1 And Athaliah was the mother of Ahaziah. And when she saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed of the kingdom.

2 But Jehosheba the daughter of king Jehoram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him from among the king's sons [which were] killed. And they hid him from Athaliah in the bedroom, him and his nurse, so that he was not killed.

3 And he was hidden with her in the house of the LORD six years. And Athaliah reigned over the land.

4 And in the seventh year Jehoiada sent and brought the rulers over hundreds, with the commanders and the guards, and brought them to him into the house of the LORD. And he made a covenant with them and took an oath from them in the house of the LORD, and revealed to them the king's son.

5 And he commanded them, saying, This [is] the thing that you shall do. A third part of you who enter in on the sabbath [shall 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. And you shall keep the watch of the house, alternately.

7 And two parts of you, all who go forth [on] the sabbath, even they shall keep the watch of the house of the LORD around the king.

8 And you shall surround the king, every man with his weapons in his hand. And he who comes inside the ranks, let him be killed. And they shall be with the king as he goes out and as he comes in.

9 And the rulers of the hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded. And each man took his men, going in on the sabbath, with those going out on the sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest.

10 And the priest gave king David's spears and shields, which [were] in the temple of the LORD, to the rulers of the hundreds.

11 And the guard stood, each man with his weapons in his hand, around the king, from the right corner of the temple to the left corner of the temple, by the altar and the temple.

12 And he brought forth the king's son, and put the crown and the testimony on him. And they made him king and anointed him, and clapped their hands and said, Let the king live!

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 she looked, and behold, the king stood by a pillar as usually [was] done, and the rulers and the trumpeters [were] by the king. And all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets. And Athaliah tore her clothes, and cried, Treason! Treason!

15 And Jehoiada the priest commanded the rulers of the hundreds, those set over the army, and said to them, Take her out between the ranks, and let the one who follows her kill [her] 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 which the horses came into the king's house. And she was killed there.

17 And Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people, that they should be the people of Jehovah; also between the king and the people.

18 And all the people of the land went into the house of Baal and broke it down. They broke his altars and his images completely in pieces. And they killed 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 commanders, and the guard, and all the people of the land. And they brought the king down 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 quiet. And they killed Athaliah with the sword [beside] the king's house.

21 Joash [was] seven years old when he began to reign.