2 Chronicles 22
1 And the inhabitants of Jerusalem
made Ochozias his youngest son king in his stead: for the band of robbers that
came against them, even the Arabians and the Alimazonians, had slain all the
elder ones. So Ochozias son of Joram king of Juda reigned.
2 Ochozias began to reign when he was
twenty years old, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem: and his mother's name
was Gotholia, the daughter of Ambri.
3 And he walked in the way of the
house of Achaab; for his mother was his counsellor to do evil.
4 And he did that which was evil in
the sight of the Lord as the house of Achaab
had done: for they were his counsellors after the
death of his father to his destruction.
5 And he walked in their counsels, and
he went with Joram son of Achaab king of Israel to war against Azael king of
Syria to Ramoth Galaad: and the archers smote Joram.
6 And Joram returned to Jezrael to be
healed of the wounds wherewith the Syrians smote him in Ramoth, when he fought
against Azael king of Syria.
And Ochozias son of Joram, king of Juda, went down to see Joram the son of
Achaab at Jezrael because he was sick.
7 And destruction from God came upon
Ochozias in his coming to Joram; for when he had
come, Joram went out with him against Jeu the son of Namessei, the anointed of
the Lord against the house of Achaab.
8 And it came to pass, when Jeu was
taking vengeance on the house of Achaab, that he found the princes of Juda and
the brethren of Ochozias ministering to Ochozias, and he slew them.
9 And he gave orders to seek Ochozias:
and they took him while he was healing his wounds in Samaria, and they brought
him to Jeu, and he slew him; and they buried him, for they said, He is the son
of Josaphat, who sought the Lord with all his heart.
So there was none in the house of Ochozias to secure their power in the
kingdom. 10 And Gotholia the mother
of Ochozias saw that her son was dead, and she arose and destroyed all the
seed royal in the house of Juda.
11 But Josabeeth, the daughter of the
king, took Joas the son of Ochozias and rescued him secretly out of the midst
of the sons of the king that were put to death, and she placed him and his
nurse in a bedchamber. So Josabeeth daughter of king Joram, sister of
Ochozias, wife of Jodae the priest, hid him, and she
even hid him from Gotholia, and she did not slay him.
12 And he was with him hid in the
house of God six years; and Gotholia reigned over the land.