Chapter 22
1 The inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king in his place , because the band of men who came with the Arabians to the camp had slain all the oldest. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned .
2 Ahaziah was forty-two years old when he began to reign , and he reigned one year in Jerusalem . His mother’s name was Athaliah the daughter of Omri .
3 He also walked in the ways of Ahab’s house , because his mother was his counselor in acting wickedly .
4 He did that which was evil in Yahweh ’s sight , as did Ahab’s house , for they were his counselors after the death of his father, to his destruction .
5 He also followed their counsel , and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth Gilead ; and the Syrians wounded Joram .
6 He returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which they had given him at Ramah , when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. Azariah the son of Jehoram , king of Judah , went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab in Jezreel , because he was sick .
7 Now the destruction of Ahaziah was of God , in that he went to Joram ; for when he had come , he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi , whom Yahweh had anointed to cut off Ahab’s house .
8 When Jehu was executing judgment on Ahab’s house , he found the princes of Judah and the sons of the brothers of Ahaziah serving Ahaziah, and killed them .
9 He sought Ahaziah, and they caught him ( now he was hiding in Samaria ), and they brought him to Jehu and killed him ; and they buried him , for they said, " He is the son of Jehoshaphat , who sought Yahweh with all his heart ." The house of Ahaziah had no power to hold the kingdom .
10 Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead , she arose and destroyed all the royal offspring of the house of Judah .
11 But Jehoshabeath , the king ’s daughter , took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stealthily rescued him from among the king ’s sons who were slain , and put 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 didn’t kill him .
12 He was with them hidden in God’s house six years while Athaliah reigned over the land.