1. And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she rose up and destroyed all the royal seed.
2. But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, the sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him from among the king's sons that were slain, and hid him and his nurse in the bedchamber; and they hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not slain.
3. And he was with her hid in the house of Jehovah six years. And Athaliah reigned over the land.
4. And in the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the captains of the hundreds, of the bodyguard and the couriers, and brought them to him into the house of Jehovah, and made a covenant with them, and took an oath of them in the house of Jehovah, and shewed them the king's son.
5. And he commanded them saying, This is the thing which ye shall do: a third part of you, that come in on the sabbath, shall be keepers of the watch of the king's house;
6. and a third part shall be at the gate of Sur; and a third part at the gate behind the couriers; and ye shall keep the watch of the house for a defence.
7. And the two parts of you, all those that go forth on the sabbath, even they shall keep the watch of the house of Jehovah about the king.