2 Chronicles 22
Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram, became king of Judah at 42 years old and reigned for one year, following in the evil ways of the house of Ahab due to his mother Athaliah's influence. He joined Joram, the king of Israel, in a war against Hazael, the king of Syria, and later visited Joram while he was recovering from wounds. Ahaziah was eventually killed by Jehu, who had been anointed by the Lord to destroy the house of Ahab. After Ahaziah's death, his mother Athaliah killed the remaining royal stock, but Joash, Ahaziah's son, was saved by his aunt Jehosheba and hidden in the house of God for six years while Athaliah reigned.
1Then 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 Judah2Ahaziah 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 Omri3But he too went forth in the ways of the house of Ahab. For his mother impelled him to act impiously4And 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 destruction5And 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 Joram6And 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 ill7Indeed, 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 Ahab8Therefore, 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 death9Also, 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 reign10For indeed, his mother, Athaliah, seeing that her son had died, rose up and killed the entire royal stock of the house of Jehoram11But 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 him12Therefore, he was with them, hidden in the house of God, for six years, while Athaliah reigned over the land
Share this chapter