1 And when Athali´ah the mother of Ahazi´ah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal.
2 But Jehosh´eba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahazi´ah, took Jo´ash the son of Ahazi´ah, 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 Athali´ah, so that he was not slain.
3 And he was with her hid in the house of the Lord six years. And Athali´ah did reign over the land.
4 And the seventh year Jehoi´ada sent and fetched the rulers over hundreds, with the captains and the guard, and brought them to him into the house of the Lord, and made a covenant with them, and took an oath of them in the house of the Lord, and 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 enter in on the sabbath shall even 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 guard: so shall ye keep the watch of the house, that it be not broken down.
7 And two parts of all you that go forth on the sabbath, even they shall keep the watch of the house of the Lord about the king.