1 And the people of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king in his place. For the band of men that came with the Arabians to the camp had killed all the older ones. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned.

2 Ahaziah's [dynasty was] forty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name [was] Athaliah the daughter of Omri.

3 He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab. For his mother was his counselor to do wickedly.

4 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD like the house of Ahab. For they were his counselors after the death of his father, to his ruin.

5 He also walked after their advice and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth-gilead. And the Syrians struck Jehoram.

6 And he returned to be healed in Jezreel, because of the wounds which were given him at Ramah, when he fought with Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab at Jezreel, because he was sick.

7 And by coming to Jehoram, the destruction of Ahaziah was of God. He went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.

8 And it happened when Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, and found the rulers of Judah and the sons of the brothers of Ahaziah, the servants of Ahaziah, he killed them.

9 And he looked for Ahaziah. And they caught him (for he was hidden in Samaria), and brought him to Jehu. And when they had killed him, they buried him because they said, He [is] the son of Jehoshaphat who looked to the LORD with all his heart. And the house of Ahaziah had no power still to keep the kingdom.

10 And Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, and she arose and spoke to [destroy] all the royal seed of the house of Judah.

11 But Jehoshabeath the daughter of the king took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons who were killed. And she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. And Jehoshabeath, the daughter of king Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah) hid him from Athaliah so that she did not kill him.

12 And he was with them six years, hidden in the house of God. And Athaliah reigned over the land.