1And in the seventh year, Jehoiada (the priest) took courage, and made a covenant with the following: the captains of units of hundreds; Azariah, son of Jeroham; Ishmael, son of Jehohanan; Azariah, son of Obed; Maaseiah, son of Adaiah; and Elishaphat, son of Zichri. 2And they went throughout Judah, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities, and the heads of the Israelite families, and they assembled in Jerusalem. 3And these all made a covenant with the king (Joash) in the Temple of God. And he (Jehoiada) said to them, “Behold, the king's son! He shall reign, as the LORD has said of the sons of David. 4This is what you must do: a third of the priests and the Levites who are going on duty on the Sabbath, shall guard the doors; 5A third shall be at the king's palace; and another third at the gate of the Temple of the LORD. And everyone else shall be in the courtyards of the Temple of the LORD. 6But let no one enter the Temple of the LORD, except the priests, and those who minister of the Levites - they may enter, for they are holy; but all the others are to carefully observe the law of the LORD to not enter. 7And the Levites shall station themselves around the king, each with his weapon in his hand; and whoever else comes into the house shall be killed; but stay close to the king when he comes in (from the temple chamber, where he is hiding), and wherever he goes.”

8So the Levites and all Judah did according to what Jehoiada, the priest, had commanded, and each one took his men who were to go on duty, along with those who were to go off duty on the Sabbath; for Jehoiada, the priest, did not dismiss any from their duties. 9Then Jehoiada provided the captains of hundred men spears, bucklers, and shields, which were stored in the Temple of God and had been King David's. 10And he stationed all the people around the king, each man with his weapon in hand, from the right side to the left side of the Temple, and all around the altar. 11Then Jehoiada and his sons brought the king's son out, and placed the crown on his head, and gave him a copy of the testimony, and anointed him king; and shouted, “God save the king.”

12Now when Athaliah heard the noise of people running and cheering for the king, she rushed into the Temple of the LORD. 13And when she looked, and there stood the king by his pillar at the entrance, and the leaders and the trumpeters beside him. And all the people of the land were rejoicing, and blowing trumpets; also, the singers with instruments of music, and those that taught to sing praise. Then Athaliah tore her robes, and shouted, “Treason! Treason!” 14Then Jehoiada brought out the captains of units of hundreds of the army, and ordered, “Bring her out between the ranks (of soldiers), and if anyone follows her, let him be slain with the sword.” For Jehoiada, the priest, ordered, “Do not slay her in the Temple of the LORD.” 15So they seized and led her out; and they put her to death when she had reached the entrance of the horse gate by the king's house.

16Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, all the people, and the king, that they should be the LORD's people. 17Then all the people went to the house of Baal, tore it down, broke its altars and images into pieces, and slew Mattan, the priest of Baal, before the altars.

18Jehoiada also placed the offices of the Temple of the LORD under the authority of the Levitical priests, whom David had assigned over the Temple of the LORD, to offer the burnt offerings to the LORD, as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and singing, as it was ordained by David. 19And Jehoiada stationed gatekeepers at the gates of the Temple of the LORD, so that no one who was unclean in any way might enter. 20And he took the captains of units of hundreds, the nobles, the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought the king down from the Temple of the LORD; and went through the high gate into the king's palace, and set the king upon the throne of the kingdom. 21And all the people of the land rejoiced; and the city was quiet, after they had slain Athaliah with the sword.