Ahaziah King of Judah

22:1–6pp—2Ki 8:25–29
22:7–9pp—2Ki 9:21–29

22 The peoplel of Jerusalemm made Ahaziah, Jehoram’s youngest son, king in his place, since the raiders,n who came with the Arabs into the camp, had killed all the older sons. So Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign.

2 Ahaziah was twenty-twoa years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother’s name was Athaliah, a granddaughter of Omri.

3 He too followedo the ways of the house of Ahab,p for his mother encouraged him to act wickedly. 4 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as the house of Ahab had done, for after his father’s death they became his advisers, to his undoing. 5 He also followed their counsel when he went with Joramb son of Ahab king of Israel to wage war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth Gilead.q The Arameans wounded Joram; 6 so he returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds they had inflicted on him at Ramothc in his battle with Hazaelr king of Aram.

Then Ahaziahd son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to Jezreel to see Joram son of Ahab because he had been wounded.

7 Through Ahaziah’ss visit to Joram, God brought about Ahaziah’s downfall. When Ahaziah arrived, he went out with Joram to meet Jehu son of Nimshi, whom the Lord had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab. 8 While Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab,t he found the officials of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s relatives, who had been attending Ahaziah, and he killed them. 9 He then went in search of Ahaziah, and his men captured him while he was hidingu in Samaria. He was brought to Jehu and put to death. They buried him, for they said, “He was a son of Jehoshaphat, who soughtv the Lord with all his heart.” So there was no one in the house of Ahaziah powerful enough to retain the kingdom.