| New Living Translation | NET Bible |
| 1When Jehoshaphat died, he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then his son Jehoram became the next king. | 1Jehoshaphat passed away and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. His son Jehoram replaced him as king. |
| 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. | 2His brothers, Jehoshaphat's sons, were Azariah, Jechiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael, and Shephatiah. All of these were sons of King Jehoshaphat 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 gave them many presents, including silver, gold, and other precious items, along with 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. | 4Jehoram took control of his father's kingdom and became powerful. Then he killed all his brothers, as well as some of the officials 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 for eight years in Jerusalem. |
| 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. | 6He followed in the footsteps of the kings of Israel, just as Ahab's dynasty had done, for he married Ahab's daughter. He 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. | 7But the LORD was unwilling to destroy David's dynasty because of the promise he had made to give David a perpetual dynasty. |
| 8During Jehoram’s reign, the Edomites revolted against Judah and crowned their own king. | 8During Jehoram's reign Edom freed themselves from Judah's control and set up 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. | 9Jehoram crossed over to Zair with his officers and all his chariots. The Edomites, who had surrounded him, attacked at night and defeated him and his chariot officers. |
| 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 Edom has remained free from Judah's control to this very day. At that same time Libnah also rebelled and freed themselves from Judah's control because Jehoram rejected the LORD God of his ancestors. |
| 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. | 11He also built high places on the hills of Judah; he encouraged the residents of Jerusalem to be unfaithful to the LORD and led Judah away from the LORD. |
| 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. | 12Jehoram received this letter from Elijah the prophet: "This is what the LORD God of your ancestor David says: 'You have not followed in the footsteps of your father Jehoshaphat and of King Asa 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 have instead followed in the footsteps of the kings of Israel. You encouraged the people of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem to be unfaithful to the LORD, just as the family of Ahab does in Israel. You also killed your brothers, members of 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 look, the LORD is about to severely afflict your people, your sons, your wives, and all you own. |
| 15You yourself will suffer with a severe intestinal disease that will get worse each day until your bowels come out.” | 15And you will get a serious, chronic intestinal disease which will cause your intestines to come out." |
| 16Then the LORD stirred up the Philistines and the Arabs, who lived near the Ethiopians, to attack Jehoram. | 16The LORD stirred up against Jehoram the Philistines and the Arabs who lived beside 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. | 17They attacked Judah and swept through it. They carried off everything they found in the royal palace, including his sons and wives. None of his sons was left, except for his youngest, Ahaziah. |
| 18After all this, the LORD struck Jehoram with an incurable intestinal disease. | 18After all this happened, the LORD afflicted him with an incurable intestinal disease. |
| 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. | 19After about two years his intestines came out because of the disease, so that he died a very painful death. His people did not make a bonfire to honor him, as they had done for his ancestors. |
| 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 eight years in Jerusalem. No one regretted his death; he was buried in the City of David, but not in the royal tombs. |
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