Jehoram Turns From Our Father's Ways
21 1 Jehoshaphat died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David, and Jehoram his son became king in his place. 2 Jehoram had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah. All these were sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel. 3 Their father had given them many gifts of silver and gold and precious things, along with fortified cities in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram, because he was the firstborn. 4 When Jehoram had established himself over his father's kingdom, he strengthened his hold and put all his brothers to the sword, along with some of the princes of Israel. 5 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 6 He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for he had married a daughter of Ahab. And he did what was evil in the eyes of our Father. 7 Yet our Father was unwilling to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant he had made with David, and because he had promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons forever. a a v7 A 'lamp' pictures an unbroken royal line — a descendant always reigning on David's throne.
8 In Jehoram's days Edom rebelled against the rule of Judah and set up a king of their own. 9 So Jehoram crossed over with his commanders and all his chariots. He set out by night and attacked the Edomites who were surrounding him, along with their chariot commanders. 10 So Edom has remained in rebellion against the rule of Judah to this day. At that same time Libnah also rebelled against his rule, because he had abandoned our Father, the God of his ancestors.
11 He had even made high places on the hills of Judah, leading the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves and drawing Judah astray.
12 Then a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, which said: "Thus says your Father, the God of your ancestor David: Because you have not walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or the ways of Asa king of Judah, 13 but you have followed the ways of the kings of Israel and have led Judah and the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves, as the house of Ahab led Israel into prostitution, and you have also murdered your own brothers, your father's house, men who were better than you 14 —so now your Father is about to strike your people, your children, your wives, and all your possessions with a great plague. 15 And you yourself will suffer a severe illness, a disease of your intestines, until day after day the disease makes your intestines come out."
16 Our Father stirred up the spirit of the Philistines and of the Arabs who lived near the Cushites against Jehoram. 17 They came up against Judah, broke into it, and carried off all the possessions found in the king's palace, along with his sons and his wives, so that no son was left to him except Jehoahaz, his youngest son.
18 After all this, our Father struck him with an incurable disease in his intestines. 19 In the course of time, at the end of two years, his intestines came out because of his disease, and he died in agony. His people made no fire in his honor, as they had for his ancestors. 20 He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. He passed away to no one's regret, and they buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.