1 W hen Ahaziah’s mother Athaliah saw that her son was dead, she got up and killed all the king’s children.

¶ And Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, seeing that her son was dead, arose and destroyed all the royal seed.

2 B ut King Joram’s daughter Jehosheba, Ahaziah’s sister, took Joash the son of Ahaziah. She stole him away from the king’s sons who were being killed, and put him and his nurse in the bedroom. They hid him from Athaliah, and he was not killed.

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 J oash was hid with his nurse in the house of the Lord six years, while Athaliah was ruling over the land.

And he was with her hid in the house of the LORD six years, and Athaliah was queen over the land.

4 I n the seventh year, Jehoiada sent for the captains of hundreds, men who watch over the king and the soldiers. He brought them into the house of the Lord, and made an agreement with them. He had them make a promise in the house of the Lord. Then he showed them the king’s son.

¶ But the seventh year Jehoiada sent and took rulers over hundreds, captains and people of the guard, and brought them to him into the house of the LORD and made a covenant with them, causing them to swear an oath in the house of the LORD, and he showed them the king’s son.

5 H e told them, “This is what you must do. One third of you who come in on the Day of Rest must keep watch over the king’s house.

And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that ye shall do; a third part of you that shall enter in on the sabbath shall be the keepers of the watch of the king’s house;

6 O ne third are to be at the gate Sur and one third at the gate behind the soldiers. So you will keep watch over the king’s house.

and a third part shall be at the gate of Sur; and a third part at the gate behind the guard; so ye shall have the watch of the house of Mesah.

7 A nd two parts of all of you who go out on the Day of Rest must keep watch over the house of the Lord for the king.

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 Y ou will stand around the king, with spears in your hands. Whoever comes near must be killed. Be with the king when he goes out and when he comes in.”

And ye shall compass the king round about, each man with his weapons in his hand; and he that comes within these orders shall be slain. Ye must be with the king as he goes out and as he comes in.

9 T he captains of hundreds did all that Jehoiada the religious leader told them to do. Each one of them brought his men to Jehoiada the religious leader. Each one brought those who were to come in on the Day of Rest, and those who were to go out on the Day of Rest.

And the captains over the hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada, the priest, commanded; and each man took his men that were to come in on the sabbath with those that should go out on the sabbath and came to Jehoiada, the priest.

10 T he religious leader gave the captains the spears and coverings that had been King David’s, which were in the house of the Lord.

And the priest gave the captains over hundreds King David’s spears and shields that were in the house of the LORD.

11 A nd the soldiers stood from the right side of the house to the left side of the house. Each one held his spear. They stood by the altar and by the house, around the king.

And the guard stood, each man with his weapons in his hand, round about the king, from the right corner of the house to the left corner of the house, next to the altar and the house.

12 T hen Jehoiada brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him, and gave him the Law. They made him king and poured oil on him. Then they clapped their hands and said, “Long live the king!”

Then he brought forth the king’s son and put the crown upon him and gave him the testimony, and they made him king by anointing him; and they clapped their hands and said, Long live the king.

13 W hen Athaliah heard the noise of the soldiers and the people, she came to the people in the house of the Lord.

¶ And when Athaliah heard the noise of the people running, she came to the people into the house of the LORD;

14 S he looked and saw the king standing by the pillar, as was done in those days. The captains and those who blew horns were standing beside the king. And all the people of the land were filled with joy and blew horns. Athaliah tore her clothes and cried, “They are turning against the queen!”

and when she looked, behold, the king stood by the pillar, as was his right, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced and blew with trumpets. Then Athaliah rent her clothes and cried, Treason, Treason.

15 T hen Jehoiada the religious leader told the captains of the army, “Bring her out among the soldiers, and kill with the sword whoever follows her.” For the religious leader said, “Do not let her be put to death in the house of the Lord.”

Then Jehoiada, the priest, commanded the captains of the hundreds that governed the host and said unto them, Take her forth outside the order of the house and kill with the sword any that follow her. (For the priest had said, Let her not be slain in the house of the LORD.)

16 S o they took hold of her, and she was put to death at the horses’ gate of the king’s house.

And they laid hands on her, and she went by the way by which the horsemen enter into the king’s house, and there she was slain.

17 T hen Jehoiada made an agreement between the Lord and the king and the people, that they should be the Lord’s people. And he made an agreement between the king and the people.

¶ Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people, that they should be the LORD’s people; and likewise between the king and the people.

18 T hen all the people of the land went to the house of Baal and tore it down. They broke to pieces all his altars and objects. And they killed Mattan the religious leader of Baal in front of the altars. Then the religious leaders chose men to watch over the house of the Lord.

And all the people of the land went into the house of Baal and broke it down; his altars and his images they broke 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 J ehoiada took the captains and the men who watch over the king, and the soldiers and all the people of the land. They brought the king down from the house of the Lord, by the way of the soldiers’ gate, to the king’s house. And he sat on the throne of the kings.

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 S o all the people of the land were filled with joy, and the city was quiet. For they had put Athaliah to death with the sword at the king’s house.

And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was at rest after they slew Athaliah with the sword beside the king’s house.

21 J oash was seven years old when he became king.

Jehoash was seven years old when he began to reign.