1. The people of Jerusalem chose Ahaziah, Jehoram’s youngest son, to be king in his place. The robbers who had come with the Arabs to attack Jehoram’s camp had killed all of Jehoram’s older sons. So Ahaziah began to rule Judah.
2. Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he ruled one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah, a granddaughter of Omri.
3. Ahaziah followed the ways of Ahab’s family, because his mother encouraged him to do wrong.
4. Ahaziah did what the Lord said was wrong, as Ahab’s family had done. They gave advice to Ahaziah after his father died, and their bad advice led to his death.
5. Following their advice, Ahaziah went with Joram son of Ahab to Ramoth in Gilead, where they fought against Hazael king of Aram. The Arameans wounded Joram.
6. So Joram returned to Jezreel to heal from the wounds he received at Ramoth when he fought Hazael king of Aram.Ahaziah son of Jehoram and king of Judah went down to visit Joram son of Ahab at Jezreel because he had been wounded.
7. God caused Ahaziah’s death when he went to visit Joram. Ahaziah arrived and went out with Joram to meet Jehu son of Nimshi, whom the Lord had appointed to destroy Ahab’s family.
8. While Jehu was punishing Ahab’s family, he found the leaders of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s relatives who served Ahaziah, and Jehu killed them all.
9. Then Jehu looked for Ahaziah. Jehu’s men caught him hiding in Samaria, so they brought him to Jehu. Then they killed and buried him. They said, “Ahaziah is a descendant of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat obeyed the Lord with all his heart.” No one in Ahaziah’s family had the power to take control of the kingdom of Judah.
10. When Ahaziah’s mother, Athaliah, saw that her son was dead, she killed all the royal family in Judah.
11. But Jehosheba, King Jehoram’s daughter, took Joash, Ahaziah’s son. She stole him from among the other sons of the king who were going to be murdered and put him and his nurse in a bedroom. So Jehosheba, who was King Jehoram’s daughter and Ahaziah’s sister and the wife of Jehoiada the priest, hid Joash so Athaliah could not kill him.
12. He hid with them in the Temple of God for six years. During that time Athaliah ruled the land.