¶ And when Athaliah¹ the mother² of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed³ all the seed royal⁴.

But Jehosheba⁵, 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 bedchamber⁹ from Athaliah, so that he was not slain.

And he was with her hid in the house of the LORD six years. And Athaliah¹⁰ did reign over the land.

¶ And the seventh¹¹ year Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers¹² over hundreds, with the captains¹³ and the guard, and brought them to him into the house of the LORD, and made a covenant¹⁴ with them, and took an oath¹⁵ of them in the house of the LORD, and shewed them the king's son.

And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that ye shall do; A third part of you that enter¹⁶ in on the sabbath shall even be keepers of the watch¹⁷ of the king's house;

And a third part shall be at the gate of Sur¹⁸; and a third part at the gate behind the guard: so shall ye keep the watch of the house, that it be not broken down¹⁹.

And two parts²⁰ of all you that go forth on the sabbath, even they shall keep the watch of the house of the LORD about the king.

And ye shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand: and he that cometh²¹ within the ranges, let him be slain: and be ye with the king as he goeth out and as he cometh in.

And the captains²² 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.

¶ And to the captains over hundreds did the priest give king David's spears²³ and shields, that were in the temple of the LORD.

And the guard stood, every man²⁴ with his weapons in his hand, round about the king, from the right corner²⁵ of the temple to the left corner of the temple, along by the altar and the temple.

And he brought²⁶ forth the king's son, and put the crown²⁷ upon him, and gave him the testimony²⁸; and they made him king, and anointed him;²⁹ and they clapped³⁰ their hands, and said³¹, God save the king³².

¶³³And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people into the temple of the LORD.

And when she looked, behold, the king stood³⁴ by a pillar³⁵, as the manner was, and the princes³⁶ and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people³⁸ of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets: and Athaliah rent her clothes, and cried, Treason³⁹, Treason.

But Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains⁴⁰ of the hundreds, the officers of the host, and said unto them, Have⁴¹ her forth without the ranges: and him that followeth⁴² her kill with the sword. For the priest had said, Let⁴³ her not be slain in the house of the LORD.

And they laid hands on her; and she went by the way by the which⁴⁴ the horses came into the king's house: and there was she slain⁴⁵.

¶ And Jehoiada made a covenant⁴⁶ between the LORD and the king and the people, that they should be the LORD'S people; between the king⁴⁷ also and the people.

And all the people of the land went⁴⁸ into the house of Baal, and brake it down; his altars and his images brake they⁴⁹ in pieces thoroughly, and slew Mattan⁵⁰ the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed⁵¹ officers⁵² over the house of the LORD.

And he took⁵³ 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 way⁵⁴ of the gate of the guard to the king's house. And he sat⁵⁵ on the throne of the kings.

¶ And all the people of the land rejoiced⁵⁶, and the city was in quiet: and they slew Athaliah⁵⁷ with the sword beside the king's house.

⁵⁸Seven years old was Jehoash when he began to reign.