1
And Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, seeing that her son was dead, arose and destroyed all the royal seed.
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 was queen over the land.
4
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
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
and a third part
shall be at the gate of Sur; {Heb. turning aside}; and a third part at the gate behind the guard; so ye shall have the watch of the house of Mesah. {Heb. 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, 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
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.