1
Now when Athali'ah the mother of Ahazi'ah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal family.
2
But Jehosh'eba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahazi'ah, took Jo'ash the son of Ahazi'ah, and stole him away from among the king's sons who were about to be slain, and she put him and his nurse in a bedchamber. Thus she hid him from Athali'ah, so that he was not slain;
3
and he remained with her six years, hid in the house of the LORD, while Athali'ah reigned over the land.
4
But in the seventh year Jehoi'ada sent and brought the captains of the Carites and of the guards, and had them come to him in the house of the LORD; and he made a covenant with them and put them under oath in the house of the LORD, and he showed them the king's son.
5
And he commanded them, "This is the thing that you shall do: one third of you, those who come off duty on the sabbath and guard the king's house
6
(another third being at the gate Sur and a third at the gate behind the guards), shall guard the palace;
7
and the two divisions of you, which come on duty in force on the sabbath and guard the house of the LORD,
8
shall surround the king, each with his weapons in his hand; and whoever approaches the ranks is to be slain. Be with the king when he goes out and when he comes in."
9
The captains did according to all that Jehoi'ada the priest commanded, and each brought his men who were to go off duty on the sabbath, with those who were to come on duty on the sabbath, and came to Jehoi'ada the priest.