2 Chronicles 21 · REV
REV

2 Chronicles 21

Jehoram Reigns in Judah

Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Jehoram his son reigned in his place.
He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, and Jehiel, and Zechariah, and Azariah, and Michael, and Shephatiah. All these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.
Their father gave them many gifts of silver and of gold and of valuable things, with fortified cities in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn.
Now when Jehoram had risen up as king over the kingdom of his father and had strengthened himself, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and also some of the officials of Israel.
Jehoram was 32 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.
He walked in the way of the kings of Israel just as the house of Ahab had done because he had the daughter of Ahab as a wife. He did what was evil in the eyes of Yahweh.
However Yahweh was not willing to destroy the house of David because of the covenant that he had made with David, since he had promised to give to him a lamp and to his children always.
In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah and enthroned a king over themselves.
Then Jehoram crossed over with his commanders and all his chariots with him, and he rose up by night and struck the Edomites who surrounded him and the commanders of the chariots.
So Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time from under his hand because he had forsaken Yahweh, the God of his fathers.
Also, he made pagan shrines in the mountains of Judah and made the inhabitants of Jerusalem prostitute themselves, and he led Judah astray.
A letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, “This is what Yahweh, the God of David your father, says: ‘Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah,
but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel and have made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem prostitute themselves like the house of Ahab prostituted itself, and also have killed your brothers, members of the house of your father, who were better than you,
behold, Yahweh will afflict your people, and your children, and your wives, and all your personal property, with a great affliction,
and you will have severe sickness with a disease of your bowels day after day until your bowels come out because of the sickness.’”
Yahweh stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines, and also of the Arabians who are near the Ethiopians,
and they came up against Judah and broke into it, and carried away all the personal property that was found in the king’s house, and also his sons and his wives, so that there was not a son left him, except Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.
After all this Yahweh struck him in his bowels with an incurable disease.
Then it happened, as time passed, at the end of two years, his bowels came out because of his sickness and he died of severe diseases. His people did not make a memorial fire for him like the fire for his fathers.
Jehoram was 32 years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem, and he departed to no one’s regret, and they buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.