First Reading - 2 Kings 11:1-4, 9-18, 20

1 And Athalia the mother of Ochozias seeing that her son was dead, arose, and slew all the royal seed. 2 But Josaba the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ochozias, took Joas the son of Ochozias, and stole him from among the king’ s sons that were slain, out of the bedchamber with his nurse: and hid him from the face of Athalia, so that he was not slain. 3 And he was with her six years hid in the house of the Lord. And Athalia reigned over the land. 4 And in the seventh year Joiada seat, and taking the centurions and the soldiers, brought them in to him into the temple of the Lord, and made a covenant with them: and taking an oath of them in the house of the Lord, shewed them the king’ s son.9 And the centurions did according to all things that Joiada the priest had commanded them: and taking every one their men, that went in on the sabbath, with them that went out on the sabbath, came to Joiada the priest. 10 And he gave them the spears, and the arms of king David, which were in the house of the Lord.11 And they stood having every one their weapons in their hands, from the right side of the temple, unto the left side of the altar, and of the temple, about the king. 12 And he brought forth the king’ s son, and put the diadem upon him, and the testimony: and they made him king, and anointed him: and clapping their hands. they said, God save the king. 13 And Athalia heard the noise of the people running: and going in to the people into the temple of the Lord, 14 She saw the king standing upon a tribunal, as the manner was, and the singers, and the trumpets near him, and all the people of the land rejoicing, and sounding the trumpets: and she rent her garments, and cried: A conspiracy, a conspiracy. 15 But Joiada commended the centurions that were over the army, and said to them: Have her forth without the precinct of the temple, and whosoever shall follow her, let him be slain with the sword. For the priest had said: Let her not be slain in the temple of the Lord.16 And they laid hands on her: and thrust her out by the way by which the horses go in, by the palace, and she was slain there. 17 And Joiada made a covenant between the Lord, and the king, and the people, that they should be the people of the Lord, and between the king and the people. 18 And all the people of the land went into the temple of Baal, and broke down his altars, and his images they broke in pieces thoroughly: they slew also Mathan the priest of Baal before the altar. And the priest set guards in the house of the Lord.20 And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet: but Athalia was slain with the sword in the king’ s house.