| New Living Translation | Berean Study Bible |
| 1When Jehoshaphat died, he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then his son Jehoram became the next king. | 1And Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David. And his son Jehoram reigned in his place. |
| 2Jehoram’s brothers—the other sons of Jehoshaphat—were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. | 2Jehoram’s brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat, were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah; these were all sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel. |
| 3Their father had given each of them valuable gifts of silver, gold, and costly items, and also some of Judah’s fortified towns. However, he designated Jehoram as the next king because he was the oldest. | 3Their 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. |
| 4But when Jehoram had become solidly established as king, he killed all his brothers and some of the other leaders of Judah. | 4When 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. |
| 5Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. | 5Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. |
| 6But Jehoram followed the example of the kings of Israel and was as wicked as King Ahab, for he had married one of Ahab’s daughters. So Jehoram did what was evil in the LORD’s sight. | 6And Jehoram walked in the ways 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. |
| 7But the LORD did not want to destroy David’s dynasty, for he had made a covenant with David and promised that his descendants would continue to rule, shining like a lamp forever. | 7Yet 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. |
| 8During Jehoram’s reign, the Edomites revolted against Judah and crowned their own king. | 8In the days of Jehoram, Edom rebelled against the hand of Judah and appointed their own king. |
| 9So Jehoram went out with his full army and all his chariots. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, but he went out at night and attacked them under cover of darkness. | 9So 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. |
| 10Even so, Edom has been independent from Judah to this day. The town of Libnah also revolted about that same time. All this happened because Jehoram had abandoned the LORD, the God of his ancestors. | 10So to this day Edom has been in rebellion against the hand of Judah. Likewise, Libnah rebelled against his rule at the same time, because Jehoram had forsaken the LORD, the God of his fathers. |
| 11He had built pagan shrines in the hill country of Judah and had led the people of Jerusalem and Judah to give themselves to pagan gods and to go astray. | 11Jehoram 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. |
| 12Then Elijah the prophet wrote Jehoram this letter: “This is what the LORD, the God of your ancestor David, says: You have not followed the good example of your father, Jehoshaphat, or your grandfather King Asa of Judah. | 12Then 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, |
| 13Instead, you have been as evil as the kings of Israel. You have led the people of Jerusalem and Judah to worship idols, just as King Ahab did in Israel. And you have even killed your own brothers, men who were better than you. | 13but you have walked in the ways 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. |
| 14So now the LORD is about to strike you, your people, your children, your wives, and all that is yours with a heavy blow. | 14So behold, the LORD is about to strike your people, your sons, your wives, and all your possessions with a serious blow. |
| 15You yourself will suffer with a severe intestinal disease that will get worse each day until your bowels come out.” | 15And day after day you yourself will suffer from a severe illness, a disease of your bowels, until it causes your bowels to come out.’ ” |
| 16Then the LORD stirred up the Philistines and the Arabs, who lived near the Ethiopians, to attack Jehoram. | 16Then the LORD stirred against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and Arabs who lived near the Cushites. |
| 17They marched against Judah, broke down its defenses, and carried away everything of value in the royal palace, including the king’s sons and his wives. Only his youngest son, Ahaziah, was spared. | 17So 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. |
| 18After all this, the LORD struck Jehoram with an incurable intestinal disease. | 18After all this, the LORD afflicted Jehoram with an incurable disease of the bowels. |
| 19The disease grew worse and worse, and at the end of two years it caused his bowels to come out, and he died in agony. His people did not build a great funeral fire to honor him as they had done for his ancestors. | 19This continued day after day until two full years had 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. |
| 20Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. No one was sorry when he died. They buried him in the City of David, but not in the royal cemetery. | 20Jehoram 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. |
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