1Then Jehoshaphat died, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Jehoram, his son, reigned in his stead. 2And Jehoram’s brothers, were: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah; these were all sons of Jehoshaphat, king of Israel. 3And their father gave them great gifts of silver, gold, and precious things, and fortified cities in Judah; but the kingdom he gave to Jehoram; because he was the first-born. 4Now when Jehoram had established himself in the kingdom of his father, he killed all his brothers with the sword, along with some of the leaders of Israel, to strengthen his hold on the kingdom.

5Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 6He followed the ways of the evil kings of Israel, like the house of Ahab; for his wife was the daughter of Ahab; and he did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD. 7Yet, the LORD was not willing to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that He had made with David, promising to maintain a lamp for him and his sons forever.

8In Jehoram’s reign, the Edomites rebelled against Judah, and crowned their own king. 9Then Jehoram crossed the Jordan to put down the rebellion, and advanced with a vanguard of chariots to confront the Edomites, who then surrounded Jehoram; and he and his charioteers narrowly escaped capture by breaking through their ranks by night. 10And so the Edomites revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day (2 Kings 8:20-22). At that time Libnah also revolted from under the rule of Judah; because Jehoram had forsaken the LORD God of his fathers. 11He also built pagan high places in the mountains of Judah, and led people of Jerusalem and Judah astray.

12Then Elijah, the prophet, sent a letter to Jehoram which said, “Thus says the LORD God of David, your father, ‘Because you have not followed in the ways of Jehoshaphat, your father, nor of Asa, king of Judah, 13But have gone the way of the kings of Israel, and have led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot, like the house of Ahab, and have also murdered your brothers, who were better than you, 14Behold, the LORD will strike your people - your children, wives, and all your possessions - with a heavy blow; 15And you shall suffer a severe disease of your intestines, that will eventually cause them to fall out.’”

16Moreover, the LORD also stirred up against Jehoram the hostility of the Philistines, and the Arabians, who live near the Ethiopians; 17And they invaded Judah, and carried away all the goods found in the king's palace, as well as his sons, and wives; so that there was not a son left him except Jehoahaz, his youngest. 18And after all this, the LORD afflicted his intestines with an incurable disease. 19And at the end of two years, his intestines fell out from the progression of the disease; and he died with excruciating pain. And his people made no funeral fire to honor him, like they had for his predecessors. 20Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years, and died with no one regretting his death. They did bury him in the city of David, but not in the tombs with the other kings.