Ahaziah Succeeds Jehoram

(2 Kings 8:25-29; 9:14-16; 27-29)

1The residents of Jerusalem made Jehoram’sa son Ahaziahb king in his place after the raiding party that had invaded the city with the Arabs had killed all of the older sons. That’s how Jehoram’s son Ahaziah became king of Judah. 2Ahaziah was 22c years old when he became king, and he reigned for one year in Jerusalem. His mother was Athaliah, Omri’s granddaughter.

3He followed the exampled of Ahab’s dynasty because his mother gave him evil counsel. 4So he practiced what the LORD considered to be evil, just like Ahab’s dynasty had done, because after his father died, he was given advice that resulted in his destruction. 5He followed their counsel and accompanied Ahab’s son Joram, king of Israel, to wage war against King Hazael of Aram at Ramoth-gilead. But the Arameans wounded Joram, 6so he returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds that he had received at Ramah in the battle against King Hazael of Aram. King Ahaziah of Judah, Jehoram’s son, went to visit Ahab’s son Joram, because he was wounded.

Ahaziah is Executed

(2 Kings 9:27-28)

7God used Ahaziah’s visit to Joram to destroy Ahaziah. As soon as he arrived, Ahaziahe went out with Joram to attack Nimshi’s son Jehu, whom the LORD had appointed to eliminate Ahab’s dynasty. 8And that’s exactly what happened. While Jehu was punishingf Ahab’s dynasty, he located the princes of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s brothers who were ministering to Ahaziah, and he put them to death. 9Jehug also searched for Ahaziah, had him apprehended while Ahaziahh was hiding out in Samaria, and had Ahaziahi brought to him. Jehuj had Ahaziahk executed and buried. It was said of Jehu,l “He is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all of his heart.” As a result, there was no one left in the household of Ahaziah strong enough to reign in the kingdom.

Athaliah’s Revolt

(2 Kings 11:1-8)

10As soon as Ahaziah’s mother Athaliah learned that her son had died, she set out to destroy the entire royal family of Judah. 11However, the king’s daughter Jehoshabeath took Ahaziah’s son Joash away from the king’s children who were about to be assassinated and hid him and his nurse in a bedroom. That’s how King Jehoram’s daughter Jehoshabeath, who was also the priest Jehoiada’s wife and Ahaziah’s sister, hid him from Athaliah. As a result, she was not able to kill him. 12Joashm remained with them for six years, hidden in God’s Temple while Athaliah reigned over the land.