1. And Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, seeing that her son was dead, arose and destroyed all the royal seed.
2. But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash, the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king’s sons which were slain; and they hid him, even him and his nurse, in the bedchamber from Athaliah, so that he was not slain.
3. And he was with her hid in the house of the Lord six years, and Athaliah was queen over the land.
4. But the seventh year Jehoiada sent and took rulers over hundreds, captains and people of the guard, and brought them to him into the house of the Lord and made a covenant with them, causing them to swear an oath in the house of the Lord, and he showed them the king’s son.
5. And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that ye shall do; a third part of you that shall enter in on the sabbath shall be the keepers of the watch of the king’s house;