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

The Reign of Ahaziah

22 And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king in his place, for the band of men who had come with the Arabs to the camp had murdered all the older sons. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram, the king of Judah, reigned. Ahaziah was forty-two[a] years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And the name of his mother was Athaliah, the daughter[b] of Omri. He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor for doing wickedness. And he did evil in the eyes of Yahweh as the house of Ahab had done, for they were his counselors to his destruction after the death of his father. He also walked in their counsel and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab, king of Israel, to war against Hazael king of Aram[c] at Ramoth-Gilead. And the Arameans wounded Joram. And he returned to be healed in Jezreel because of the wounds he had suffered at Ramah, when he made war against Hazael king of Aram.[d] And Azariah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, went down to see Jehoram son of Ahab in Jezreel for he was sick.

But the downfall of Ahaziah was from God, and intended to come to Joram. And when he came, he went out with Jehoram to Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom Yahweh had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab. And it happened that when Jehu was judging the house of Ahab, he found the princes of Judah and the sons of the brothers of Ahaziah who ministered to Ahaziah, and he killed them. And he searched for Ahaziah and captured him. And he was hiding in Samaria. And they brought him to Jehu and put him to death. And they buried him, for they said, “He is the descendant[e] of Jehoshaphat, who sought Yahweh with his whole heart.” And the house of Ahab had no one to exercise power over the kingdom.

The Reign of Athaliah

10 Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and murdered all the royal descendants[f] of the house of Judah. 11 But Jehosheba the daughter of the king took Joash, the son of Ahaziah, and kidnapped him away from the sons of the king who were to be put to death. And she put him and his nurse in a private bedroom. So Jehosheba the daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest, because she was a sister of Ahaziah, hid him from before Athaliah so that she did not put him to death. 12 And he was hidden with them in the house of God six years, but Athaliah reigned over the land.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 22:2 The Septuagint reads “twenty-two” here
  2. 2 Chronicles 22:2 Some translations render the term “granddaughter”
  3. 2 Chronicles 22:5 Or “Syria”
  4. 2 Chronicles 22:6 Or “Syria”
  5. 2 Chronicles 22:9 Or “son”; Ahaziah was Jehoshaphat’s grandson
  6. 2 Chronicles 22:10 Literally “seed of the kingdom”