2 Chronicles 23:12-15--Athaliah Executed

2 Chronicles 23:12-15
English Standard Version
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Athaliah Executed
12 When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she went into the house of the LORD to the people. 13 And when she looked, there was the king standing by his pillar at the entrance, and the captains and the trumpeters beside the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and the singers with their musical instruments leading in the celebration. And Athaliah tore her clothes and cried, “Treason! Treason!” 14 Then Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains who were set over the army, saying to them, “Bring her out between the ranks, and anyone who follows her is to be put to death with the sword.” For the priest said, “Do not put her to death in the house of the LORD.” 15 So they laid hands on her, and she went into the entrance of the horse gate of the king's house, and they put her to death there.

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As suspected, Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king (shouting, "Long live the king!") so she went into the Temple to the people to see what was going on.  She looked and saw the king standing by his pillar at the entrance to the sanctuary with the captains of the army and the trumpeters beside the king (and the king surrounded by the Levites protecting him as well) and all the people rejoicing and the singers and musicians celebrating.  It was all too much for Athaliah.  She tore her clothes and cried out, "Treason! Treason!"

Jehoiada the high priest and the captains of the army took action to immediately have Athaliah (and anyone following her) arrested and taken out of the Temple to be executed (for they could not kill her or any of her followers inside the Courtyard of the temple without defiling the altar there or the sanctuary).  The crowd that had just a minute before been dancing and celebrating immediately changed their posture to defend the king and put Athaliah and her followers under arrest and put them to death for the murders they had committed in killing all of the other potential heirs to King Ahaziah's throne and the wicked things that she had done while she was ruling over the LORD's people (in many ways she was as bad or maybe even worse that Jezebel).  Justice was done that day and all of Joash's enemies were killed before him that day.