1And Athaliah was the mother of Ahaziah. Now when she saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed of the kingdom. 2But Jehosheba the daughter of king Jehoram, sister of Ahaziah, took away Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him from among the king's sons before they were killed. And they hid him from Athaliah in the bedroom, him and his nurse, so that he was not killed. 3And he was hidden with her in the house of the LORD six years. And Athaliah reigned over the land.

4Now in the seventh year, Jehoiada sent and brought the rulers over hundreds, with the commanders and the guards, and brought them to him into the house of the LORD. And he made a covenant with them and took an oath from them in the house of the LORD, and revealed to them the king's son. 5And he commanded them, saying, "This is the thing that you shall do. A third part of you who enter in on the Sabbath shall be keepers of the watch of the king's house. 6And a third part shall be at the gate of Sur. And a third part at the gate behind the guard. And you shall keep the watch of the house, alternately. 7And two parts of you, all who go forth on the Sabbath, even they shall keep the watch of the house of the LORD around the king. 8And you shall surround the king, every man with his weapons in his hand. And he who comes inside the ranks, let him be killed. And they shall be with the king as he goes out and as he comes in."

9And the rulers of the hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded. And each man took his men, going in on the Sabbath, with those going out on the Sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest. 10And the priest gave King David's spears and shields, which were in the temple of the LORD, to the rulers of the hundreds. 11And the guard stood, each man with his weapons in his hand, all around the king, from the right corner of the temple to the left corner of the temple, by the altar and the temple. 12And he brought forth the king's son, and put the crown and the testimony upon him. And they made him king and anointed him, and clapped their hands and said, "Long live the king!"

13Now when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people into the temple of the LORD. 14And she looked, and behold, the king stood by a pillar as usually was done, and the rulers and the trumpeters were by the king. And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the priests blew with silver trumpets. And Athaliah tore her clothes, and cried, "Treason! Treason!" 15And Jehoiada the priest commanded the rulers of the hundreds, those set over the army, and said to them, "Take her out between the ranks, and any one who follows her, kill with the sword," for the priest had said, "Let her not be slain in the house of the LORD." 16And they laid hands on her, and when she came to the way which the horses enter the king's house, she was killed there.

17And Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people, that they should be the people of the LORD; also between the king and the people. 18Now all the people of the land went into the house of Baal and demolished it. They broke his altars and his images completely in pieces. And they killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest Jehoiada appointed officers over the house of the LORD. 19And he took the rulers over hundreds, and the commanders, and the guard, and all the people of the land. And they brought the king down 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 upon the throne of the kings. 20And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet. And they killed Athaliah with the sword beside the king's house.

21Joash was seven years old when he began to reign.