¹And Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son was dead, and she rose up and destroyed all the royal seed.

²But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the king's sons who were about to be put to death, him and his wet nurse, into the chamber of the beds; and they hid him from the face of Athaliah, and he was not put to death.

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

⁴In the seventh year Jehoiada sent and took the captains of the hundreds, of the Carians and of the runners, and brought them to himself into the house of Yahweh; and he cut a covenant with them, and put them under oath in the house of Yahweh, and showed them the king's son.

⁵And he commanded them, saying, This is the word that you shall do: a third of you, those who come in on the Sabbath and keep the watch of the king's house,

⁶and a third at the gate of Sur, and a third at the gate behind the runners; and you shall keep the watch of the house as a cordon.

⁷And the two parts of you, all those who go out on the Sabbath, shall keep the watch of the house of Yahweh for the king.

⁸And you shall surround the king on every side, each man with his weapons in his hand; and whoever comes into the ranks shall be put to death. And be with the king when he goes out and when he comes in.

⁹And the captains of the hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded; and each took his men, those who came in on the Sabbath with those who went out on the Sabbath, and they came to Jehoiada the priest.

¹⁰And the priest gave to the captains of the hundreds the spears and the shields that had belonged to King David, which were in the house of Yahweh.

¹¹And the runners stood, each man with his weapons in his hand, from the right shoulder of the house to the left shoulder of the house, by the altar and by the house, around the king on every side.

¹²And he brought out the king's son, and put the crown and the testimony on him; and they made him king and anointed him; and they clapped their palms, and said, May the king live!

¹³And Athaliah heard the sound of the runners and of the people, and she came to the people at the house of Yahweh.

¹⁴And she saw, and look, the king was standing by the pillar as prescribed, and the captains and the trumpets beside the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing the trumpets. And Athaliah tore her clothes, and cried out, Conspiracy! Conspiracy!

¹⁵And Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of the hundreds, the officers of the army, and said to them, Bring her out to the inside of the ranks; and whoever comes after her, put to death with the sword. For the priest had said, Let her not be put to death in the house of Yahweh.

¹⁶And they laid hands on her; and she came by the way of the entrance of the horses to the king's house, and she was put to death there.

¹⁷And Jehoiada cut the covenant between Yahweh and the king and the people, that they should become a people for Yahweh, and between the king and the people.

¹⁸And all the people of the land came to the house of the Baal and tore it down; his altars and his images they smashed thoroughly, and they killed Mattan the priest of the Baal before the altars. And the priest put oversight over the house of Yahweh.

¹⁹And he took the captains of the hundreds, and the Carians, and the runners, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of Yahweh and came by the way of the gate of the runners to the king's house; and he sat on the throne of the kings.

²⁰And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet; and they had put Athaliah to death with the sword at the king's house.

²¹Jehoash was seven years old when he became king.