[1] Now when Athali'ah the mother of Ahazi'ah saw that her son was dead,
she arose and destroyed all the royal family. [2] But Jehosh'eba, the
daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahazi'ah, took Jo'ash the son of
Ahazi'ah, and stole him away from among the king's sons who were about to
be slain, and she put him and his nurse in a bedchamber. Thus she hid him
from Athali'ah, so that he was not slain; [3] and he remained with her six
years, hid in the house of the LORD, while Athali'ah reigned over the land.
[4] But in the seventh year Jehoi'ada sent and brought the captains of the
Carites and of the guards, and had them come to him in the house of the
LORD; and he made a covenant with them and put them under oath in the house
of the LORD, and he showed them the king's son. [5] And he commanded them,
"This is the thing that you shall do: one third of you, those who come off
duty on the sabbath and guard the king's house [6] (another third being at
the gate Sur and a third at the gate behind the guards), shall guard the
palace; [7] and the two divisions of you, which come on duty in force on
the sabbath and guard the house of the LORD, [8] shall surround the king,
each with his weapons in his hand; and whoever approaches the ranks is to
be slain. Be with the king when he goes out and when he comes in." [9] The
captains did according to all that Jehoi'ada the priest commanded, and each
brought his men who were to go off duty on the sabbath, with those who were
to come on duty on the sabbath, and came to Jehoi'ada the priest. [10] And
the priest delivered to the captains the spears and shields that had been
King David's, which were in the house of the LORD; [11] and the guards
stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, from the south side of the
house to the north side of the house, around the altar and the house. [12]
Then he brought out the king's son, and put the crown upon him, and gave
him the testimony; and they proclaimed him king, and anointed him; and they
clapped their hands, and said, "Long live the king!" [13] When Athali'ah
heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she went into the house of
the LORD to the people; [14] and when she looked, there was the king
standing by the pillar, according to the custom, and the captains and the
trumpeters beside the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and
blowing trumpets. And Athali'ah rent her clothes, and cried, "Treason!
Treason!" [15] Then Jehoi'ada the priest commanded the captains who were
set over the army, "Bring her out between the ranks; and slay with the
sword any one who follows her." For the priest said, "Let her not be slain
in the house of the LORD." [16] So they laid hands on her; and she went
through the horses' entrance to the king's house, and there she was slain.
[17] And Jehoi'ada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and
people, that they should be the LORD's people; and also between the king
and the people. [18] Then all the people of the land went to the house of
Ba'al, and tore it down; his altars and his images they broke in pieces,
and they slew Mattan the priest of Ba'al before the altars. And the priest
posted watchmen over the house of the LORD. [19] And he took the captains,
the Carites, the guards, and all the people of the land; and they brought
the king down from the house of the LORD, marching through the gate of the
guards to the king's house. And he took his seat on the throne of the
kings. [20] So all the people of the land rejoiced; and the city was quiet
after Athali'ah had been slain with the sword at the king's house. [21]
Jeho'ash was seven years old when he began to reign.