CHAPTER 21
Then Jehoshaphat
rested
with
his fathers
and was buried
with
them
in the City
of David.
And his son
Jehoram
became king
in his place.
Jehoram's brothers,
the sons
of Jehoshaphat,
were Azariah,
Jehiel,
Zechariah,
Azariah,
Michael,
and Shephatiah;
these were
all
sons
of Jehoshaphat,
king
of Israel.
Their father
had given
them many
gifts
of silver
and gold
and precious things,
as well as
the fortified
cities
in Judah;
but
he gave
the kingdom
to Jehoram
because
he
was the firstborn.
When Jehoram
had established
himself over
his father’s
kingdom,
he strengthened himself
by putting
to the sword
all
his brothers
along with
some of the princes
of Israel.
And Jehoram walked
in the way
of the kings
of Israel,
just as
the house
of Ahab
had done.
For
he
married
a daughter
of Ahab
and did
evil
in the sight
of the LORD.
Yet the LORD
was unwilling
to destroy
the house
of David
because of
the covenant
He had made
with David,
and since
He had promised
to maintain
a lamp
for David
and his descendants
forever.
So Jehoram
crossed
into Edom
with his officers
and all
his chariots.
When the Edomites
surrounded
him
and
his chariot
commanders,
he rose up
and attacked
by night.
So to
this
day
Edom
has been in rebellion
against
the hand of
Judah.
Likewise,
Libnah
rebelled
against
his rule
at the same
time,
because
he had abandoned
the LORD,
the God
of his fathers.
Jehoram
had also
built
high places
on the hills
of Judah;
he had caused the people
of Jerusalem
to prostitute themselves
and had led Judah
astray.
Then a letter
came
to Jehoram
from Elijah
the prophet,
which stated:
“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,
but you have walked
in the way
of the kings
of Israel
and have caused Judah
and the people
of Jerusalem
to prostitute themselves
just as the house
of Ahab
prostituted itself.
You have also
killed
your brothers,
your father’s
family,
who were better
than you.
So behold,
the LORD
is about to strike
your people,
your sons,
your wives,
and all
your possessions
with a serious
blow.
And day
after
day
you yourself
will suffer from a severe
illness,
a disease
of your bowels,
until
it
causes
your bowels
to come out.’”
Then the LORD
stirred
against Jehoram
the spirit
of the Philistines
and of the Arabs
who
lived near
the Cushites.
So they went to war
against Judah,
invaded it,
and carried off
all
the possessions
found
in the king’s
palace,
along with
his sons
and wives;
not
a son
was left
to him except
Jehoahaz,
his youngest.
This continued
day
after day
until two
full years
passed.
Finally,
his intestines
came out
because of
his disease,
and he died
in severe
pain.
And his people
did not
make
a fire
in his honor
as they had done
for his fathers.
Jehoram was
thirty-two
years old
when he became king,
and he reigned
in Jerusalem
eight
years.
He died,
to no
one’s regret,
and was buried
in the City
of David,
but not
in the tombs
of the kings.