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.
