Jehoram Reigns over Judah

1And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Jehoram his son became king in his place. 2Now he had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, [†]Azaryahu, Michael, and Shephatiah. All these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel. 3And their father gave them many gifts of silver, gold, and precious things, with fortified cities in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn.

4So Jehoram arose over the kingdom of his father and strengthened himself, and he killed all his brothers with the sword, and some of the commanders of Israel also. 5Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 6And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for Ahab’s daughter was his wife; and he did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh. 7However, Yahweh was not willing to make the house of David a ruin because of the covenant which He had cut with David, and since He had promised to give a lamp to him and his sons forever.

Revolt Against Judah

8In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah and made a king over themselves. 9Then Jehoram crossed over with his commanders and all his chariots with him. And he arose by night and struck down the Edomites who were surrounding him and the commanders of the chariots. 10So 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. 11Moreover, he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot and drove Judah astray.

12Then a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet saying, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of your father David, ‘Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father and the ways of Asa king of Judah, 13but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot as the house of Ahab played the harlot, and you have also killed your brothers, [†]your own family, who were better than you, 14behold, Yahweh is going to smite your people, your sons, your wives, and all your possessions with a great [†]calamity; 15and you will suffer [†]severe sickness, a disease of your bowels, until your bowels come out because of the sickness, day by day.’”

16Then Yahweh stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and the Arabs who [†]bordered the Ethiopians; 17and they went up against Judah and invaded it, and carried away all the possessions found in the king’s house together with his sons and his wives, so that no son was left to him except [†]Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.

18So after all this Yahweh smote him in his bowels with an incurable sickness. 19Now it happened in the course of time, at the end of two years, that his bowels came out because of his sickness and he died with this greatly painful disease. And his people made no fire for him like the fire for his fathers. 20He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years; and he departed [†]with no one’s regret, and they buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.