1 U-Athaliya unina ka-Ahaziya esebonile ukuthi indodana yakhe ifile, wasuka wachitha yonke imbewu yenkosi.
2 Kepha uJehosheba indodakazi yenkosi uJoramu, udadewabo ka-Ahaziya, wamthatha uJowashi indodana ka-Ahaziya, wameba phakathi kwamadodana enkosi abulawayo, yena nomzanyana wakhe, ekamelweni lokulala; bamfihla ebusweni buka-Athaliya, waze wangabulawa.
3 Wayenaye ethukusiwe endlini kaJehova iminyaka eyisithupha; u-Athaliya wabusa ezweni.
4 Ngomnyaka wesikhombisa uJehoyada wathumela walanda izinduna zamakhulu zamaKhari* nezabalindi, wazingenisa kuye endlini kaJehova, wenza isivumelwano nazo, wazifungisa endlini kaJehova, wazibonisa indodana yenkosi.
5 Waziyala wathi: “Nansi into eniyakuyenza: abesithathu kini abangena ngesabatha bayakuba ngabalindi bendlu yenkosi,
6 abesithathu babe sesangweni laseSuri, abesithathu babe sesangweni emva kwabalindi, niyilinde nokuyilinda indlu, nidedelane.
7 Amaviyo enu amabili, bonke abaphuma ngesabatha, ayakulinda indlu kaJehova enkosini.
8 Niyakuyizungeza inkosi nxazonke, yilowo nalowo abe nezikhali zakhe esandleni sakhe; ongena phakathi kwezinhla makabulawe; yibani nenkosi ekuphumeni kwayo nasekungeneni kwayo.”
9 Izinduna zamakhulu zenza njengakho konke ukuyala kukaJehoyada umpristi, zathatha, kwaba yileyo naleyo abantu bayo ababeyakungena ngesabatha kanye nababeyakuphuma ngesabatha, zeza kuJehoyada umpristi.
10 Umpristi wanikela ezinduneni zamakhulu imikhonto nezihlangu okwakungokwenkosi uDavide, kusendlini kaJehova.
11 Abalindi bema, kwaba yilowo nalowo enezikhali zakhe esandleni sakhe, kusukela ohlangothini lokunene lwendlu kuze kube sohlangothini lwesokhohlo lwendlu, ngase-altare nasendlini nxazonke zenkosi.
12 Wayeseyikhipha indodana yenkosi, wayifaka umqhele, wayinika ubufakazi, bayibeka inkosi, bayigcoba; bashaya ihlombe, bathi: “Mana njalo, nkosi.”
13 U-Athaliya esezwa ukumemeza kwabalindi nokwabantu waya kubantu endlini kaJehova,
14 wabuka, bheka, inkosi yayimi ngasensikeni njengomthetho, izikhulu nabamacilongo bengasenkosini; bonke abantu bezwe bathokoza, bakhalisa amacilongo. U-Athaliya wayeseklebhula izingubo zakhe, wamemeza ngokuthi: “Ngugobe! Ngugobe!”
15 UJehoyada, umpristi, wayala izinduna zamakhulu ezazibekwe phezu kwempi, wathi kuzo: “Mkhipheni endlini, nimngenise phakathi kwezinhla; omlandelayo nimbulale ngenkemba; ngokuba umpristi wathi: ‘Makangabulawa endlini kaJehova.’ ”
16 Base bemdedela nxazombili, wahamba ngendlela yokungena kwamahhashi endlini yenkosi; wabulawa khona.
17 UJehoyada wenza isivumelwano phakathi kukaJehova nenkosi nabantu ukuba babe ngabantu bakaJehova, naphakathi kwabantu nenkosi.
18 Bonke abantu bezwe baya endlini kaBali, bayibhidliza; ama-altare akhe nezithombe zakhe bakuphahlaza kakhulu, babulala uMathani, umpristi kaBali, phambi kwama-altare. Umpristi wamisela indlu kaJehova ababonisi.
19 Wayesethatha izinduna zamakhulu, namaKhari,* nabalindi, nabo bonke abantu bezwe; bayehlisa inkosi endlini kaJehova, baya endlini yenkosi ngendlela yesango labalindi. Yahlala esihlalweni sobukhosi.
20 Bonke abantu bezwe bathokoza, umuzi wazola; bambulala u-Athaliya ngenkemba endlini yenkosi.
21 UJehowashi wayeneminyaka eyisikhombisa ekuqaleni kwakhe ukubusa.