Ahaziah Succeeds Jehoram in Judah

22 (A)Then the inhabitants of Jerusalem made [a]Ahaziah, his youngest son, king in his place, for the band of men who came with (B)the Arabs to the camp had killed all the older sons. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign. Ahaziah was [b]twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned for one year in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Athaliah, the [c]granddaughter of Omri. He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor to act wickedly. So he did evil in the sight of the Lord like the house of Ahab, for they were his counselors after the death of his father, to (C)his own destruction.

Ahaziah Allies with Jehoram of Israel

He also walked by their counsel, and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to wage war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead. But the (D)Arameans [d]wounded [e]Joram. So he returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds [f]which they had inflicted on him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. And [g]Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram king of Judah, went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.

Now (E)the destruction of Ahaziah was from God, in that [h]he went to Joram. For when he arrived, (F)he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, (G)whom the Lord had anointed to eliminate the house of Ahab.

Jehu Murders Princes of Judah

(H)And it came about, when Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, that he found the princes of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s brothers attending to Ahaziah, and killed them. (I)He also searched for Ahaziah, and they caught him while he was hiding in Samaria; they brought him to Jehu, put him to death, (J)and buried him. For they said, “He is the son of Jehoshaphat, (K)who sought the Lord with all his heart.” So there was no one of the house of Ahaziah to retain the power of the kingdom.

10 (L)Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she rose and eliminated all the royal [i]children of the house of Judah. 11 But Jehoshabeath the king’s daughter took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king’s sons who were being put to death, and placed him and his nurse in the bedroom. 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 would not put him to death. 12 He kept himself hidden with them in the house of God for six years while Athaliah reigned over the land.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 22:1 In 2 Chr 21:17, Jehoahaz
  2. 2 Chronicles 22:2 As in some ancient versions and 2 Kin 8:26; MT 42 years
  3. 2 Chronicles 22:2 Lit daughter
  4. 2 Chronicles 22:5 Lit struck
  5. 2 Chronicles 22:5 I.e., Jehoram
  6. 2 Chronicles 22:6 Lit with which...struck
  7. 2 Chronicles 22:6 As in 2 Kin 8:29; MT Azariah
  8. 2 Chronicles 22:7 Lit to go
  9. 2 Chronicles 22:10 Lit seed

Judah’s King Ahaziah

22 Then the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, his youngest son, king in his place, because the troops that had come with the Arabs(A) to the camp had killed all the older sons.[a] So Ahaziah son of Jehoram became king of Judah. Ahaziah(B) was 22[b] years old when he became king and reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah, granddaughter[c] of Omri.

He walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother gave him evil advice. So he did what was evil in the Lord’s sight like the house of Ahab, for they were his advisers after the death of his father, to his destruction. He also followed their advice and went with Joram[d] son of Israel’s King Ahab to fight against Hazael, king of Aram, in Ramoth-gilead. The Arameans[e] wounded Joram, so he returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds they inflicted on him in Ramoth-gilead[f] when he fought against Aram’s King Hazael. Then Judah’s King Ahaziah[g] son of Jehoram went down to Jezreel to visit Joram son of Ahab since Joram was ill.

Ahaziah’s downfall came from God when he went to Joram.(C) When Ahaziah arrived, he went out with Joram to meet Jehu son of Nimshi,(D) whom the Lord had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab.(E) So when Jehu executed judgment on the house of Ahab,(F) 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,(G) and Jehu’s soldiers captured him (he was hiding in Samaria). So they brought Ahaziah to Jehu, and they killed him. The soldiers buried him, for they said, “He is the grandson of Jehoshaphat who sought the Lord with all his heart.”(H) So no one from the house of Ahaziah had the strength to rule the kingdom.

Athaliah Usurps the Throne

10 When(I) Athaliah, Ahaziah’s mother, saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs[h] of the house of Judah. 11 Jehoshabeath,[i] the king’s daughter, rescued Joash son of Ahaziah from the king’s sons who were being killed and put him and the one who nursed him in a bedroom. Now Jehoshabeath was the daughter of King Jehoram and the wife of Jehoiada the priest. Since she was Ahaziah’s sister, she hid Joash from Athaliah so that she did not kill him. 12 While Athaliah ruled over the land, he was hiding with them in God’s temple six years.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 22:1 Lit the former ones
  2. 2 Chronicles 22:2 Some LXX mss, Syr; MT reads 42; 2Kg 8:26
  3. 2 Chronicles 22:2 Lit daughter
  4. 2 Chronicles 22:5 = Jehoram
  5. 2 Chronicles 22:5 Lit Rammites
  6. 2 Chronicles 22:6 Lit in Ramah
  7. 2 Chronicles 22:6 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Vg; other Hb mss read Azariah
  8. 2 Chronicles 22:10 Lit seed
  9. 2 Chronicles 22:11 = Jehosheba; 2Kg 11:2