2 Chronicles 20:31-21:17

English Standard Version

³¹^(A)Thus Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. ³²He walked in the way of Asa his father and did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the Lord. ³³^(B)The high places, however, were not taken away; ^(C)the people had not yet set their hearts upon the God of their fathers.

³⁴Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, from first to last, are written in the chronicles of ^(D)Jehu the son of Hanani, ^(E)which are recorded in the Book of the Kings of Israel.

The End of Jehoshaphat's Reign

³⁵^(F)After this Jehoshaphat king of Judah joined with Ahaziah king of Israel, who acted wickedly. ³⁶He joined him in building ships to go to ^(G)Tarshish, and they built the ships in Ezion-geber. ³⁷Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, ^(H)“Because you have joined with Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy what you have made.” And the ships were wrecked and were not able to go to Tarshish.

Jehoram Reigns in Judah

21 ^(I)Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Jehoram his son reigned in his place. ²He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of ^(J)Israel.^[a] ³Their father gave them great gifts of silver, gold, and valuable possessions, together with ^(K)fortified cities in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram, because he was the firstborn. ⁴When Jehoram had ascended the throne of his father and was established, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and also some of the princes of ^(L)Israel. ⁵^(M)Jehoram was ^(N)thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. ⁶^(O)And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for ^(P)the daughter of Ahab was his wife. And he did what was evil in the sight 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, and since he had promised to give ^(Q)a lamp to him and to his sons forever.

⁸In his days Edom revolted from the ^(R)rule of Judah and set up a king of their own. ⁹Then Jehoram passed over with his commanders and all his chariots, and he rose by night and struck the Edomites who had surrounded him and his chariot commanders. ¹⁰So Edom revolted from ^(S)the rule of Judah to this day. At that time Libnah also revolted from his rule, because he had forsaken the Lord, the God of his fathers.

¹¹Moreover, he made high places in the hill country of Judah and led the inhabitants of Jerusalem ^(T)into whoredom and made Judah go astray. ¹²And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, “Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father, ^(U)‘Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or ^(V)in the ways of Asa king of Judah, ¹³^(W)but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel and have enticed Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem ^(X)into whoredom, ^(Y)as the house of Ahab led Israel into whoredom, and also you ^(Z)have killed your brothers, of your father's house, who were better than you, ¹⁴behold, the Lord will bring a great plague on your people, your children, your wives, and all your possessions, ¹⁵and you yourself will have a severe sickness ^(AA)with a disease of your bowels, until your bowels come out because of the disease, day by day.’”

¹⁶^(AB)And the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the anger^[b] of the Philistines and of ^(AC)the Arabians who are near the Ethiopians. ¹⁷And they came up against Judah and invaded it and carried away all the possessions they found that belonged to the king's house, and also his sons and his wives, so that no son was left to him except ^(AD)Jehoahaz, his youngest son.