2 Chronicles 21

1Then Jehoshaphat rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. His son Jehoram became king in his place. 2He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael and Shephatiah. All these were sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel. 3Their father had given them many gifts of silver, gold and valuable things, together with fortified cities in Judah; the kingdom, however, he gave to Jehoram, since Jehoram was the firstborn.

4When Jehoram had taken over his father’s kingdom and made himself secure, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and some of the officials of Israel as well. 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 he had married Ahab’s daughter. He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. 7Yet the LORD was not willing to destroy the house of David, for the sake of the covenant he had made with David, since he had promised to give a lamp to him and to his descendants for all time. 8During his reign Edom rebelled against the rule of Judah and set up a king of its own. 9So Jehoram crossed over with his commanders and all his chariots. He rose by night and attacked the Edomites who had surrounded him and the chariot commanders. 10So Edom has been in rebellion against the rule of Judah to this day. Libnah also rebelled against his rule at that same time, because he had forsaken the LORD, the God of his ancestors. 11He also made high places in the hill country of Judah. He caused the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves and led Judah astray.

12Then a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, which said, “The LORD the God of your ancestor David says this: Because you have not followed the ways of your father Jehoshaphat, nor the ways of Asa king of Judah, 13but have followed the way of the kings of Israel, and have led Judah and the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves, as the house of Ahab did, and have also killed your brothers, your own father’s family, men better than you, 14so now the LORD is going to bring a heavy blow on your people, on your sons and your wives, and on all that you own, 15and you yourself will suffer severe illness, with a disease of your bowels, until your bowels come out because of the disease, day after day.” 16Then the LORD stirred up the Philistines and the Arabs who lived near the Cushites against Jehoram. 17They came up against Judah and broke into it. They took away as plunder all the goods they found in the king’s palace, and his sons and wives as well. Not one son was left to him except Jehoahaz, his youngest. 18After all this the LORD struck him with an incurable disease of the bowels. 19In the course of time, at the end of two years, his bowels came out because of his disease, and he died in great pain. His people made no fire in his honor like the fire made for his ancestors. 20He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. He departed with no one’s regret. They buried him in the City of David, but not in the royal tombs.