21:1 Then Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David. And Jehoram his son succeeded him as king.
21:2 Jehoram’s brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat, were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael and Shephatiah. All these were sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.
21:3 Their father had given them many gifts of silver and gold and articles of value, as well as fortified cities in Judah, but he had given the kingdom to Jehoram because he was his firstborn son.
21:4 When Jehoram established himself firmly over his father’s kingdom, he put all his brothers to the sword along with some of the princes of Israel.
21:5 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years.
21:6 He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter of Ahab. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD.
21:7 Nevertheless, because of the covenant the LORD had made with David, the LORD was not willing to destroy the house of David. He had promised to maintain a lamp for him and his descendants forever.
21:8 In the time of Jehoram, Edom rebelled against Judah and set up its own king.
21:9 So Jehoram went there with his officers and all his chariots. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, but he rose up and broke through by night.
21:10 To this day Edom has been in rebellion against Judah. Libnah revolted at the same time, because Jehoram had forsaken the LORD, the God of his fathers.
21:11 He had also built high places on the hills of Judah and had caused the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves and had led Judah astray.
21:12 Jehoram received a letter from Elijah the prophet, which said: “This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: ‘You have not walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or of Asa king of Judah.
21:13 But you have walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and you have led Judah and the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves, just as the house of Ahab did. You have also murdered your own brothers, members of your father’s house, men who were better than you.
21:14 So now the LORD is about to strike your people, your sons, your wives and everything that is yours, with a heavy blow.
21:15 You yourself will be very ill with a lingering disease of the bowels, until the disease causes your bowels to come out.’”
21:16 The LORD aroused against Jehoram the hostility of the Philistines and of the Arabs who lived near the Cushites.
21:17 They attacked Judah, invaded it and carried off all the goods found in the king’s palace, together with his sons and wives. Not a son was left to him except Ahaziah, the youngest.
21:18 After all this, the LORD afflicted Jehoram with an incurable disease of the bowels.
21:19 In the course of time, at the end of the second year, his bowels came out because of the disease, and he died in great pain. His people made no fire in his honor, as they had for his fathers.
21:20 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. He passed away, to no one’s regret, and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.
21:1 And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Jehoram his son reigned in his place.
21:2 And he had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah and Jehiel and Zechariah and Azariahu and Michael and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah.
21:3 And their father gave them many gifts of silver and gold and precious things, along with fortified cities in Judah; but the kingdom he gave to Jehoram, for he was the firstborn.
21:4 And when Jehoram rose up over the kingdom of his father and strengthened himself, he slew all his brothers with the sword as well as the princes of Israel.
21:5 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.
21:6 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel and as the house of Ahab had done, for Ahab’s daughter was his wife; and he did what was evil in the sight of Jehovah.
21:7 But Jehovah would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant He had made with David and since He had promised him that He would provide a lamp for him and for his children always.
21:8 In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and they installed a king over themselves.
21:9 So Jehoram crossed over with his captains and all his chariots with him. And he rose up at night and struck the Edomites all around him and the captains of the chariots.
21:10 So Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, as it is to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time from under his hand, for he had forsaken Jehovah, the God of his fathers.
21:11 He also made high places in the hill country of Judah and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit harlotries and led Judah astray.
21:12 And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus says Jehovah, the God of David your father, Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father and in the ways of Asa the king of Judah
21:13 But have walked in the way of the kings of Israel and caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit harlotries, as the house of Ahab committed harlotries, and also have slain your brothers, those of your father’s house, who were better than you,
21:14 Jehovah is now striking your people and your children and your wives and all your possessions with a great plague;
21:15 And you yourself will be severely ill with a disease of your bowels, to the point that your bowels will come out day by day because of the illness.
21:16 And Jehovah stirred up the spirit of the Philistines and Arabians who are next to the Cushites against Jehoram.
21:17 And they came up against Judah and broke through into it and carried away all the possessions that were found in the king’s house as well as his sons and his wives; and no son was left to him except Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.
21:18 And after all this, Jehovah struck him in his bowels with the incurable illness.
21:19 And in the course of time, at the end of two years, his bowels came out because of the illness, and he died with severe illnesses. And his people did not make a burning for him, like the burning they had made for his fathers.
21:20 He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he departed with no one’s regret; and they buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.
