[1] The inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king in his
place; for the band of men who came with the Arabians to the camp had slain
all the eldest. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned. [2]
Forty-two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign; and he reigned one
year in Jerusalem: and his mother`s name was Athaliah the daughter of Omri.
[3] He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab; for his mother was his
counselor to do wickedly. [4] He did that which was evil in the sight of
Yahweh, as did the house of Ahab; for they were his counselors after the
death of his father, to his destruction. [5] He walked also after their
counsel, and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to war
against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth-gilead: and the Syrians wounded
Joram. [6] He returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which they had
given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. Azariah
the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab
in Jezreel, because he was sick. [7] Now the destruction of Ahaziah was of
God, in that he went to Joram: for when he was come, he went out with
Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom Yahweh had anointed to cut off
the house of Ahab. [8] It happened, when Jehu was executing judgment on the
house of Ahab, that he found the princes of Judah, and the sons of the
brothers of Ahaziah, ministering to Ahaziah, and killed them. [9] He sought
Ahaziah, and they caught him (now he was hiding in Samaria), and they
brought him to Jehu, and killed him; and they buried him, for they said, He
is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought Yahweh with all his heart. The house
of Ahaziah had no power to hold the kingdom. [10] Now when Athaliah the
mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all
the seed royal of the house of Judah. [11] But Jehoshabeath, the daughter
of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among
the king`s sons who were slain, and put him and his nurse in the
bedchamber. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of king Jehoram, the wife of
Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from
Athaliah, so that she didn`t kill him. [12] He was with them hid in the
house of God six years: and Athaliah reigned over the land.
