2 Chronicles 22

1Then the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, his youngest son, king in his place, because the raiding band that came with the Arabs into the camp had killed all the older sons. So Ahaziah son of Jehoram, king of Judah, became king.

2Ahaziah was forty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri.

3He too walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, because his mother was his counselor to act wickedly.

4He did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, like the house of Ahab, because they were his counselors after the death of his father, to his destruction.

5He also walked by their counsel, and he went with Jehoram son of Ahab, king of Israel, to war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead; and the Arameans wounded Joram.

6So he returned to Jezreel to recover, because of the wounds that they had inflicted on him at Ramah when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. And Azariah son of Jehoram, king of Judah, went down to see Jehoram son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.

7Ahaziah’s downfall, by his going to Joram, was from God; and when he came, he went out with Jehoram to Jehu son of Nimshi, whom Yahweh had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.

8And it happened, when Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, that he found the officials of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s brothers, serving Ahaziah, and he killed them.

9And he sought Ahaziah, and they captured him while he was hiding in Samaria, and they brought him to Jehu and put him to death. Then they buried him, for they said, “He is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought Yahweh with all his heart.” And the house of Ahaziah had no power to retain the kingdom.

10Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son was dead, and she arose and destroyed all the royal offspring of the house of Judah.

11But Jehoshabeath, the king’s daughter, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were being put to death, and she put him and his nurse in the bedroom. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest, hid him from Athaliah, and she did not put him to death.

12And he was with them in the house of God, hiding himself for six years, while Athaliah was reigning over the land.