2 Chronicles 22
1 The people of Jerusalem appointed Jehoram’s youngest son Ahaziah as their king, because the men [from Philistia] who had invaded Judah with some Arabs had killed all of Jehoram’s other sons. So Ahaziah started to rule Judah.
And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king, in his stead, for, all the elder sons, had the band of men slain who came in with the Arabians into the camp, —so Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned.
2 Ahaziah was 22 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for one year. His mother’s name was Athaliah, a granddaughter of [King] Omri [of Israel].
Forty-two years old, was Ahaziah when he began to reign, and, one year, reigned he in Jerusalem, —and, the name of his mother, was Athaliah, daughter of Omri.
3 King Ahaziah conducted his life just like the members of Ahab’s family had done, because his mother encouraged him to do things that are evil.
He too, walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, —for, his mother, became his counselor, to work lawlessness.
4 He did things that Yahweh considers to be evil, like the descendants of Ahab had done, because after Ahaziah’s father died, they became his advisors. And Ahaziah died as a result of heeding their bad advice.
Wherefore he did the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh, like the house of Ahab, —for, they, became his counselors, after the death of his father, to his destruction.
5 He also did what they advised when he went with Joram, the son of King Ahab of Israel, to fight against the army of Hazael, the king of Syria, at Ramoth-Gilead.
Even in their counsel, he walked, and went with Jehoram son of Ahab king of Israel, to war against Hazael king of Syria, in Ramoth-gilead, —and the Syrians smote Joram.
6 Then King Ahaziah went down to Jezreel [city] to see Joram, the son of [King] Ahab, because he had been wounded.
And he returned to be healed in Jezreel, because of the wounds wherewith they smote him in Ramah, when he fought with Hazael, king of Syria, —and, Azariah son of Jehoram king of Judah, went down to see Jehoram son of Ahab in Jezreel, because, sick, was he!
7 It was during that visit that God caused Ahaziah to die. When Ahaziah arrived, he went with Joram to meet Jehu, the son of Nimshi, whom Yahweh had appointed to kill all the descendants of Ahab.
But, from God, came the downfall of Azariah, through his coming to Joram, —and because, through his coming, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu son of Nimshi, whom Yahweh had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.
8 While Jehu [and the men who were with him] were killing the descendants of Ahab, they found the leaders of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s relatives who had been working for Ahaziah, and they killed all of them.
And so it came to pass, when Jehu was executing judgment upon the house of Ahab, —and found the rulers of Judah and the sons of the brethren of Ahaziah ministering to Ahaziah, that he slew them.
9 Then Jehu went to find Ahaziah, and his soldiers found Ahaziah while he was hiding in Samaria [city]. They brought him to Jehu and executed him. Then they buried his corpse, because they said, “[He deserves to be buried, because] he was a descendant of Jehoshaphat, who tried hard to please Yahweh.” There were no descendants of Ahaziah who were powerful enough to become the kings of Judah.
And he sought Ahaziah, and they captured him, he, having hid himself in Samaria, and they brought him unto Jehu, and he put him to death, and they buried him, because, said they, he is, the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought Yahweh with all his heart, —and, no one of the house of Ahaziah, had ability for the kingdom.
10 When Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son had been killed, she commanded that all the members of Ahaziah’s family [who might become king] must be executed.
But, when, Athaliah mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son was dead, she rose up and destroyed all the seed royal of the house of Judah.
11 But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram, took Joash, Ahaziah’s very young son, away from the other sons of the king who were about to be murdered, and she hid him and his nursemaid in a bedroom in the temple. Because Jehosheba, who was the daughter of King Jehoram and the wife of the Supreme Priest Jehoiada, was Ahaziah’s sister, she hid the child, with the result that Athaliah could not kill him.
But Jehoshabeath, daughter of the king, took Joash son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the sons of the king who were being slain, and put him and his nurse in a bedchamber, —so Jehoshabeath daughter of King Jehoram—wife of Jehoiada the priest, for, she, was the sister of Ahaziah—hid him from the face of Athaliah so that she slew him not.
12 He remained hidden there for six years while Athaliah ruled [Judah].
And it came to pass that he was with them, in the house of God, hidden six years, -while, Athaliah, was reigning over the land.
