1And Jehoshaphat 21:1 Died and joined his ancestorsrested with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. Then Jehoram his son reigned in his place.

2He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azaryahu, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.

3Their father gave them great gifts of silver and gold and precious things, with fortified cities in Judah; but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram, because he was the firstborn.

4Now when Jehoram 21:4 Lit. arosewas established over the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself and killed all his brothers with the sword, and also others of the princes of Israel.

5Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.

6And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for he had the daughter of Ahab as a wife; and he did evil in the sight of the Lord.

7Yet the Lord would not 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.

8In his days Edom revolted against Judah’s authority, and made a king over themselves.

9So Jehoram went out with his officers, and all his chariots with him. And he rose by night and attacked the Edomites who had surrounded him and the captains of the chariots.

10Thus Edom has been in revolt against Judah’s authority to this day. At that time Libnah revolted against his rule, because he had forsaken the Lord God of his fathers.

11Moreover he made 21:11 Places for pagan worshiphigh places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit harlotry, and led Judah astray.

12And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying,

13but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot like the harlotry of the house of Ahab, and also have killed your brothers, those of your father’s household, who were better than yourself,

14behold, the Lord will strike your people with a serious affliction—your children, your wives, and all your possessions;

15and you will become very sick with a disease of your intestines, until your intestines come out by reason of the sickness, day by day.

16Moreover the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and the Arabians who were near the Ethiopians.

17And they came up into Judah and invaded it, and carried away all the possessions that were found in the king’s house, and also his sons and his wives, so that there was not a son left to him except 21:17 Ahaziah or Azariah, 2 Chr. 22:1Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.

18After all this the Lord struck him in his intestines with an incurable disease.

19Then it happened in the course of time, after the end of two years, that his intestines came out because of his sickness; so he died in severe pain. And his people made no 21:19 Burning of spicesburning for him, like the burning for his fathers.

20He was thirty-two years old when he became king. He reigned in Jerusalem eight years and, to no one’s sorrow, departed. However they buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.