1 A1 Kin 22:50Then 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. 2 He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, 1Or AzariahAzaryahu, Michael and Shephatiah. All these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king A2 Chr 12:6; 23:2of Israel. 3 Their father gave them many gifts of silver, gold and precious things, A2 Chr 11:5with fortified cities in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn.

4 Now when Jehoram had 1Lit risen uptaken over the kingdom of his father and made himself 2Lit strongsecure, he AGen 4:8; Judg 9:5killed all his brothers with the sword, and some of the rulers of Israel also. 5 A2 Kin 8:17-22Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 6 A1 Kin 12:28-30He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab did (B2 Chr 18:1for Ahab’s daughter was his wife), and he did evil in the sight of the Loʀᴅ. 7 Yet the Loʀᴅ was not willing to destroy the house of David because of the covenant which He had made with David, A2 Sam 7:12-17; 1 Kin 11:13, 36and since He had promised to give a lamp to him and his sons forever.

8 In his days A2 Chr 20:22, 23; 21:10Edom revolted 1Lit from under the hand ofagainst the rule of Judah and set up a king over themselves. 9 Then 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. 10 So Edom revolted 1Lit from under the hand ofagainst Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time 2Lit from under his handagainst his rule, because he had forsaken the Loʀᴅ God of his fathers. 11 Moreover, A1 Kin 11:7he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem BLev 20:5to play the harlot and led Judah astray.

12 Then a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet saying, “Thus says the Loʀᴅ God of your father David, ‘Because A2 Chr 17:3, 4you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father B2 Chr 14:2-5and the ways of Asa king of Judah, 13 but A2 Chr 21:6have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot B1 Kin 16:31-33as the house of Ahab played the harlot, and you C2 Chr 21:4have also killed your brothers, 1Lit your father’s houseyour own family, who were better than you, 14 behold, the Loʀᴅ is going to strike your people, your sons, your wives and all your possessions with a great 1Lit blowcalamity; 15 and A2 Chr 21:18, 19you will suffer 1Lit in many sicknessessevere sickness, a disease of your bowels, until your bowels come out because of the sickness, day by day.’ ”

16 Then A2 Chr 33:11the Loʀᴅ stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and B2 Chr 17:11; 22:1the Arabs who 1Lit were at the hand ofbordered the Ethiopians; 17 and they came 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 1In 2 Chr 22:1, AhaziahA2 Chr 25:23Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.

18 So after all this the Loʀᴅ smote him A2 Chr 21:15in his bowels with an incurable sickness. 19 Now it came about in the course of time, at the end of two years, that his bowels came out because of his sickness and he died in great pain. And his people made no fire for him like A2 Chr 16:14the fire for his fathers. 20 He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years; and he departed 1Lit without desireAJer 22:18, 28with no one’s regret, and they buried him in the city of David, B2 Chr 24:25; 28:27but not in the tombs of the kings.