Add parallel Print Page Options

Jehoram Rules in Judah

21 When Jehoshaphat died, he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then his son Jehoram became the next king.

Jehoram’s brothers—the other sons of Jehoshaphat—were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Judah.[a] Their father had given each of them valuable gifts of silver, gold, and costly items, and also some of Judah’s fortified towns. However, he designated Jehoram as the next king because he was the oldest. But when Jehoram had become solidly established as king, he killed all his brothers and some of the other leaders of Judah.

Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. But Jehoram followed the example of the kings of Israel and was as wicked as King Ahab, for he had married one of Ahab’s daughters. So Jehoram did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. But the Lord did not want to destroy David’s dynasty, for he had made a covenant with David and promised that his descendants would continue to rule, shining like a lamp forever.

During Jehoram’s reign, the Edomites revolted against Judah and crowned their own king. So Jehoram went out with his full army and all his chariots. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, but he went out at night and attacked them[b] under cover of darkness. 10 Even so, Edom has been independent from Judah to this day. The town of Libnah also revolted about that same time. All this happened because Jehoram had abandoned the Lord, the God of his ancestors. 11 He had built pagan shrines in the hill country of Judah and had led the people of Jerusalem and Judah to give themselves to pagan gods and to go astray.

12 Then Elijah the prophet wrote Jehoram this letter:

“This is what the Lord, the God of your ancestor David, says: You have not followed the good example of your father, Jehoshaphat, or your grandfather King Asa of Judah. 13 Instead, you have been as evil as the kings of Israel. You have led the people of Jerusalem and Judah to worship idols, just as King Ahab did in Israel. And you have even killed your own brothers, men who were better than you. 14 So now the Lord is about to strike you, your people, your children, your wives, and all that is yours with a heavy blow. 15 You yourself will suffer with a severe intestinal disease that will get worse each day until your bowels come out.”

16 Then the Lord stirred up the Philistines and the Arabs, who lived near the Ethiopians,[c] to attack Jehoram. 17 They marched against Judah, broke down its defenses, and carried away everything of value in the royal palace, including the king’s sons and his wives. Only his youngest son, Ahaziah,[d] was spared.

18 After all this, the Lord struck Jehoram with an incurable intestinal disease. 19 The disease grew worse and worse, and at the end of two years it caused his bowels to come out, and he died in agony. His people did not build a great funeral fire to honor him as they had done for his ancestors.

20 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. No one was sorry when he died. They buried him in the City of David, but not in the royal cemetery.

Footnotes

  1. 21:2 Masoretic Text reads of Israel; also in 21:4. The author of Chronicles sees Judah as representative of the true Israel. (Some Hebrew manuscripts, Greek and Syriac versions, and Latin Vulgate read of Judah.)
  2. 21:9 Or he went out and escaped. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
  3. 21:16 Hebrew the Cushites.
  4. 21:17 Hebrew Jehoahaz, a variant spelling of Ahaziah; compare 22:1.

Jehoram Succeeds Jehoshaphat(A)

21 Jehoshaphat died, as had his ancestors, and was buried in the City of David alongside his ancestors. His son Jehoram became king in his place. Jehoshaphat’s sons, Jehoram’s[a] brothers, included Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah,[b] Michael, and Shephatiah. All of these were sons of Jehoshaphat, king of Israel.

Their father gave them many gifts made of silver, and gold, as well as valuable things, along with fortified cities in Judah, but he passed the kingdom to Jehoram because Jehoram was his firstborn. But after Jehoram had assumed the throne and consolidated his rule over his father’s kingdom, he executed all of his brothers, along with some of the rulers of Israel. Jehoram was 32 years old when he became king, and he reigned for eight years in Jerusalem. He lived like[c] the kings of Israel, following the example of Ahab’s dynasty, since he had married Ahab’s daughter, and he practiced what the Lord considered to be evil. Nevertheless, the Lord was unwilling to destroy David’s dynasty because of the covenant that he had made with David, especially since he had promised to give him and to his sons the reigning presence of an heir[d] forever.

Edom Revolts(B)

Nevertheless, Edom revolted against Judah’s rule and set up their own king to rule them during Jehoram’s reign.[e] So Jehoram invaded Edom[f] with his commanders and his chariots by night and killed the Edomites who had surrounded him and his chariot commanders. 10 Edom remains in revolt against Judah to this day. Libnah revolted against Jehoram’s rule, too, because he had abandoned the Lord God of his ancestors. 11 In addition to all of this, he built high places in the mountains of Judah, led the inhabitants of Jerusalem into cultic sexual immorality, and made Judah go astray.

Elijah Writes a Letter

12 After this, a letter arrived from Elijah the prophet. It said:

“This is what the Lord God of your ancestor David says: ‘You haven’t lived like your father Jehoshaphat and like King Asa of Judah. 13 Instead, you have lived like the kings of Israel by causing Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit cultic sexual immorality—just like Ahab’s dynasty did! And you’ve killed your brothers who were better than you—your own father’s dynasty! 14 Look what’s going to happen! The Lord is going to strike your people, your children, your wives, and everything you own with a massive tragedy. 15 And as for you, you will suffer from a serious disease of your bowels. Eventually, day-by-day you will excrete your own bowels because of this disease.”

16 The Lord also provoked the attitude of the Philistines and the Arabs who bordered the Ethiopians against Jehoram, 17 and they attacked Judah, invading it and carried off everything he owned in his royal palace, along with all of his sons and wives except for his youngest son Jehoahaz.[g]

Jehoram’s Illness and Death(C)

18 After all of this happened, the Lord struck him in his bowels with an incurable illness. 19 In due course, as time passed, two years later[h] his bowels came out because of his sickness and he died in agony. His people lit no memorial bonfire for him as they had done for his ancestors. 20 Jehoram[i] was 32 years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for eight years. He left this earth[j]—to nobody’s regret—and they buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 21:2 Lit. his
  2. 2 Chronicles 21:2 Lit. Azaryahu
  3. 2 Chronicles 21:6 Lit. He walked in the ways of
  4. 2 Chronicles 21:7 Lit. sons a lamp
  5. 2 Chronicles 21:8 Lit. days
  6. 2 Chronicles 21:9 Lit. So he crossed over
  7. 2 Chronicles 21:17 This individual is also identified as Ahaziah in 2Chr 22:1
  8. 2 Chronicles 21:19 Lit. And it came about with respect to the days from the days, as time went out, at the end of two days
  9. 2 Chronicles 21:20 Lit. He
  10. 2 Chronicles 21:20 The Heb. lacks this earth