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 American Standard Bible
Jehoram Succeeds Jehoshaphat in Judah
21 (A)Then Jehoshaphat [a]lay down with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and his son Jehoram became king in his place. 2 He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, [b]Azaryahu, Michael, and Shephatiah. All these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king (B)of Israel. 3 Their father gave them many gifts of silver, gold, and precious things, (C)with fortified cities in Judah; but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn.
4 Now when Jehoram had [c]taken over the kingdom of his father and gathered courage, he (D)killed all his brothers with the sword, and some of the leaders of Israel as well. 5 (E)Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned for eight years in Jerusalem. 6 (F)He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, (G)for Ahab’s daughter was his wife; and he did evil in the sight of the Lord. 7 Yet the Lord was not willing to destroy the house of David because of the covenant which He had made with David, (H)and because He had promised to give a lamp to him and his sons forever.
Revolt against Judah
8 In his days (I)Edom broke away [d]from the rule of Judah, and appointed a king over themselves. 9 Then Jehoram crossed over with his commanders and all his chariots with him. And he got up at night and struck and killed the Edomites who were surrounding him, and the commanders of the chariots. 10 So Edom revolted [e]against Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time [f]against his rule because he had abandoned the Lord God of his fathers. 11 Furthermore, (J)he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem (K)to be unfaithful, and led Judah astray.
12 Then a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, “This is what the Lord, the God of your father David says: ‘Because (L)you have not walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat (M)and the ways of Asa king of Judah, 13 but (N)have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to be unfaithful (O)as the house of Ahab was unfaithful, and you (P)have also killed your brothers, [g]your own family, who were better than you, 14 behold, the Lord is going to strike your people, your sons, your wives, and all your possessions with a great plague; 15 and (Q)you will suffer [h]severe sickness, a disease of your bowels, until your bowels come out because of the sickness, day by day.’”
16 Then (R)the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and (S)the Arabs who [i]bordered the Ethiopians; 17 and they came against Judah and invaded it, and carried away all the possessions found in the king’s house together with his sons and his wives, so that no son was left to him except [j](T)Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.
18 So after all this the Lord struck him (U)in his intestines with an incurable sickness. 19 Now it came about in the course of time, at the end of two years, that his bowels came out because of his sickness, and he died in great pain. And his people did not make a funeral fire for him like (V)the fire for his fathers. 20 He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for eight years; and he departed [k](W)with no one’s regret, and they buried him in the city of David, (X)but not in the tombs of the kings.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 21:1 I.e., died
- 2 Chronicles 21:2 Or Azariah
- 2 Chronicles 21:4 Lit risen
- 2 Chronicles 21:8 Lit from under the hand of
- 2 Chronicles 21:10 Lit from under the hand of
- 2 Chronicles 21:10 Lit from under his hand
- 2 Chronicles 21:13 Lit your father’s house
- 2 Chronicles 21:15 Lit in many sicknesses
- 2 Chronicles 21:16 Lit were at the hand of
- 2 Chronicles 21:17 In 2 Chr 22:1, Ahaziah
- 2 Chronicles 21:20 Lit without desire
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