Jehoram’s Wicked Reign in Judah
1 Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Jehoram his son reigned in his place. 2 He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat; Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah. All these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel. 3 Their father gave them great gifts of silver, gold, and precious things, with fortified cities in Judah; but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn.
4 Now when Jehoram had risen up over the kingdom of his father and had strengthened himself, he killed all his brothers with the sword and also some of the princes of Israel. 5 Jehoram was 32 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 6 He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab, for he had Ahab’s daughter as his wife. He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. 7 However the Lord would not destroy the house of David because of the covenant that he had made with David and because he had promised to give a lamp to him and to his descendants forever.
Edom and Libnah Revolt
8 During Jehoram’s reign, the Edomites revolted from under the authority of Judah and set a king over themselves. 9 Then Jehoram went there with his captains and all his chariots with him. He rose up by night and struck the Edomites who surrounded him, along with the captains of the chariots. 10 So Edom revolted from under the authority of Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time from under his authority, because he had forsaken the Lord, the God of his fathers.
11 Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah and made the inhabitants of Jerusalem play the prostitute and led Judah astray.
Elijah’s Letter to Jehoram
12 A letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying:
“The Lord, the God of David your father, says, ‘You have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah, 13 but you have walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and have made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the prostitute like the house of Ahab did and have also slain your brothers of your father’s house, who were better than yourself. 14 Therefore, the Lord will strike your people with a great plague, including your children, your wives, and all your possessions, 15 and you will have great sickness with a disease of your bowels, until your bowels fall out day by day because of the sickness.’ ”
Jehoram’s Disease and Death
16 The Lord stirred up against Jehoram, the spirit of the Philistines and the Arabians who are beside the Ethiopians, 17 and they came up against Judah, broke into it, and took all the possessions that were found in the king’s house, including his sons and his wives so that there was no son left to him, except Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.
18 After all this, the Lord struck him in his bowels with an incurable disease. 19 In process of time, at the end of two years, his bowels fell out because of his sickness, and he died in severe pain. His people made no funeral fire to honor him, like the fires for his fathers. 20 He was 32 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. He departed without being missed, and they buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.