2 Chronicles 21

Jehoram Succeeds Jehoshaphat in Judah

11Then Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Jehoram his son became king in his place. 2He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, 2Azaryahu, Michael and Shephatiah. All these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king 3of Israel. 3Their father gave them many gifts of silver, gold and precious things, 4with fortified cities in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn.

4Now when Jehoram had 5taken over the kingdom of his father and made himself 6secure, he 7killed all his brothers with the sword, and some of the rulers of Israel also. 58Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 69He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab did (10for Ahab’s daughter was his wife), and he did evil in the sight of the Lord. 7Yet the Lord was not willing to destroy the house of David because of the covenant which He had made with David, 11and since He had promised to give a lamp to him and his sons forever.

Revolt against Judah

8In his days 12Edom revolted 13against the rule of Judah and set up a king over themselves. 9Then Jehoram crossed over with his commanders and all his chariots with him. And he arose by night and struck down the Edomites who were surrounding him and the commanders of the chariots. 10So Edom revolted 14against Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time 15against his rule, because he had forsaken the Lord God of his fathers. 11Moreover, 16he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem 17to play the harlot and led Judah astray.

12Then a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet saying, “Thus says the Lord God of your father David, ‘Because 18you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father 19and the ways of Asa king of Judah, 13but 20have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot 21as the house of Ahab played the harlot, and you 22have also killed your brothers, 23your own family, who were better than you, 14behold, the Lord is going to strike your people, your sons, your wives and all your possessions with a great 24calamity; 15and 25you will suffer 26severe sickness, a disease of your bowels, until your bowels come out because of the sickness, day by day.’”

16Then 27the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and 28the Arabs who 29bordered the Ethiopians; 17and they came against Judah and invaded it, and carried away all the possessions found in the king’s house together with his sons and his wives, so that no son was left to him except 3031Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.

18So after all this the Lord smote him 32in his bowels with an incurable sickness. 19Now it came about in the course of time, at the end of two years, that his bowels came out because of his sickness and he died in great pain. And his people made no fire for him like 33the fire for his fathers. 20He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years; and he departed 3435with no one’s regret, and they buried him in the city of David, 36but not in the tombs of the kings.