1. Now Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, so she prepared to destroy all of the offspring of the royal family.
2. But Jehosheba the daughter of King Joram and sister of Ahaziah took Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, and she stole him from among the sons of the king who were being put to death, putting him and his nurse in the inner bedroom. So they hid him from the presence of Athaliah, and he was not killed.
3. He remained with her in the temple of Yahweh, hidden for six years while Athaliah was reigning over the land.
4. But in the seventh year Jehoiada sent and took the commanders of the hundreds of the Carites and the runners, and he brought them to himself to the temple of Yahweh. Then he made a covenant with them and made them swear in the house of Yahweh and showed them the son of the king.
5. He commanded them, saying, “This is the thing which you must do: one third of you who go off duty on the Sabbath, the keepers of the guard in the house of the king,
6. and another third at the gate of Sur, and a third at the gate behind the runners, shall guard the post of the palace alternately.
7. Two of the units among you, all who go on duty on the Sabbath, guard the post of the temple of Yahweh for the king.
8. You must surround the king all about, each with his weapon in his hand; whoever comes to the ranks must be killed. Be with the king wherever he goes.”
9. So the commanders of hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded, and each took his men who went off duty on the Sabbath and those who came on duty on the Sabbath, and they came to Jehoiada the priest.
10. Then the priest gave to the commanders of the hundreds spears and small round shields which were King David’s, which were in the temple of Yahweh.