2 Chronicles 21

1And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Jehoram his son reigned in his place.

2And he had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael, and Shephatiah. All these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.

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

4When Jehoram had risen over his father's kingdom and had strengthened himself, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and also some of the princes of Israel.

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

6He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for Ahab’s daughter was his wife; and he did what was evil in the eyes of Yahweh.

7Yet Yahweh was not willing to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and as he had said that he would give to him and to his sons a lamp for all days.

8In his days Edom rebelled from under the hand of Judah and made a king over themselves.

9So Jehoram crossed over with his commanders and all the chariots with him. And it happened that he arose by night and struck Edom, which had surrounded him, and the commanders of the chariots.

10So Edom rebelled from under the hand of Judah to this day. At that time Libnah also rebelled from under his hand, because he had forsaken Yahweh, the God of his fathers.

11He also made high places in the hill country of Judah, led the inhabitants of Jerusalem into prostitution, and led Judah astray.

12Then a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, “Thus says Yahweh, 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,”

13but you have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem into sexual immorality, as the house of Ahab led them into sexual immorality; and you have also killed your brothers of your father’s house, who were better than you.

14Behold, Yahweh is striking your people, your sons, your wives, and all your possessions with a great plague.

15And you yourself will suffer many illnesses, with a disease of your bowels, until your bowels come out because of the disease, day after day.

16And Yahweh stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and of the Arabians who were near the Cushites.

17They came up against Judah and invaded it, and carried away all the possessions found in the king’s house, and also his sons and his wives, so that no son was left to him except Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.

18And after all this, Yahweh struck him in his intestines with an incurable disease.

19And after some time, at the end of two years, his bowels came out because of his sickness, and he died of severe diseases. And his people made no burning for him like the burning for his fathers.

20He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. Then he departed with no regret, and they buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.