Ahaziah of Judah
1The inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, his youngest son, king in his place, since the raiding band that had come into the camp with the Arabs had killed all the older ones. So Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah became king. 2Ahaziah was forty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah, daughter of Omri.* 3He too walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was the one who counselled him into wickedness. 4He did what was evil in the eyes of Yahweh, like the house of Ahab, for after his father’s death they were his counsellors — to his ruin. 5It was on their advice that he went with Joram son of Ahab king of Israel to fight Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead; and the men of Ramah wounded Joram.* 6He went back to Jezreel to recover from the wounds they had dealt him at Ramah when he fought Hazael king of Aram. And Azariah son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to Jezreel to visit Joram son of Ahab, because he was ill.* 7Ahaziah’s downfall came from God, through that visit to Joram: when he arrived, he rode out with Joram against Jehu son of Nimshi, whom Yahweh had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab. 8While Jehu was carrying out judgment on the house of Ahab, he came upon the officers of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s brothers, who were in Ahaziah’s service, and he killed them. 9Then he hunted for Ahaziah, and they seized him while he was hiding in Samaria and brought him to Jehu, who put him to death. They buried him, for they said, “He is a son of Jehoshaphat, who sought Yahweh with all his heart.” And the house of Ahaziah had no one left with strength enough to hold the kingdom.
Athaliah Seizes the Throne
10When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she set about wiping out the whole royal line of the house of Judah. 11But Jehoshabeath, the king’s daughter, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were being killed, and she put him and his nurse in a bedchamber. So Jehoshabeath, daughter of King Jehoram and wife of Jehoiada the priest — for she was Ahaziah’s sister — hid him from Athaliah, and Athaliah did not kill him. 12He stayed with them, hidden in the house of God, for six years, while Athaliah reigned over the land.
Notes
- 22:2 — The Hebrew text reads “forty-two years.” The parallel passage in 2 Kings 8:26 reads “twenty-two,” and the Septuagint “twenty”; many versions correct it to twenty-two, because according to 21:20 his father died at forty. This translation follows the Hebrew text.
- 22:5 — The Hebrew text writes harammim, which can be taken as a short form of “the Arameans,” as the parallel passage in 2 Kings 8:28 reads, or as “the men of Ramah.” Both readings are possible.
- 22:6 — Here the Hebrew text calls the king of Judah “Azariah”; in the rest of the chapter he is Ahaziah. Many Hebrew manuscripts, the Septuagint and the Vulgate read “Ahaziah,” as does the parallel passage in 2 Kings 8:29. This translation follows the Hebrew text.
