2 Chronicles 21

Jehoshaphat lay down with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. His son Jehoram reigned in his place. He had brothers, sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah. All these were sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel. Their 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. When Jehoram took over his father's kingdom and established himself firmly, he killed all his brothers with the sword, as well as some of the leaders of Israel. Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for a daughter of Ahab was his wife. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD. Yet the LORD was unwilling to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant he had made with David and his promise to give a lamp to him and his sons always. In his days Edom rebelled against Judah's rule and set a king over themselves. Jehoram crossed over with his commanders and all his chariots. During the night he rose and struck the Edomites who surrounded him, as well as the chariot commanders. So Edom has been in rebellion against Judah's rule to this day. At that time Libnah also rebelled against his rule, because he had abandoned the LORD, the God of his fathers. He also made high places in the mountains of Judah, caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves, and led Judah astray. A letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, “This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: ‘Because you have not walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or in the ways of Asa king of Judah, but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel and caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves as the house of Ahab did, and have also killed your brothers of your father's house, who were better than you, the LORD is about to strike your people, your sons, your wives, and all your possessions with a great plague. You yourself will suffer greatly from a disease of your intestines, day after day, until your intestines come out because of the disease.’” The LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and the Arabs who lived near the Cushites. They came up against Judah, broke into it, and carried away all the possessions found in the king's palace, as well as his sons and wives. No son was left to him except Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons. After all this, the LORD struck him in his intestines with an incurable disease. As time passed, at the end of two years, his intestines came out because of his disease, and he died in severe suffering. His people did not make a fire in his honor like the fires for his fathers. He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. He departed unmourned. They buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

Rights and attribution