2Chronicles 22

Ahaziah Rules in Judah

22Then the people of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, Jehoram's youngest son, their next king, since the marauding bands who came with the Arabs

had killed all the older sons. So Ahaziah son of Jehoram reigned as king of Judah.H3427H3389H4427H274H6996H1121H4427H1416H935H6163H4264H2026H7223H274H1121H3088H4428H3063H44272Ahaziah was twenty-two

years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother was Athaliah, a granddaughter of King Omri.H705H8147H8141H1121H274H4427H4427H259H8141H3389H517H8034H6271H1323H60183Ahaziah also followed the evil example of King Ahab's family, for his mother encouraged him in doing wrong.H1980H1870H1004H256H517H3289H75614He did what was evil in the LORD's sight, just as Ahab's family had done. They even became his advisers after the death of his father, and they led him to ruin.H6213H7451H5869H3068H1004H256H3289H310H4194H1H48895Following their evil advice, Ahaziah joined King Joram

, the son of King Ahab of Israel, in his war against King Hazael of Aram at Ramoth-gilead. When the Arameans wounded Joram in the battle,H1980H6098H3212H3088H1121H256H4428H3478H4421H2371H4428H758H7433H1568H7421H5221H31416he returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he had received at Ramoth

. Because Joram was wounded, King Ahaziah of Judah went to Jezreel to visit him.H7725H7495H3157H4347H5221H7414H3898H2371H4428H758H5838H1121H3088H4428H3063H3381H7200H3088H1121H256H3157H24707But God had decided that this visit would be Ahaziah's downfall. While he was there, Ahaziah went out with Joram to meet Jehu grandson of Nimshi

, whom the LORD had appointed to destroy the dynasty of Ahab.H8395H274H430H935H3141H935H3318H3088H3058H1121H5250H3068H4886H3772H1004H2568While Jehu was executing judgment against the family of Ahab, he happened to meet some of Judah's officials and Ahaziah's relatives

who were traveling with Ahaziah. So Jehu killed them all.H3058H8199H1004H256H4672H8269H3063H1121H251H274H8334H274H20269Then Jehu's men searched for Ahaziah, and they found him hiding in the city of Samaria. They brought him to Jehu, who killed him. Ahaziah was given a decent burial because the people said, "He was the grandson of Jehoshaphat—a man who sought the LORD with all his heart." But none of the surviving members of Ahaziah's family was capable of ruling the kingdom.H1245H274H3920H2244H8111H935H3058H4191H6912H559H1121H3092H1875H3068H3824H1004H274H3581H6113H4467

Queen Athaliah Rules in Judah

10When Athaliah, the mother of King Ahaziah of Judah, learned that her son was dead, she began to destroy the rest of Judah's royal family.H6271H517H274H7200H1121H4191H6965H1696H2233H4467H1004H306311But Ahaziah's sister Jehosheba

, the daughter of King Jehoram, took Ahaziah's infant son, Joash, and stole him away from among the rest of the king's children, who were about to be killed. She put Joash and his nurse in a bedroom. In this way, Jehosheba, wife of Jehoiada the priest and sister of Ahaziah, hid the child so that Athaliah could not murder him.H3090H1323H4428H3947H3101H1121H274H1589H8432H4428H1121H4191H5414H3243H2315H4296H3090H1323H4428H3088H802H3077H3548H269H274H5641H6440H6271H419112Joash remained hidden in the Temple of God for six years while Athaliah ruled over the land.H2244H1004H430H8337H8141H6271H4427H776