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.
2
Jehoram's brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat,
were Azariah, Jeheil, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael and Shephatiah.
All these were sons of Jehoshahphat king of Israel.
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.
Jehoram King of Judah
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.
5
Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king,
and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years.
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.
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.
8
In the time of Jehoram, Edom rebelled against Judah and set up its own king.
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.
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.
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.
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.
13
But you have walked in the ways of the kings of Israel,
and you have led Judah and the pople of Jerusalem to prostitue 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.
14
So now te LORD is about to strike your people, your sons, your wives
and everything that is yours, with a heavy blow.
15
You yourself will be very ill with a lingering disease of the bowels,
until the disease causes your bowels to come out.' "
16
The LORD aroused against Jeroham the hostility of the Philistines and
of the Arabs who lived near the Cushites.
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.
18
After all this, the LORD afflicted Jeroham with an incurable dsease of the bowels.
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.
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.
