva kwabalindi, niyilinde nokuyilinda indlu ngokudedelana.
7Amaviyo enu amabili abo bonke labo abaphuma ngesabatha, ayakulinda indlu kaSimakade enkosini.
8Niyakuyizungeza inkosi nxazonke, yilowo nalowo ephethe izikhali zakhe ngesandla. Oyongena phakathi kwezinhla uyakubulawa; yibani nenkosi lapho iphuma nalapho ingena.”
9Izinduna zamakhulu zenza njengalokhu uJehoyada, umphristi, eziyalile. Kwaba yileyo naleyo yathatha amabutho ayo abezongena ngesabatha nalawo ayezophuma ngalo, zeza nawo kuJehoyada, umphristi.
10Umphristi wanika izinduna zamakhulu imikhonto namahawu okwakungokwenkosi uDavide, okwakusendlini kaSimakade.
11Abalindi bema, bayingunga inkosi, kuyilowo nalowo ephethe izikhali zakhe ngesandla; kusukela ohlangothini lwakwesokunene lwendlu kuze kube kolwakwesokhohlo lwayo, nxazonke ze-althare, nendlu.
12UJehoyada wayeseyikhipha indodana yenkosi, wayethwesa umqhele, wayinika ubufakazi, base beyibeka ukuba ibe yinkosi, bayigcoba, bashaya ihlombe behalalisa, bethi: “Mana njalo, nkosi!”
13U-Athaliya wezwa umsindo wabalindi nowabantu, wayeseya kubantu endlini kaSimakade,
14wabona inkosi imi ngasensikeni njengokusho komthetho. Izikhulu nabamacilongo babengakuyo, bonke abantu bahlala ezweni bethokozile, beshaya amacilongo. U-Athaliya waklebhula izingubo zakhe, wamemeza, wathi: “Wugobe! Wugobe!”
15UJehoyada, umphristi, wayala izinduna zamakhulu nezikhulu ezaziphethe impi, wathi kuzo: “Mkhipheleni phandle kwendlu, nimfake phakathi kwezinhla. Omlandelayo nimbulale ngenkemba. Umphristi wathi: ‘Makangabulawelwa endlini kaSimakade.’ ”
16Bamdedela nxazombili, wayesehamba ngendlela okungena ngayo amahhashi endlini yenkosi; wabulawelwa lapho.
17UJehoyada wenza isivumelwano phakathi kukaSimakade nenkosi nabantu, sokuba ngabantu bakaSimakade. Wenza futhi isivumelwano phakathi kwenkosi nabantu.
18Bonke abantu abahlala ezweni baya endlini kaBhali, bayibhidliza, ama-althare ayo nezithombe zayo bakuphahlaza kwaba yizicucu, babulala uMathani, umphristi kaBhali, phambi kwama-althare. Umphristi wabeka abalindi endlini kaSimakade.
19Wayeseqoqa izinduna zamakhulu, amaKharithe, abalindi, nabo bonke abantu bezwe, bayithatha inkosi bayehlisa isuka endlini yesango labalindi esigodlweni, ngendlela yesango labalindi. Yafike yahlala esihlalweni sobukhosi.
20Abantu bonke bezwe bathokoza kakhulu, umuzi waba nokuthula. U-Athaliya babembulele ngenkemba esigodlweni.
21UJehowashi wayeneminyaka eyisikhombisa ngesikhathi eqala ukubusa.