Jehoram Turns From Our Father's Ways
Jehoram secures his throne by killing all his brothers, follows the ways of Ahab's house, and leads Judah away from our Father into idolatry. Elijah's letter warns of plague and a wasting disease. He dies in agony after eight years, unmourned, buried outside the kings' tombs.
21 1Jehoshaphat rested with his ancestors, buried with them in the City of David; his son Jehoram reigned instead. 2Jehoram's brothers, sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, Shephatiah. All these were sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel. 3Their father gave them many gifts—silver, gold, precious things—and fortified cities in Judah, but gave the kingdom to Jehoram, because he was firstborn. 4Once Jehoram rose over his father's kingdom, he grew strong and killed all his brothers with the sword, and also some of Israel's officials. 5Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 6He walked in the way of Israel's kings, as Ahab's house had done, for Ahab's daughter was his wife, and he did evil in our Father's eyes. 7Yet our Father would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant he made with David, and his promise to give him and his sons a lamp forever. a a v7 A 'lamp' pictures an unbroken royal line — a descendant always reigning on David's throne.
8In Jehoram's days Edom rebelled against Judah's rule and set up their own king. 9Jehoram crossed with his commanders and all his chariots. He rose at night and struck the Edomites surrounding him and the chariot commanders. 10Edom rebelled against Judah's rule to this day; Libnah also rebelled then, because he had abandoned our Father, the God of his ancestors.
11He built high places on Judah's hills, led Jerusalem's people to prostitute themselves, and drew Judah astray.
12A letter came to him from Elijah the prophet: Your Father, God of your ancestor David, says: Because you haven't walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat, or the ways of Asa king of Judah, 13but walked like Israel's kings, led Judah and Jerusalem's people to be unfaithful, as Ahab's house led Israel, and killed your brothers—your father's house—men better than you, 14now your Father will strike your people, children, wives, and all your goods with a great plague. 15You will have a severe intestinal disease, until day by day your intestines come out.
16Our Father stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and Arabs near the Cushites. 17They attacked Judah, invaded it, and seized all the goods found in the king's palace, plus his sons and wives, leaving him no son except Jehoahaz, his youngest.
18After all this, our Father struck him with an incurable disease in his intestines. 19In time, after two years, his intestines came out because of his disease, and he died in agony. His people made no fire for him, as they had for his ancestors. 20He was thirty-two when crowned king; he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. He died unmourned, buried in the City of David, but not among the kings' tombs.
