1Then the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king in his place, for the raiding band that had come among the Arabs into the camp had killed all the older ones. So Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign.
2Ahaziah was forty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah, granddaughter of Omri.
3He too walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor in doing wickedly.
4He did the evil in the eyes of Yahweh, like the house of Ahab, for they were his counselors after the death of his father, to his ruin.
5He also walked by their counsel and went with Jehoram son of Ahab king of Israel to war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead, and the Arameans wounded Joram.
6So he returned to Jezreel to be healed of the wounds they had inflicted on him at Ramah when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. And Azariah son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Jehoram son of Ahab at Jezreel, because he was sick.
7Now the downfall of Ahaziah was from God, in that he came to Joram; for when he arrived he went out with Jehoram against Jehu son of Nimshi, whom Yahweh had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.
8And it happened, when Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, that he found the officials of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s brothers, who ministered to Ahaziah, and he killed them.
9Then he sought out Ahaziah, and they captured him while 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 son of Jehoshaphat, who sought Yahweh with all his heart.” And the house of Ahaziah had no one able to retain power over the kingdom.
10When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal offspring of the house of Judah.
11But Jehoshabeath the daughter of the king took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were being put to death, and she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. So Jehoshabeath, daughter of King Jehoram, wife of Jehoiada the priest — for she was the sister of Ahaziah — hid him from Athaliah, and she did not put him to death.
12And he was with them, hidden in the house of God, for six years, while Athaliah reigned over the land.
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