SECOND CHRONICLES

 

2 Chronicles Chapter 21

1 ¶ Jehoshaphat then slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.

2 And he had brothers the sons of Jehoshaphat, Azariah, and Jehiel, and Zechariah, and Azariah, and Michael, and Shephatiah: all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat the king of Israel.

3 And their father gave them many gifts of silver, and of gold, and of precious things, together with fortified cities in Judah: but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram; because he was the firstborn.

4 Now after Jehoram had ascended to the throne of his father, he strengthened himself, and killed all of his brothers with the sword, and also some of the princes of Israel.

5 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for eight years in Jerusalem.

6 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, conducting himself like those of the house of Ahab: for he had the daughter of Ahab as a wife: and he did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD.

7 However the LORD would not destroy the house of David, because he had made a covenant with David, and promised to give a light to him and to his sons forever.

8 In his days the Edomites revolted against the dominion of Judah, and set up a king for themselves.

9 Then Jehoram crossed over with his princes, and all his chariots: and he had to get up at night, and fight the Edomites who had surrounded him, and the commanders of his chariots.

10 But the Edomites rebelled against the authority of Judah and have been independent to this day. At the same time Libnah also revolted against his authority; because he had forsaken the LORD God of his fathers.

11 He also made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to be unfaithful, and led Judah astray.

12 ¶ Then he received a letter from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus says the LORD God of David your father, Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa king of Judah,

13 But have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot, like the spiritual harlotry of the house of Ahab, and have also killed your brothers, your father’s family, who were better than you:

14 Behold, the LORD will strike your people, your children, your wives, and all your goods with a great plague:

15 And you will suffer many ailments including a disease of your bowels, until your bowels fall out because of the sickness day after day.

16 Moreover the LORD stirred up the spirit of the Philistines against Jehoram, and of the Arabians, who were near the Ethiopians:

17 And they came up into Judah, and invaded it, and carried away the king’s sons, his wives, and all the possessions that were found in the king’s house; so that he had no sons left, except Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.

18 And after all this the LORD struck him in his bowels with an incurable disease.

19 And as time went on, after the end of two years, his bowels fell out because of his sickness: and he died in severe distress. But his people lit no fire in his honor, like the fires for his fathers.

20 He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem for eight years, and departed without being wanted. However they buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.