< 2 Chronicles 22 >

1 Then the inhabitants of Jerusalem appointed his youngest son, Ahaziah, as king in his place. For the robbers of the Arabians, who had fallen upon the camp, had put to death all those who were greater by birth before him. And so Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram, reigned as king of Judah.
The inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, Jehoram's youngest son, king in his place, for the band of men that came with the Arabians into the camp had killed all his older sons. So Ahaziah son of Jehoram, king of Judah, became king.
2 Ahaziah was forty-two years old when he had begun to reign, and he reigned for one year in Jerusalem. And the name of his mother was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri.
Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign; he reigned for one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athaliah; she was the daughter of Omri.
3 But he too went forth in the ways of the house of Ahab. For his mother impelled him to act impiously.
He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab for his mother was his advisor in doing wicked things.
4 And so he did evil in the sight of the Lord, just as the house of Ahab did. For after the death of his father, they were counselors to him, to his destruction.
Ahaziah did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, as the house of Ahab was doing, for they were his advisors after the death of his father, to his destruction.
5 And he walked in their counsels. And he went with Joram, the son of Ahab, the king of Israel, to war against Hazael, the king of Syria, at Ramoth Gilead. And the Syrians wounded Joram.
He also followed their advice; he went with Joram son of Ahab, king of Israel, to fight against Hazael, king of Aram, at Ramoth Gilead. The Arameans wounded Joram.
6 And he returned, so that he might be cured at Jezreel. For he had received many wounds in the above-stated battle. And so Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram, the king of Judah, descended, so that he might visit Joram, the son of Ahab, at Jezreel, while he was ill.
Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds that they had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael, king of Aram. So Ahaziah son of Jehoram, king of Judah, went down to Jezreel to see Joram son of Ahab, because Joram had been wounded.
7 Indeed, it was the will of God against Ahaziah that he would go to Joram, and when he had gone, that he also would go out with him against Jehu, the son of Nimshi, whom the Lord had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab.
Now the destruction of Ahaziah was brought about by God through Ahaziah's visit to Joram. When he had arrived, he went with Jehoram to attack Jehu son of Nimshi, whom Yahweh had chosen to destroy the house of Ahab.
8 Therefore, when Jehu was overthrowing the house of Ahab, he found the leaders of Judah, with the sons of the brothers of Ahaziah, who were ministering to him, and he put them to death.
It came about, when Jehu was carrying out God's judgment on the house of Ahab, that he found the leaders of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah's brothers serving Ahaziah. Jehu killed them.
9 Also, while he himself was seeking Ahaziah, he found him to be hiding in Samaria. And having been led to him, he killed him. And they buried him, because he was the son of Jehoshaphat, who had sought the Lord with all his heart. But there was no longer any hope that someone from the stock of Ahaziah would reign.
Jehu looked for Ahaziah; they caught him hiding in Samaria, brought him to Jehu, and killed him. Then they buried him, for they said, “He is a son of Jehoshaphat, who sought Yahweh with all his heart.” So the house of Ahaziah had no more power to rule the kingdom.
10 For indeed, his mother, Athaliah, seeing that her son had died, rose up and killed the entire royal stock of the house of Jehoram.
Now when Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son was dead, she arose and killed all the royal children in the house of Judah.
11 But Jehosheba, the daughter of the king, took Joash, the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from the midst the king’s sons when they were being slain. And she hid him with his nurse in a bedroom. Now Jehosheba, the one who had hidden him, was the daughter of king Jehoram, and the wife of the high priest Jehoiada, and the sister of Ahaziah. And because of this, Athaliah did not kill him.
But Jehosheba, a daughter of the king, secretly took Joash son of Ahaziah away from the king's sons who were about to be killed. She put him and his nurse into a bedroom. So Jehosheba, a daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah, so that Athaliah did not kill him.
12 Therefore, he was with them, hidden in the house of God, for six years, while Athaliah reigned over the land.
He was with them, hidden in the house of God for six years, while Athaliah reigned over the land.

< 2 Chronicles 22 >