< 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.
The people of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, Jehoram's youngest son, king in succession to his father, since the invaders who had entered the camp with the Arabians had killed all the older sons. So Ahaziah, son of Jehoram, became king of Judah.
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].
Ahaziah was twenty-two when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for one year. His mother's name was Athaliah, the granddaughter 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.
Ahaziah also followed the evil ways of the family of Ahab, for his mother encouraged him to do wicked things.
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.
He did what was evil in the Lord's sight, just as the family of Ahab had done. For after his father's death they were his counselors, to his ruin.
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.
He also followed their advice in joining with Joram, son of Ahab, king of Israel, in attacking Hazael, king of Aram, in Ramoth Gilead. The Arameans wounded 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 Jezreel to recover from the wounds he'd received in Ramah fighting against Hazael king of Aram. Ahaziah, son of Jehoram, king of Judah, went to Jezreel to visit Joram, son of Ahab, because Joram was wounded.
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.
Azariah's downfall came from God when he went to see Joram. When Azariah got there, he went with Joram to meet Jehu, son of Nimri. The Lord had anointed Jehu to destroy Ahab and his family.
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.
While Jehu was carrying out judgment on the family of Ahab, he came across the leaders of Judah and Azariah's relatives who were assisting Ahaziah, and he killed 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.
Then Jehu went looking for Ahaziah. His men found him in Samaria and captured him, and took him to Jehu where they killed him. They buried him, for they said, “He is the grandson of Jehoshaphat, who was completely committed to following the Lord.” There was no one left from Ahaziah's family to rule 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.
When Athaliah Ahaziah's mother found out that her son was dead, she proceeded to kill all who remained of the royal family 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 King Jehoram, grabbed Joash, son of Ahaziah, and took him from the sons of the king who were about to be killed, and she placed him and his nurse in a bedroom. Because Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram and the wife of Jehoiada the priest, was Ahaziah's sister, she hid Joash from Athaliah so she couldn't kill him.
12 He remained hidden there for six years while Athaliah ruled [Judah].
And they kept Joash hidden with them in God's Temple for six years while Athaliah ruled the country.

< 2 Chronicles 22 >