2 Chronicles
Chapter 21
1 Jehoshaphat died and was buried with his ancestors in the city of David. Then his son Jehoram became king after him.
2 He had brothers, Jehoshaphat’s sons: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, another Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah. All these were King Jehoshaphat of Israel’s sons.
3 Their father gave them many valuable gifts, including silver, gold, and precious items, along with protected cities in Judah, but he gave the rule to Jehoram because he was the oldest son.
4 When Jehoram became king after his father, he made himself strong and killed all his brothers with a sword, as well as some of Israel’s leaders.
5 Jehoram was 32 years old when he started to rule, and he ruled for 8 years in Jerusalem.
6 He followed the path of the Israelite kings, just like Ahab’s family did, because he married Ahab’s daughter, and he did evil things that God saw as wrong.
7 God did not want to destroy David’s family because of the promise He made to David, and He had agreed to give a lasting light to him and his sons.
8 During his reign, the Edomites rebelled against Judah’s rule and chose their own king.
9 Jehoram went out with his leaders and all his chariots. He attacked at night and defeated the Edomites surrounding him and their chariot commanders.
10 The Edomites rebelled against Judah’s rule and remain independent to this day. At the same time, Libnah also rebelled because he abandoned the God of his ancestors.
11 He also built worship sites on the hills of Judah and led the people of Jerusalem to be unfaithful, and forced Judah to do the same.
12 Elijah the prophet sent a message to him, saying, “God tells you, because you did not follow in the footsteps of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the footsteps of Asa king of Judah.
13 You followed the path of Israel’s kings and led Judah and Jerusalem into false worship, like the ways of Ahab’s family, and you killed your own brothers, who were better than you.
14 Look, God will punish your people, your children, your wives, and all your things with a terrible plague.
15 You will become very sick with a disease in your intestines until your intestines come out because of the illness every day.
16 God made the Philistines and nearby Arabians, close to the Ethiopians, rise against Jehoram.
17 They entered Judah, broke into it, and took all the valuables from the king’s house, his sons, and his wives; none of his sons were left except Jehoahaz, his youngest.
18 After all this, God struck him with an incurable disease in his intestines.
19 Over time, two years later, he got so sick that his insides came out, and he died from severe illnesses. His people did not honor him with a fire as they had for his ancestors.
20 He was 32 years old when he became king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for eight years. He died unloved. Nevertheless, they buried him in the city of David, but not in the kings’ tombs.