¹But Athaliah, Ahaziah's mother, when she saw that her son was dead, arose and destroyed all the royal seed, ²but Jehosheba the daughter of King Joram, the sister of Ahaziah, had taken Joash the son of Ahaziah and had stolen him away from the king's sons who were killed – him and his nurse – to the bedroom, and they had hidden him from Athaliah, so he was not killed. ³And he was with her in the house of the Lord, hidden for six years, while Athaliah reigned over the land. ⁴Then in the seventh year Jehoiada sent for the commanders of a hundred over the special guard and over the infantry, and he took them along, and he convened them in the house of the Lord, and he made a covenant with them, and he made them swear an oath in the house of the Lord. Then he showed them the king's son. ⁵And he instructed them and said, “This is the operation which you will carry out. One third of you will come on the Sabbath and keep guard at the king's house. ⁶And one third will be at the Sur Gate, and one third will be at the gate behind the infantry, and you will keep guard of the house from any abduction. ⁷And you will be in two divisions. All who go out on the Sabbath will keep guard of the house of the Lord, defending the king. ⁸And you will form a circle round the king, each man having his weapons in his hand, and anyone coming into the ranks will be put to death. And accompany the king as he goes out and comes in.” ⁹And the commanders of a hundred did everything that Jehoiada the priest commanded, and each one took his men – those who were to come on the Sabbath with those who were to go out on the Sabbath – and they went to Jehoiada the priest. ¹⁰And the priest gave the commanders of a hundred the spears and shields which had belonged to King David, which were in the house of the Lord. ¹¹And the infantrymen stood, each with his weapons in his hand, from the right hand side of the house to the left hand side of the house, and around the altar and the house in defence of the king. ¹²Then he brought the king's son out, and he put the crown on him, and he gave him the testimony, and they made him king and anointed him, and they clapped their hands and said, “May the king live.” ¹³And when Athaliah heard the sound of the infantry and the people, she went to the people and to the house of the Lord. ¹⁴And she looked, and what she saw was the king standing at a column, according to the custom, with officials and trumpet-players in attendance to the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets. At this Athaliah tore her clothes and shouted, “A conspiracy, a conspiracy!” ¹⁵Then Jehoiada the priest instructed the commanders of a hundred who were in charge of the army, and he said to them, “Take her away but within the ranks, and kill anyone who follows her with the sword.” For the priest had said, “Don't let her be put to death in the house of the Lord.” ¹⁶So they laid hands on her as she went in the direction of the horse entrance to the king's house, and she was put to death there. ¹⁷And Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and the people, to be a people to the Lord, and between the king and the people. ¹⁸And all the people of the land went to the house of Baal and demolished it. They smashed up his altars and his images, and they killed Mattan, Baal's priest, in front of the altars. Then the priest appointed duties over the house of the Lord. ¹⁹And he took the commanders of a hundred and the special guard, and the infantry, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of the Lord, and they went by the route of the Gate of the Infantry to the king's house, and he sat on the kings' throne. ²⁰And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was undisturbed. So they killed Athaliah by the sword at the king's house. ²¹Joash was seven years old when he started to reign.