2 Kings 8:16-24

GOD’S WORD Translation

King Jehoram of Judah^(A)

¹⁶ Joram (Ahab’s son) was in his fifth year as king of Israel when Jehoram,^[a] son of King Jehoshaphat of Judah, began to rule. Jehoram ruled while Jehoshaphat was still king of Judah. ¹⁷ He was 32 years old when he began to rule, and he ruled for 8 years in Jerusalem. ¹⁸ He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, as Ahab’s family had done, because his wife was Ahab’s daughter. So he did what the Lord considered evil. ¹⁹ But for David’s sake the Lord didn’t want to destroy Judah. The Lord had told David that he would always give him and his descendants a ⌞shining⌟ lamp.

²⁰ During Jehoram’s time Edom rebelled against Judah and chose its own king. ²¹ Jehoram took all his chariots to attack Zair. The Edomites and their chariot commanders surrounded him, but he got up at night, broke through their lines, and his troops fled home. ²² So Edom rebelled against Judah’s rule and is still independent today. At that time Libnah also rebelled. ²³ Isn’t everything else about Jehoram—everything he did—written in the official records of the kings of Judah? ²⁴ Jehoram lay down in death with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. His son Ahaziah succeeded him as king.