The Shortest Reign and the Rescue Nobody Saw Coming.

וַיַּמְלִיכוּ֩ יוֹשְׁבֵ֨י יְרוּשָׁלִַ֜ם אֶת־אֲחַזְיָ֨הוּ בְנ֤וֹ הַקָּטֹן֙ תַּחְתָּ֔יו כִּ֤י כָל־הָרִאשֹׁנִים֙ הָרַ֣ג הַגְּד֔וּד הַבָּ֥א בָֽעַרְבִ֖ים לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה וַיִּמְלֹ֛ךְ אֲחַזְיָ֥הוּ בֶן־יְהוֹרָ֖ם מֶ֥לֶךְ יְהוּדָֽה׃ פ

And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, his youngest son, king in his place, for the band of men that came with the Arabians to the camp had killed all the older sons. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned.

בֶּן־אַרְבָּעִ֨ים וּשְׁתַּ֤יִם שָׁנָה֙ אֲחַזְיָ֣הוּ בְמָלְכ֔וֹ וְשָׁנָ֣ה אַחַ֔ת מָלַ֖ךְ בִּֽירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וְשֵׁ֣ם אִמּ֔וֹ עֲתַלְיָ֖הוּ בַּת־עָמְרִֽי׃

[2] Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri.

גַּם־ה֣וּא הָלַ֔ךְ בְּדַרְכֵ֖י בֵּ֣ית אַחְאָ֑ב כִּ֥י אִמּ֛וֹ הָיְתָ֥ה יֽוֹעַצְתּ֖וֹ לְהַרְשִֽׁיעַ׃

[3] He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor in doing wickedly.

וַיַּ֧עַשׂ הָרַ֛ע בְּעֵינֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה כְּבֵ֣ית אַחְאָ֑ב כִּי־הֵ֜מָּה הָֽיוּ־ל֣וֹ יֽוֹעֲצִ֗ים אַחֲרֵ֛י מ֥וֹת אָבִ֖יו לְמַשְׁחִ֥ית לֽוֹ׃

[4] He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord , as the house of Ahab had done. For after the death of his father they were his counselors, to his undoing.

גַּ֣ם בַּעֲצָתָם֮ הָלַךְ֒ וַיֵּלֶךְ֩ אֶת־יְהוֹרָ֨ם בֶּן־אַחְאָ֜ב מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לַמִּלְחָמָ֛ה עַל־חֲזָאֵ֥ל מֶֽלֶךְ־אֲרָ֖ם בְּרָמ֣וֹת גִּלְעָ֑ד וַיַּכּ֥וּ הָֽרַמִּ֖ים אֶת־יוֹרָֽם׃

[5] He even followed their counsel and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to make war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth-gilead. And the Syrians wounded Joram,

וַיָּ֜שָׁב לְהִתְרַפֵּ֣א בְיִזְרְעֶ֗אל כִּ֤י הַמַּכִּים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הִכֻּ֣הוּ בָֽרָמָ֔ה בְּהִלָּ֣חֲמ֔וֹ אֶת־חֲזָהאֵ֖ל מֶ֣לֶךְ אֲרָ֑ם וַעֲזַרְיָ֨הוּ בֶן־יְהוֹרָ֜ם מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֗ה יָרַ֡ד לִרְא֞וֹת אֶת־יְהוֹרָ֧ם בֶּן־אַחְאָ֛ב בְּיִזְרְעֶ֖אל כִּי־חֹלֶ֥ה הֽוּא׃

[6] and he returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds that he had received at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was wounded.

וּמֵֽאֱלֹהִ֗ים הָיְתָה֙ תְּבוּסַ֣ת אֲחַזְיָ֔הוּ לָב֖וֹא אֶל־יוֹרָ֑ם וּבְבֹא֗וֹ יָצָ֤א עִם־יְהוֹרָם֙ אֶל־יֵה֣וּא בֶן־נִמְשִׁ֔י אֲשֶׁ֣ר מְשָׁח֣וֹ יְהוָ֔ה לְהַכְרִ֖ית אֶת־בֵּ֥ית אַחְאָֽב׃

[7] But it was ordained by God that the downfall of Ahaziah should come about through his going to visit Joram. For when he came there, he went out with Jehoram to meet Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom the Lord had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab.

וַיְהִ֕י כְּהִשָּׁפֵ֥ט יֵה֖וּא עִם־בֵּ֣ית אַחְאָ֑ב וַיִּמְצָא֩ אֶת־שָׂרֵ֨י יְהוּדָ֜ה וּבְנֵ֨י אֲחֵ֧י אֲחַזְיָ֛הוּ מְשָׁרְתִ֥ים לַאֲחַזְיָ֖הוּ וַיַּהַרְגֵֽם׃

[8] And when Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, he met the princes of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah's brothers, who attended Ahaziah, and he killed them.

וַיְבַקֵּשׁ֩ אֶת־אֲחַזְיָ֨הוּ וַֽיִּלְכְּדֻ֜הוּ וְה֧וּא מִתְחַבֵּ֣א בְשֹֽׁמְר֗וֹן וַיְבִאֻ֣הוּ אֶל־יֵהוּא֮ וַיְמִתֻהוּ֒ וַֽיִּקְבְּרֻ֔הוּ כִּ֤י אָֽמְרוּ֙ בֶּן־יְהוֹשָׁפָ֣ט ה֔וּא אֲשֶׁר־דָּרַ֥שׁ אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה בְּכָל־לְבָב֑וֹ וְאֵין֙ לְבֵ֣ית אֲחַזְיָ֔הוּ לַעְצֹ֥ר כֹּ֖חַ לְמַמְלָכָֽה׃

[9] He searched for Ahaziah, and he was captured while hiding in Samaria, and he was brought to Jehu and put to death. They buried him, for they said, “He is the grandson of Jehoshaphat, who sought the Lord with all his heart.” And the house of Ahaziah had no one able to rule the kingdom.

וַעֲתַלְיָ֙הוּ֙ אֵ֣ם אֲחַזְיָ֔הוּ רָאֲתָ֖ה כִּ֣י מֵ֣ת בְּנָ֑הּ וַתָּ֗קָם וַתְּדַבֵּ֛ר אֶת־כָּל־זֶ֥רַע הַמַּמְלָכָ֖ה לְבֵ֥ית יְהוּדָֽה׃

[10] Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal family of the house of Judah.

וַתִּקַּח֩ יְהוֹשַׁבְעַ֨ת בַּת־הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ אֶת־יוֹאָ֣שׁ בֶּן־אֲחַזְיָ֗הוּ וַתִּגְנֹ֤ב אֹתוֹ֙ מִתּ֤וֹךְ בְּנֵֽי־הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ הַמּ֣וּמָתִ֔ים וַתִּתֵּ֥ן אֹת֛וֹ וְאֶת־מֵֽינִקְתּ֖וֹ בַּחֲדַ֣ר הַמִּטּ֑וֹת וַתַּסְתִּירֵ֡הוּ יְהוֹשַׁבְעַ֣ת בַּת־הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ יְהוֹרָ֡ם אֵשֶׁת֩ יְהוֹיָדָ֨ע הַכֹּהֵ֜ן כִּ֣י הִיא֩ הָיְתָ֨ה אֲח֧וֹת אֲחַזְיָ֛הוּ מִפְּנֵ֥י עֲתַלְיָ֖הוּ וְלֹ֥א הֱמִיתָֽתְהוּ׃

[11] But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the king's sons who were about to be put to death, and she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram and wife of Jehoiada the priest, because she was a sister of Ahaziah, hid him from Athaliah, so that she did not put him to death.

וַיְהִ֤י אִתָּם֙ בְּבֵ֣ית הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים מִתְחַבֵּ֖א שֵׁ֣שׁ שָׁנִ֖ים וַעֲתַלְיָ֖ה מֹלֶ֥כֶת עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ פ

[12] And he remained with them six years, hidden in the house of God, while Athaliah reigned over the land.