11 When Ahazyah’s mother Atalyah saw that her son had been killed, she went and had all of his descendants executed so that none of them could claim the throne. 2 However, King Yehoram’s daughter Yehosheva took Yoash, the son of her sister Ahazyah, and hid him in the bedroom along with his wet-nurse. Although he was on the list of the king’s sons to be executed, they hid him from Atalyah, and so he wasn’t killed. 3 Then he was able to stay hidden with her in the temple for the six years while Atalyah ruled Yehudah.

4 In the seventh year, Yehoyada the priest sent for the officers over the royal bodyguards and the palace bodyguards to come to him inside Yahweh’s temple. He made them agree to take an oath of secrecy and loyalty in the temple, then he let them see the king’s son. 5 Then he commanded them, “This is what you all need to do: On the Rest Day, one third of you must go and guard the king’s palace. 6 The second third must guard the Sur gate, and the remainder must stay behind the others roaming back and forth, 7 and the two off-duty groups must guard the temple and protect the young king. 8 You’ll surround the king—each man holding his weapons at the ready right around him—killing any person who approaches your ranks, and accompanying the king when he goes out or comes in.

9 So the officers over the royal bodyguards did everything that the priest Yehoyada had commanded. Both the on-duty and the off-duty men fulfilled their roles under Yehoyada’s direction that Rest Day. 10 The priest had taken the spears and the shields out of the temple that had belonged to King David and given them to the officers over the royal bodyguards, 11 and they all stood in position, each man holding his weapons ready in his hand, right around the palace and the temple and the altar, and the king. 12 Then the priest brought young Yoash out and put the crown on his head. He handed him the official scroll, and they anointed him and made him king. Then they clapped their hands and shouted, “Long live the king!”

13 When Atalyah heard the sound of the people and the guards, she came to the people gathered at Yahweh’s temple 14 and was stunned to see the young, new king standing near the pillar as was the custom, with the captains and the trumpeters near the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and sounding trumpets. Then Atalyah tore her clothes and shouted out, “Treachery! Treason!” 15 Then Yehoyada the priest commanded the officials over the bodyguards and the army officers, “Bring her out away from these public buildings. Don’t kill her in the temple, but kill anyone who tries to rescue her. 16 So they grabbed her by each arm and took her out through the entrance for the horses to the palace, and she was executed there.

10 When Ahazyah’s mother Atalyah found out that her son had died, she took action and destroyed all the his family members who could become king of Yehudah. 11 However, a princess named Yehoshaveat took Ahazyah’s son Yoash, and she sneaked him away from among the king’s sons who were about to be killed, and she hid him and his nurse in a bedroom. Yehoshaveat was the daughter of the late King Yehoram, the wife of Yehoyada the priest (she was Ahazyah’s sister), and she hid him from Atalyah so she couldn’t kill him. 12 He stayed in hiding with them in the temple for six years while Atalyah ruled over Yehudah.

23 The following year, the priest Yehoyada took courage and made an agreement with the commanders of units of one hundred soldiers: Azaryah (Yehoram’s son), Yishmael (Yehohanan’s son), another Azaryah (Oved’s son), Maaseyah (Adayah’s son), and Elishafat (Zikri’s son). 2 They went throughout Yehudah and gathered all the Levites and the clan leaders from all the cities. When they came to Yerushalem, 3 all the assembly made an agreement with the young king in the temple, and Yehoyada told them, “Listen, the late king’s son will reign, just as Yahweh said concerning David’s descendants.[ref] 4 Now this is what all of you need to do: one third of you priests and Levites who’re on duty on the Rest Day, must guard the temple entrances. 5 Another third of you must guard the king’s palace, and the final third guard the Foundation Gate and all the people in the temple courtyard. 6 Don’t let anyone enter Yahweh’s temple other than the priests and the Levites who’re on duty, because they’re consecrated. Every one else must respect Yahweh’s instructions not to enter. 7 You Levites must be armed and surround the young king. You must kill anyone else who tries to enter the temple, but stay close to the king wherever he goes.

8 So the Levites and the other people did everything that Yehoyada the priest had instructed. Each leader took his men, both those starting duty on the Rest Day, as well as the others finishing their duties that day, because Yehoyada didn’t dismiss any of the groups. 9 Then Yehoyada the priest gave each of those commanders the spears, and the large and small shields which had been put in the temple by King David. 10 He stationed all the people, each one holding his weapon, right across the end of the temple around the altar and the temple, and all around the king. 11 Then they brought out young Yoash and put a crown on his head and gave him a scroll with the agreement on it, and proclaimed him as king. Then Yehoyada and his sons anointed him with olive oil and shouted, “Long live the king!”

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