1Then Jehoshaphat rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. And Jehoram his son succeeded him as king.2Jehoram’s brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat, were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael and Shephatiah. All these were sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.[1]3Their 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.
Jehoram king of Judah
4When Jehoram established himself firmly over his father’s kingdom, he put all his brothers to the sword along with some of the officials of Israel.5Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for eight years.6He followed 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.7Nevertheless, 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 for ever.8In the time of Jehoram, Edom rebelled against Judah and set up its own king.9So 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.10To 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 ancestors.11He 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.12Jehoram received a letter from Elijah the prophet, which said: ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: “You have not followed the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or of Asa king of Judah.13But you have followed 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 own family, men who were better than you.14So now the Lord is about to strike your people, your sons, your wives and everything that is yours, with a heavy blow.15You yourself will be very ill with a lingering disease of the bowels, until the disease causes your bowels to come out.” ’16The Lord aroused against Jehoram the hostility of the Philistines and of the Arabs who lived near the Cushites.17They 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,[2] the youngest.18After all this, the Lord afflicted Jehoram with an incurable disease of the bowels.19In 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 funeral fire in his honour, as they had for his predecessors.20Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for 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.
2 Chronicles 21
English Standard Version
Jehoram Reigns in Judah
1Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Jehoram his son reigned in his place. (1Ki 22:50)2He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.[1] (2Ch 24:5)3Their father gave them great gifts of silver, gold, and valuable possessions, together with fortified cities in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram, because he was the firstborn. (2Ch 11:5)4When Jehoram had ascended the throne of his father and was established, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and also some of the princes of Israel. (2Ch 21:2)5Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. (2Ki 8:17; 2Ch 21:20)6And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. (1Ki 12:28; 1Ki 16:31; 2Ki 8:18; 2Ch 18:1)7Yet the Lord was not willing to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and since he had promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons forever. (2Sa 21:17; 1Ki 11:36)8In his days Edom revolted from the rule of Judah and set up a king of their own. (2Ch 21:10)9Then Jehoram passed over with his commanders and all his chariots, and he rose by night and struck the Edomites who had surrounded him and his chariot commanders.10So Edom revolted from the rule of Judah to this day. At that time Libnah also revolted from his rule, because he had forsaken the Lord, the God of his fathers. (2Ch 21:8)11Moreover, he made high places in the hill country of Judah and led the inhabitants of Jerusalem into whoredom and made Judah go astray. (Ex 34:16; Le 17:7; Le 20:5)12And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, “Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father, ‘Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa king of Judah, (2Ch 14:2; 2Ch 17:3)13but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel and have enticed Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem into whoredom, as the house of Ahab led Israel into whoredom, and also you have killed your brothers, of your father’s house, who were better than you, (1Ki 16:31; 2Ch 21:4; 2Ch 21:6; 2Ch 21:11)14behold, the Lord will bring a great plague on your people, your children, your wives, and all your possessions,15and you yourself will have a severe sickness with a disease of your bowels, until your bowels come out because of the disease, day by day.’” (2Ch 21:18)16And the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the anger[2] of the Philistines and of the Arabians who are near the Ethiopians. (1Ki 11:14; 1Ki 11:23; 2Ch 17:11; 2Ch 22:1; 2Ch 26:7)17And they came up against Judah and invaded it and carried away all the possessions they found that belonged to the king’s house, and also his sons and his wives, so that no son was left to him except Jehoahaz, his youngest son. (2Ch 22:6; 2Ch 25:23)18And after all this the Lord struck him in his bowels with an incurable disease. (2Ch 21:15)19In the course of time, at the end of two years, his bowels came out because of the disease, and he died in great agony. His people made no fire in his honor, like the fires made for his fathers. (2Ch 16:14)20He 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. They buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings. (2Ch 21:5; 2Ch 24:25; 2Ch 28:27; Jer 22:18)