1And the people of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, his youngest son, king in his stead; because when Arabians invaded Judah, they had killed all his older sons (v.21:17). And so Ahaziah, his youngest and only surviving son, reigned as king of Judah. 2Ahaziah was forty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athaliah, the (grand)daughter of Omri. 3He also followed the evil example of the family of Ahab; with his mother encouraging him to do wickedly. 4And so, he did evil in the eyes of the LORD like those of the house of Ahab; who (Athaliah’s family), after the death of his father, gave him advice which led to his destruction. 5Following their advice, he went with Joram, son of Ahab, king of Israel, to wage war against Hazael, king of Syria, at Ramoth-gilead; where the Syrians wounded Joram. 6And he returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he suffered in battle with Hazael, king of Syria, at Ramah. And Ahaziah, king of Judah, visited Joram, son of Ahab, while he was laid up at Jezreel. 7But God had decided that this visit would be Ahaziah’s downfall: While there, Ahaziah went with Joram to meet Jehu, grandson of Nimshi, whom the LORD had appointed to destroy the dynasty of Ahab. 8And while Jehu was executing judgment upon the house of Ahab, he found the officials of Judah, and the son of the murdered brothers of Ahaziah, ministering to Ahaziah, and Jehu slew them. 9Then Jehu’s men searched for and captured Ahaziah while he was hiding in Samaria. They brought him to Jehu, who killed him; and then gave him a burial, because, said they, “He is the grandson of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart.” So the house of Ahaziah had no one left able to hold the kingdom.

10When Athaliah, mother of King Ahaziah of Judah, learned that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the rest of Judah’s royal family.

11But Ahaziah’s sister, Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram, took Ahaziah’s infant son, Joash, from among the rest of the king’s children, who were about to be killed; and hid Joash and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus, Jehosheba, sister of Ahaziah and wife of Jehoiada, the priest, prevented Athaliah from murdering him.

12Joash remained hidden in the Temple of God during the next six years, while Athaliah ruled over the land.