40. Ahab died and was buried with his ancestors. His son Ahaziah became the next king after him.
41. Jehoshaphat son of Asa became the king of Judah in Ahab’s fourth year as king of Israel.
42. Jehoshaphat was 35 years old when he became king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for 25 years. His mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi.
43. Like his father Asa, Jehoshaphat was good and did everything that the Lord wanted, but he did not destroy the high places. The people continued offering sacrifices and burning incense there.
44. Jehoshaphat made a peace agreement with the king of Israel.
45. Jehoshaphat was very brave and fought many wars. The rest of what he did is written in the book, The History of the Kings of Judah.
46. Jehoshaphat forced all the men and women who sold their bodies for sex to leave the places of worship. They had served in these places of worship while his father Asa was king.
47. In those days Edom did not have a king; it was ruled by a governor who was chosen by the king of Judah.
48. King Jehoshaphat built some cargo ships. He wanted the ships to sail to Ophir for gold, but they never went there—they were destroyed in their home port at Ezion Geber.
49. Then King Ahaziah of Israel offered to put some of his own sailors with Jehoshaphat’s men on the ships, but Jehoshaphat refused to accept his help.
50. Jehoshaphat died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then his son Jehoram became the next king.
51. Ahaziah was the son of Ahab. He became king of Israel during the 17th year that King Jehoshaphat ruled Judah. Ahaziah ruled in Samaria for two years.
52. He sinned against the Lord just as his parents, Ahab and Jezebel, did. He caused Israel to sin just as Jeroboam son of Nebat did.
53. Ahaziah served the false god Baal and worshiped him, just as his father did before him. He did all the things that his father did to make the Lord, the God of Israel, angry.