CHAPTER 22
Then the people
of Jerusalem
made Ahaziah,
the youngest
son of Jehoram,
king
in his place,
since
the raiders
who had come
into the camp
with the Arabs
had killed
all
the older sons.
So Ahaziah
son
of Jehoram
became king
of Judah.
Ahaziah
was twenty-two
years old
when he became king,
and he reigned
in Jerusalem
one
year.
His mother’s
name
was Athaliah,
the granddaughter
of Omri.
Ahaziah
also
walked
in the ways
of the house
of Ahab,
for
his mother
was his counselor
in wickedness.
And he did
evil
in the sight
of the LORD,
as the house
of Ahab had done,
for
to his
destruction
they
were
his
counselors
after
the death
of his father.
Ahaziah also
followed
their counsel
and went
with
Joram
son
of Ahab
king
of Israel
to fight
against
Hazael
king
of Aram
at Ramoth-gilead.
But the Arameans
wounded
Joram;
so he returned
to Jezreel
to recover
from
the wounds
they had inflicted on him
at Ramah
when he fought
against
Hazael
king
of Aram.
Then Ahaziah
son
of Jehoram
king
of Judah
went down
to Jezreel
to visit
Joram
son
of Ahab,
since
Joram
had been wounded.
Ahaziah’s
downfall
came
from God
when he went
to visit
Joram.
When Ahaziah arrived,
he went out
with
Joram
to
meet Jehu
son
of Nimshi,
whom
the LORD
had anointed
to destroy
the house
of Ahab.
So while Jehu
was executing judgment
on
the house
of Ahab,
he found
the rulers
of Judah
and the sons
of Ahaziah’s
brothers
who were serving
Ahaziah,
and he killed them.
Then Jehu looked for
Ahaziah,
and Jehu’s soldiers captured
him while he
was hiding
in Samaria.
So they brought
Ahaziah to
Jehu
and killed him.
They buried him,
for
they said,
“He
is the grandson
of Jehoshaphat,
who
sought
the LORD
with all
his heart."
So no one was left
from the house
of Ahaziah
with
the strength
to rule the kingdom.
When Athaliah
the mother
of Ahaziah
saw
that
her son
was dead,
she proceeded
to annihilate
all
the royal
heirs
of the house
of Judah.
But Jehoshabeath
daughter
of King Jehoram
took Joash
son
of Ahaziah
and stole him away
from among
the sons
of the king
who were being murdered,
and she put
him
and his nurse
in a bedroom.
Because Jehoshabeath,
the daughter
of King
Jehoram
and the wife
of Jehoiada
the priest,
was
Ahaziah's
sister,
she hid Joash
from
Athaliah
so that she could not
kill him.
And Joash remained
hidden
with them
in the house
of God
for six
years
while Athaliah
ruled
the land.