1 And the people of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, his youngest son, king in his place, for the band of men who came with the Arabians to the army had put all the older sons to death. So Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram, became king.

2 Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he was ruling in Jerusalem for one year. His mother's name was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri.

3 He went in the ways of the family of Ahab, for his mother was his teacher in evil-doing.

4 And he did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as the family of Ahab did; for after the death of his father they were his guides to his destruction.

5 Acting on their suggestion, he went with Jehoram, son of Ahab, king of Israel, to make war on Hazael, king of Aram, at Ramoth-gilead: and Joram was wounded by the bowmen.

6 And he went back to Jezreel to get well from the wounds which they had given him at Ramah when he was fighting against Hazael, king of Aram. And Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, went down to Jezreel to see Jehoram, the son of Ahab, because he was ill.

7 Now by the purpose of God, Ahaziah's journey to see Jehoram was the cause of his downfall: for when he came there, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu, the son of Nimshi, who had been marked out by the Lord for the destruction of the family of Ahab.

8 Now when Jehu was effecting the punishment of the family of Ahab, he came to the princes of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah's brothers, the servants of Ahaziah, and put them to death.

9 And he went in search of Ahaziah; and when they came where he was, (for he was in a secret place in Samaria,) they took him to Jehu and put him to death; then they put his body to rest in the earth, for they said, He is the son of Jehoshaphat, whose heart was true to the Lord. So the family of Ahaziah had no power to keep the kingdom.

10 Now when Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son was dead, she had all the rest of the seed of the kingdom of Judah put to death.

11 But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, secretly took Joash, the son of Ahaziah, away from among the king's sons who were put to death, and put him and the woman who took care of him in a bedroom. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest and sister of Ahaziah, kept him safe from Athaliah, so that she did not put him to death.

12 And she kept him safe with her in the house of God for six years, while Athaliah was ruling the land.

1 Und die zu Jerusalem machten zum König Ahasja, seinen jüngsten Sohn, an seiner Statt. Denn die Kriegsleute, die aus den Arabern mit dem Heer kamen, hatten die ersten alle erwürget; darum ward König Ahasja, der Sohn Jorams, des Königs Judas.

2 Zweiundvierzig Jahre alt war Ahasja, da er König ward, und regierete ein Jahr zu Jerusalem. Seine Mutter hieß Athalja, die Tochter Amris.

3 Und er wandelte auch in den Wegen des Hauses Ahab; denn seine Mutter hielt ihn dazu, daß er gottlos war.

4 Darum tat er, das dem HErrn übel gefiel, wie das Haus Ahab. Denn sie waren seine Ratgeber nach seines Vaters Tode, daß sie ihn verderbeten.

5 Und er wandelte nach ihrem Rat. Und er zog hin mit Joram, dem Sohn Ahabs, dem Könige Israels, in den Streit gen Ramoth in Gilead wider Hasael, den König zu Syrien. Aber die Syrer schlugen Joram,

6 daß er umkehrete, sich heilen zu lassen zu Jesreel; denn er hatte Wunden, die ihm geschlagen waren zu Rama, da er stritt mit Hasael, dem Könige zu Syrien. Und Asarja, der Sohn Jorams, der König Judas, zog hinab, zu besehen Joram, den Sohn Ahabs, zu Jesreel, der krank lag.

7 Denn es war von GOtt Ahasja der Unfall zugefüget, daß er zu Joram käme und also mit Joram auszöge wider Jehu, den Sohn Nimsis, welchen der HErr gesalbet hatte, auszurotten das Haus Ahab.

8 Da nun Jehu Strafe übte am Hause Ahab, fand er etliche Oberste aus Juda und die Kinder der Brüder Ahasjas, die Ahasja dieneten, und erwürgete sie.

9 Und er suchte Ahasja und gewann ihn, da er sich versteckt hatte zu Samaria. Und er ward zu Jehu gebracht; der tötete ihn, und man begrub ihn. Denn sie sprachen: Er ist Josaphats Sohn, der nach dem HErrn trachtete von ganzem Herzen. Und es war niemand mehr aus dem Hause Ahasjas, der König würde.

10 Da aber Athalja, die Mutter Ahasjas, sah, daß ihr Sohn tot war, machte sie sich auf und brachte um allen königlichen Samen im Hause Juda.

11 Aber Josabeath, des Königs Schwester, nahm Joas, den Sohn Ahasjas, und stahl ihn unter den Kindern des Königs, die getötet wurden, und tat ihn mit seiner Amme in eine Schlafkammer. Also verbarg ihn Josabeath, die Tochter des Königs Joram, des Priesters Jojada Weib (denn sie war Ahasjas Schwester) vor Athalja, daß er nicht getötet ward.

12 Und er ward mit ihnen im Hause Gottes versteckt sechs Jahre, weil Athalja Königin war im Lande.