1
Now when Athaliah, Ahaziah's mother, saw that her son was dead, she set about to destroy all the royal family.
2
But Jehosheba, King Joram's daughter, Ahaziah's sister, took Joash son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king's children who were about to be killed; she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus she hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not killed;
3
he remained with her six years, hidden in the house of the Lord, while Athaliah reigned over the land.
4
But in the seventh year Jehoiada summoned the captains of the Carites and of the guards and had them come to him in the house of the Lord. He made a covenant with them and put them under oath in the house of the Lord; then he showed them the king's son.
5
He commanded them, "This is what you are to do: one-third of you, those who go 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 your two divisions that come on duty in force on the sabbath and guard the house of the Lord
8
shall surround the king, each with weapons in hand; and whoever approaches the ranks is to be killed. Be with the king in his comings and goings."
9
The captains did according to all that the priest Jehoiada commanded; 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 the priest Jehoiada.
10
The priest delivered to the captains the spears and shields that had been King David's, which were in the house of the Lord;
11
the guards stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, from the south side of the house to the north side of the house, around the altar and the house, to guard the king on every side.