King Ahaziah of Judah
(2 Kings 8.25-292 9.21-28)1 Some Arabs had led a raid and killed all of King Jehoram's sons except Ahaziah, the youngest. So now the people of Jerusalem made Ahaziah king as his father's successor. 2-3 Ahaziah became king at the age of twenty-two, and he ruled in Jerusalem for one year. Ahaziah also followed the example of King Ahab's family, since his mother Athaliah—the daughter of King Ahab and granddaughter of King Omri of Israel—gave him advice that led him into evil. 4 He sinned against the Lord, because after his father's death other members of King Ahab's family became his advisers, and they led to his downfall. 5 Following their advice, he joined King Joram of Israel in a war against King Hazael of Syria. The armies clashed at Ramoth in Gilead, and Joram was wounded in battle. 6 He returned to the city of Jezreel to recover from his wounds, and Ahaziah went there to visit him.
7 God used this visit to Joram to bring about Ahaziah's downfall. While Ahaziah was there, he and Joram were confronted by a man named Jehu son of Nimshi, whom the Lord had chosen to destroy the dynasty of Ahab. 8 As Jehu was carrying out God's sentence on the dynasty, he came across a group made up of Judean leaders and of Ahaziah's nephews that had accompanied Ahaziah on his visit. Jehu killed them all. 9 A search was made for Ahaziah, and he was found hiding in Samaria. They took him to Jehu and put him to death. But they did bury his body out of respect for his grandfather King Jehoshaphat, who had done all he could to serve the Lord.
No member of Ahaziah's family was left who could rule the kingdom.
Queen Athaliah of Judah
(2 Kings 11.1-3)10 As soon as King Ahaziah's mother Athaliah learned of her son's murder, she gave orders for all the members of the royal family of Judah to be killed. 11 Ahaziah had a half sister, Jehosheba, who was married to a priest named Jehoiada. She secretly rescued one of Ahaziah's sons, Joash, took him away from the other princes who were about to be murdered and hid him and a nurse in a bedroom at the Temple. By keeping him hidden, she saved him from death at the hands of Athaliah. 12 For six years he remained there in hiding, while Athaliah ruled as queen.
1 And the inhabitants of Ierusalem made Ahaziah his yongest sonne King in his steade: for the armie that came with the Arabians to the campe, had slayne all the eldest: therefore Ahaziah the sonne of Iehoram King of Iudah reigned. 2 Two and fourtie yeere olde was Ahaziah when he began to reigne, and he reigned one yeere in Ierusalem. and his mothers name was Athaliah the daughter of Omri. 3 He walked also in the wayes of the house of Ahab: for his mother counselled him to doe wickedly. 4 Wherefore he did euill in the sight of the Lord, like the house of Ahab: for they were his counsellers after the death of his father, to his destruction. 5 And he walked after their counsel, and went with Iehoram the sonne of Ahab King of Israel to fight against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth Gilead: and the Aramites smote Ioram. 6 And he returned to be healed in Izreel, because of the woundes wherewith they had wounded him at Ramah, when he fought with Hazael King of Aram. Nowe Azariah the sonne of Iehoram King of Iudah went downe to see Iehoram the sonne of Ahab at Izreel, because hee was diseased. 7 And the destruction of Ahaziah came of God in that he went to Ioram: for when he was come, he went forth with Iehoram against Iehu the sonne of Nimshi, whom the Lord had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab. 8 Therefore when Iehu executed iudgement vpon the house of Ahab, and found the princes of Iudah and the sonnes of the brethren of Ahaziah that waited on Ahaziah, he slew them also. 9 And he sought Ahaziah, and they caught him where he was hid in Samaria, and brought him to Iehu, and slewe him, and buryed him, because, sayd they, he is the sonne of Iehoshaphat, which sought the Lord with all his heart. So the house of Ahaziah was not able to reteine the kingdome. 10 Therefore when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah sawe that her sonne was dead, shee arose and destroyed all the Kings seede of the house of Iudah. 11 But Iehoshabeath the daughter of ye King, tooke Ioash the sonne of Ahaziah, and stale him from among the Kings sonnes, that shoulde be slayne, and put him and his nource in the bed chamber: so Iehoshabeath the daughter of King Iehoram the wife of Iehoiada the Priest (for shee was the sister of Ahaziah) hid him from Athaliah: so she slew him not. 12 And hee was with them hid in the house of God sixe yeeres, whiles Athaliah reigned ouer the land.