21
1 And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David: and Jehoram his son reigned in his stead. 2 And he had brothers, the six sons of Jehoshaphat, Azariah, and Jehiel, and Zechariah, and Azariah, and Michael, and Shephatiah: all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. 3 And their father gave them many gifts, silver, and gold, and arms, together with fortified cities in Judah: but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram, for he was the firstborn. 4 And Jehoram entered upon his kingdom, and strengthened himself, and slew all his brothers with the sword, and some of the princes of Israel.
5 When he was thirty and two years old, Jehoram succeeded to his kingdom, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 6 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab; for a daughter of Ahab was his wife: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord: 7 nevertheless the Lord would not utterly destroy the house of David, because of the covenant which he made with David, and as he said to him that he would give a light to him and his sons forever.
8 In those days Edom revolted from Judah, and they made a king over themselves. 9 And Jehoram went with the princes, and all the cavalry with him: and it came to pass that he arose by night, and smote Edom that compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots, and the people fled to their tents. 10 And Edom revolted from Judah until this day. Then Libnah at that time revolted from under his hand, because he forsook the Lord God of his fathers. 11 For he built high places in the cities of Judah, and caused the dwellers in Jerusalem to go a-whoring, and led Judah astray.
12 And there came to him a message in writing from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus saith the Lord God of thy father David, Because thou hast not walked in the way of thy father Jehoshaphat, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah, 13 but hast walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and hast caused Judah and the dwellers in Jerusalem to go a-whoring, as the house of Ahab caused Israel to go a-whoring, and thou hast slain thy brethren, the sons of thy father, who were better than thyself; 14 behold, the Lord shall smite thee with a great plague among thy people, and thy sons, and thy wives, and all thy store: 15 and thou shalt be afflicted with a grievous disease, with a disease of the bowels, until thy bowels shall fall out day by day with the sickness.
16 So the Lord stirred up the Philistines against Jehoram, and the Arabians, and those who bordered on the Ethiopians: 17 and they went up against Judah, and prevailed against them, and took away all the store which they found in the house of the king, and his sons, and his daughters; and there was no son left to him but Ahaziah the youngest of his sons. 18 And after all these things the Lord smote him in the bowels with an incurable disease. 19 And it continued from day to day: and when the time of the days came to two years, his bowels fell out with the disease, and he died by a grievous distemper: and his people performed no funeral, like the funeral of his fathers. 20 He was thirty and two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he departed without honor, and was buried in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.