1And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, his youngest son, king in his stead; for the Arabians that invaded Judah had slain all older sons. So Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, reigned.
2He was forty-two years old when he began to reign, and Ahaziah reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Athaliah, the (grand)daughter of Omri.
3He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab; for his mother counselled him to do wickedly.
4Therefore, 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 destruction.
5He walked after their counsel, and went with Jehoram, the son of Ahab, king of Israel, to wage war against Hazael, king of Syria, at Ramoth-gilead; and the Syrians smote Joram.
6And he returned to Jezreel to recuperate from the wounds he received at Ramah, in the battle with Hazael, king of Syria. And Azariah, the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, went down to see Jehoram, the son of Ahab, at Jezreel, because he was sick.
7And the destruction of Ahaziah was from God because he came to Joram; for when he had come, he accompanied Jehoram against Jehu, the son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab.
8And it came about, when Jehu was executing judgment upon the house of Ahab, and found the leaders of Judah, and the sons of the murdered brothers of Ahaziah, ministering to Ahaziah, Jehu slew them.
9And they searched for and captured Ahaziah; (for he was hiding in Samaria), and brought him to Jehu; and when they had slain him, they buried him, because, said they, after all, he is the grandson of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart. So the house of Ahaziah had no one left to hold the kingdom.
10But when Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal of the house of Judah.
11Except Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, stole Joash, the son of Ahaziah, from among the king's sons who were to be slain, and hid him and his nurse in a bedchamber. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid Joash from Athaliah, so that she slew him not.
12And he was hidden in the temple of God six years; while Athaliah reigned over the land. Easy Reader Bible: Purple Letter Edition © 2023 by Jim Musser. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. Bible Hub |
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