CHAPTER 22
1And the dwellers of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, his youngest son, king in his stead, for the band that had come into the camp with the Arabs had killed all the older ones, and Ahaziah son of Jehoram became king of Judah. 2Forty-two years old was Ahaziah when he became king, and one year was he king in Jerusalem, and his mother’s name was Athaliah daughter of Omri. 3He, too, went in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother would counsel him to act wickedly. 4And he did evil in the eyes of the LORD like the house of Ahab, for they were councillors to him after his father’s death to his ruination. 5By their counsel, too, did he go, and he went with Jehoram son of Ahab to battle against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-Gilead, and the Arameans struck Jehoram. 6And he turned back to heal in Jezreel from the wounds they had inflicted in him at Ramah, and Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah came down to see Jehoram son of Ahab in Jezreel, for he was failing. 7And the defeat of Ahaziah was from God for coming to Jehoram. And when he came, he went out with Jehoram to Jehu son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab. 8And it happened when Jehu was carrying out judgment against the house of Ahab, that he found the commanders of Judah and Ahaziah’s nephews ministering to Ahaziah, and he killed them. 9And they searched for Ahaziah and captured him when he was hiding in Samaria, and they brought him to Jehu and he was put to death. And they buried him, for they said, “He is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart.” But there was no one in the house of Ahaziah to muster strength for the kingship. 10When Athaliah, Ahaziah’s mother, saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal seed of the house of Judah. 11And Jehosheba, the king’s daughter, took Joash, Ahaziah’s son, and stole him away from the king’s sons who had been put to death, and she put him and his nurse in the bedchamber and hid him. Jehosheba, daughter of King Jehoram, wife of Jehoiada the priest hid him from Athaliah, for she was Ahaziah’s sister, and they did not put him to death. 12And he was with them hiding in the house of God six years, while Athaliah reigned over the land.