²⁶ Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother was Athaliah, a granddaughter of King Omri of Israel.

² Ahaziah was twenty-two^[a] years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother was Athaliah, a granddaughter of King Omri.

⁵ Following their evil advice, Ahaziah joined Joram,^[a] the son of King Ahab of Israel, in his war against King Hazael of Aram at Ramoth-gilead. When the Arameans^[b] wounded Joram in the battle, ⁶ he returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he had received at Ramoth.^[c] Because Joram was wounded, King Ahaziah^[d] of Judah went to Jezreel to visit him.

⁷ But God had decided that this visit would be Ahaziah’s downfall. While he was there, Ahaziah went out with Joram to meet Jehu grandson of Nimshi,^[e] whom the Lord had appointed to destroy the dynasty of Ahab.

⁸ While Jehu was executing judgment against the family of Ahab, he happened to meet some of Judah’s officials and Ahaziah’s relatives^[f] who were traveling with Ahaziah. So Jehu killed them all.

The Death of Athaliah

¹³ When Athaliah heard the noise made by the palace guards and the people, she hurried to the Lord’s Temple to see what was happening. ¹⁴ When she arrived, she saw the newly crowned king standing in his place of authority by the pillar, as was the custom at times of coronation. The commanders and trumpeters were surrounding him, and people from all over the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. When Athaliah saw all this, she tore her clothes in despair and shouted, “Treason! Treason!”

¹⁵ Then Jehoiada the priest ordered the commanders who were in charge of the troops, “Take her to the soldiers in front of the Temple,^[a] and kill anyone who tries to rescue her.” For the priest had said, “She must not be killed in the Temple of the Lord.” ¹⁶ So they seized her and led her out to the gate where horses enter the palace grounds, and she was killed there.

Queen Athaliah Rules in Judah

11 When Athaliah, the mother of King Ahaziah of Judah, learned that her son was dead, she began to destroy the rest of the royal family.

²¹ “Quick! Get my chariot ready!” King Joram commanded.

Then King Joram of Israel and King Ahaziah of Judah rode out in their chariots to meet Jehu. They met him at the plot of land that had belonged to Naboth of Jezreel. ²² King Joram demanded, “Do you come in peace, Jehu?”

Jehu replied, “How can there be peace as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother, Jezebel, are all around us?”

²³ Then King Joram turned the horses around^[a] and fled, shouting to King Ahaziah, “Treason, Ahaziah!” ²⁴ But Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow pierced his heart, and he sank down dead in his chariot.

²⁵ Jehu said to Bidkar, his officer, “Throw him into the plot of land that belonged to Naboth of Jezreel. Do you remember when you and I were riding along behind his father, Ahab? The Lord pronounced this message against him: ²⁶ ‘I solemnly swear that I will repay him here on this plot of land, says the Lord, for the murder of Naboth and his sons that I saw yesterday.’ So throw him out on Naboth’s property, just as the Lord said.”

²⁷ When King Ahaziah of Judah saw what was happening, he fled along the road to Beth-haggan. Jehu rode after him, shouting, “Shoot him, too!” So they shot Ahaziah^[b] in his chariot at the Ascent of Gur, near Ibleam. He was able to go on as far as Megiddo, but he died there.