Chapter 21
1Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his
fathers in the city of David: and Jehoram his son reigned in his place.
2He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, and Jehiel, and
Zechariah, and Azariah, and Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons
of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.
3Their father gave them great gifts, of
silver, and of gold, and of precious things, with fortified cities in Judah:
but the kingdom gave he to Jehoram, because he was the firstborn.
4Now
when Jehoram was risen up over the kingdom of his father, and had
strengthened himself, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and various
also of the princes of Israel.
5Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he
began to reign; and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.
6He walked in
the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab; for he had the
daughter of Ahab as wife: and he did that which was evil in the sight of
Yahweh.
7However Yahweh would not destroy the house of David, because of
the covenant that he had made with David, and as he promised to give a lamp
to him and to his children always.
8In his days Edom revolted from under
the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves.
9Then Jehoram passed
over with his captains, and all his chariots with him: and he rose up by
night, and struck the Edomites who surrounded him, along with the captains of
the chariots.
10So Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah to this
day: then did Libnah revolt at the same time from under his hand, because he
had forsaken Yahweh, the God of his fathers.
11Moreover he made high
places in the mountains of Judah, and made the inhabitants of Jerusalem to
play the prostitute, and led Judah astray.
12There came a writing to him
from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus says Yahweh, the God of David your
father, Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father,
nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah,
13but have walked in the way of the
kings of Israel, and have made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play
the prostitute, like as the house of Ahab did, and also have slain your
brothers of your father’s house, who were better than yourself:
14behold,
Yahweh will strike with a great plague your people, and your children, and
your wives, and all your substance;
15and you shall have great sickness
by disease of your bowels, until your bowels fall out by reason of the
sickness, day by day.
16Yahweh stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of
the Philistines, and of the Arabians who are beside the Ethiopians:
17and
they came up against Judah, and broke into it, and carried away all the
substance that was found in the king’s house, and his sons also, and his
wives; so that there was never a son left him, save Jehoahaz, the youngest of
his sons.
18After all this Yahweh struck him in his bowels with an
incurable disease.
19It happened, in process of time, at the end of two
years, that his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness, and he died of
sore diseases. His people made no burning for him, like the burning of his
fathers.
20Thirty-two years old was he when he began to reign, and he
reigned in Jerusalem eight years: and he departed without being desired; and
they buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.
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