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2 Chronicles 21
Expanded Bible
2 Chronicles 21
Expanded Bible
21 Jehoshaphat ·died [L lay down/T slept with his fathers/ancestors] and was buried with his ·ancestors [fathers] in the City of David [C Jerusalem]. Then his son Jehoram became king in his place. 2 Jehoram’s brothers were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael, and Shephatiah. They were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of ·Judah [L Israel; 12:6]. 3 Jehoshaphat gave his sons many gifts of silver, gold, and ·valuable [precious] things, and he gave them ·strong, walled [fortified] cities in Judah. But Jehoshaphat gave the kingdom to Jehoram, because he was the ·first son [firstborn].
Jehoram King of Judah(A)
4 When Jehoram took control of his father’s kingdom and ·made himself secure [established himself], he killed all his brothers with the sword and also killed some of the ·leaders [officials] of Judah. 5 He was thirty-two years old when he began to ·rule [reign], and he ·ruled [reigned] eight years in Jerusalem. 6 He ·followed [L walked] in the ways of the kings of Israel, just as the ·family [L house] of Ahab had done, because he married Ahab’s daughter. Jehoram did ·what the Lord said was wrong [L evil in the Lord’s sight/eyes]. 7 But the Lord would not destroy David’s ·family [L house] because of the ·agreement [covenant; treaty] he had made with David. He had promised ·that one of David’s descendants would always rule [L to give a lamp to David and his descendants/sons forever; C here a lamp symbolizes a dynasty].
8 In Jehoram’s time, Edom ·broke away from [revolted/rebelled against] Judah’s ·rule [reign] and ·chose [set up] their own king. 9 So Jehoram went to Edom with all his ·commanders [officers] and chariots. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot ·commanders [officers], but Jehoram got up and attacked the Edomites at night [C the implication is that Jehoram is victorious, but the next verse suggests otherwise; see 2 Kin. 8:21]. 10 From then until now the country of Edom has ·fought against [been free from] the ·rule [reign] of Judah. At the same time the people of Libnah also ·broke away from [rebelled/revolted against] Jehoram because Jehoram ·left [abandoned; forsook] the Lord, the God of his ·ancestors [fathers].
11 Jehoram also built ·places to worship gods [L high places; 11:15] on the hills in Judah. He led the people of Jerusalem to ·sin [commit adultery; L play the harlot], and he led the people of Judah ·away from the Lord [astray]. 12 Then Jehoram received this letter from Elijah the prophet:
·This is what the Lord says [T Thus says the Lord], the God of your ·ancestor [father] David, “Jehoram, you have not ·lived as [L walked in the ways of] your father Jehoshaphat and Asa king of Judah. 13 But you have ·lived as the kings of Israel lived [L walked in the way of the kings of Israel], leading the people of Judah and Jerusalem to ·sin against God [commit adultery; L play the harlot], as Ahab and his ·family [L house] did. You have killed your brothers, your own family, and they were better than you. 14 So now the Lord is about to ·punish [severely strike] your people, your children, your wives, and everything you own. 15 You will have a terrible disease in your ·intestines [bowels] that will become worse every day until your intestines ·come out [protrude].”
16 The Lord caused the Philistines and the Arabs who lived near the ·Cushites [Ethiopians] to be ·angry with [L stirred in their spirits against] Jehoram. 17 So the Philistines and Arabs attacked and invaded Judah and carried away all the wealth of Jehoram’s ·palace [L house], as well as his sons and wives. Only Jehoram’s youngest son, Ahaziah, was left.
Jehoram Dies(B)
18 After these things happened, the Lord ·gave Jehoram [struck/afflicted/T smote him with] a disease in his ·intestines [bowels] that could not be cured. 19 After he was sick for two years, Jehoram’s ·intestines [bowels] ·came out [protruded] because of the disease, and he died in ·terrible pain [agony]. The people did not make a funeral fire to honor Jehoram as they had done for his ·ancestors [fathers].
20 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he ·ruled [reigned] eight years in Jerusalem. No one ·was sad [regretted] when he died. He was buried in the City of David [C Jerusalem], but not in the ·graves for [tombs of] the kings.
2 Chronicles 21
New International Version
2 Chronicles 21
New International Version
21 Then Jehoshaphat rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. And Jehoram(A) his son succeeded him as king. 2 Jehoram’s brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat, were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael and Shephatiah. All these were sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.[a] 3 Their father had given them many gifts(B) of silver and gold and articles of value, as well as fortified cities(C) in Judah, but he had given the kingdom to Jehoram because he was his firstborn son.
Jehoram King of Judah(D)
4 When Jehoram established(E) himself firmly over his father’s kingdom, he put all his brothers(F) to the sword along with some of the officials of Israel. 5 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. 6 He followed the ways of the kings of Israel,(G) as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter of Ahab.(H) He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. 7 Nevertheless, because of the covenant the Lord had made with David,(I) the Lord was not willing to destroy the house of David.(J) He had promised to maintain a lamp(K) for him and his descendants forever.
8 In the time of Jehoram, Edom(L) rebelled against Judah and set up its own king. 9 So Jehoram went there with his officers and all his chariots. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, but he rose up and broke through by night. 10 To this day Edom has been in rebellion against Judah.
Libnah(M) revolted at the same time, because Jehoram had forsaken the Lord, the God of his ancestors. 11 He had also built high places on the hills of Judah and had caused the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves and had led Judah astray.
12 Jehoram received a letter from Elijah(N) the prophet, which said:
“This is what the Lord, the God of your father(O) David, says: ‘You have not followed the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or of Asa(P) king of Judah. 13 But you have followed the ways of the kings of Israel, and you have led Judah and the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves, just as the house of Ahab did.(Q) You have also murdered your own brothers, members of your own family, men who were better(R) than you. 14 So now the Lord is about to strike your people, your sons, your wives and everything that is yours, with a heavy blow. 15 You yourself will be very ill with a lingering disease(S) of the bowels, until the disease causes your bowels to come out.’”
16 The Lord aroused against Jehoram the hostility of the Philistines and of the Arabs(T) who lived near the Cushites. 17 They attacked Judah, invaded it and carried off all the goods found in the king’s palace, together with his sons and wives. Not a son was left to him except Ahaziah,[b] the youngest.(U)
18 After all this, the Lord afflicted Jehoram with an incurable disease of the bowels. 19 In the course of time, at the end of the second year, his bowels came out because of the disease, and he died in great pain. His people made no funeral fire in his honor,(V) as they had for his predecessors.
20 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. He passed away, to no one’s regret, and was buried(W) in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 21:2 That is, Judah, as frequently in 2 Chronicles
- 2 Chronicles 21:17 Hebrew Jehoahaz, a variant of Ahaziah
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