1. And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was
dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal.
2. But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of
Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from
among the king's sons which were slain; and they hid him,
even him and his nurse, in the bedchamber from Athaliah, so
that he was not slain.
3. And he was with her hid in the house of the LORD six years.
And Athaliah did reign over the land.
4. And the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers
over hundreds, with the captains and the guard, and brought
them to him into the house of the LORD, and made a covenant
with them, and took an oath of them in the house of the
LORD, and shewed them the king's son.
5. And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that ye
shall do; A third part of you that enter in on the sabbath
shall even be keepers of the watch of the king's house;
6. And a third part shall be at the gate of Sur; and a third
part at the gate behind the guard: so shall ye keep the
watch of the house, that it be not broken down.
7. And two parts of all you that go forth on the sabbath, even
they shall keep the watch of the house of the LORD about the
king.
8. And ye shall compass the king round about, every man with
his weapons in his hand: and he that cometh within the
ranges, let him be slain: and be ye with the king as he
goeth out and as he cometh in.
9. And the captains over the hundreds did according to all
things that Jehoiada the priest commanded: and they took
every man his men that were to come in on the sabbath, with
them that should go out on the sabbath, and came to Jehoiada
the priest.
10. And to the captains over hundreds did the priest give king
David's spears and shields, that were in the temple of the
LORD.
11. And the guard stood, every man with his weapons in his hand,
round about the king, from the right corner of the temple to
the left corner of the temple, along by the altar and the
temple.
12. And he brought forth the king's son, and put the crown upon
him, and gave him the testimony; and they made him king, and
anointed him; and they clapped their hands, and said, God
save the king.
13. And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the
people, she came to the people into the temple of the LORD.
14. And when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as
the manner was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the
king, and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with
trumpets: and Athaliah rent her clothes, and cried, Treason,
Treason.
15. But Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of the
hundreds, the officers of the host, and said unto them, Have
her forth without the ranges: and him that followeth her
kill with the sword. For the priest had said, Let her not be
slain in the house of the LORD.
16. And they laid hands on her; and she went by the way by the
which the horses came into the king's house: and there was
she slain.
17. And Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king
and the people, that they should be the LORD's people;
between the king also and the people.
18. And all the people of the land went into the house of Baal,
and brake it down; his altars and his images brake they in
pieces thoroughly, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before
the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the house
of the LORD.
19. And he took the rulers over hundreds, and the captains, and
the guard, and all the people of the land; and they brought
down the king from the house of the LORD, and came by the
way of the gate of the guard to the king's house. And he sat
on the throne of the kings.
20. And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was in
quiet: and they slew Athaliah with the sword beside the
king's house.
21. Seven years old was Jehoash when he began to reign.
