2 Chronicles 21

1

Then Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the

City of David. And Jerhoram his son succeeded him as king.

2

Jerhoram's brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat, were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah,

Azariahu, Michael and Shephatiah. All these were sons of Jehoshaphat 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 Jeroham

because he was his firstborn son.

4

When Jehoram established himself firmly over his father's kingdom, he put

all his brothers to the sword along with some of the prices 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 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.

14

So now the 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 Jehoram 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 Jehoram with an incurable disease of 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.