1 The inhabitants of Jerusalem enthroned Ahaziah, his youngest {hakkāṭōn: least in age} son, as king in his place because the troop {haggəḏûd: raiding troop} that came with the Arabs to the camp had killed all the older sons. Then Ahaziah son of Jehoram, king of Judah, began to reign.
2 Ahaziah was forty-two {ben-arba'im ushtayim: son of forty and two} years old when he began his reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem for one year. His mother’s name was Athaliah {Atalyahu: Yah exalts}, granddaughter of Omri.
3 He also followed the ways {darkhei: moral practices} of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor {yo'atzto: female advisor}, steering him to act wickedly.
4 And he did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD {YHWH, Moral Appraiser}, just as the house of Ahab did, because after his father’s death they became his counselors, bringing him to his ruin {le-mashkhit: utter destruction}.
5 He also walked in their counsel {etsah: court advice} and went with {et: comitative marker} Jehoram son of Ahab, king of Israel, to war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth Gilead; and the Arameans struck Joram.
6 So Joram returned to Jezreel to be healed, because he had been wounded at Ramah {ramah: border stronghold} when he fought Hazael king of Aram. Then Azariah {azaryahu: Yah has helped}—that is, Ahaziah—son of Jehoram king of Judah, went down to see Jehoram son of Ahab in Jezreel because he was ill.
7 And the downfall of Ahaziah came from God {Elohim, Sovereign Orchestrator} through his going to Joram. When he arrived, he went out with Joram to Jehu son of Nimshi, whom the LORD {YHWH, Judgment Executor} had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab.
8 It happened, while Jehu {Yehu: Divine Avenger} was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, that he found the officials of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s brothers who were serving Ahaziah, and he killed {harag: put to death} them.
9 Then he searched for Ahaziah, and they captured him while he was hiding in Samaria; they brought him to Jehu, and they put him to death and buried him. For they said, “He is the grandson {ben: descendant} of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD {YHWH, Covenant Witness} with all his heart.” So there was no one in the house of Ahaziah able to retain strength for the kingdom.
10 When Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son was dead, she rose up and destroyed all the royal offspring {zera: seed} of the house {beit: clan} of Judah.
11 And Jehosheba, the daughter of the king, took Joash, the son of Ahaziah, and stole {tignov: rescued clandestinely} him away from among the king’s sons who were being killed. She placed him and his nurse {meiniktov: royal child caretaker} in the bedchamber and hid him—Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and wife of Jehoiada the priest—because she was Ahaziah’s sister, so that Athaliah did not put him to death.
12 And he stayed with them in the house of God {ha-Elohim, Sanctuary Protector}, hidden for six years, while Athaliah was reigning over the land {aretz: national territory}.