2 ChroniclesChapter 21
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1Then Jehoshaphat died and joined his fathers. He was buried with them in the City of David. His son Jehoram became king after him. 2Jehoram's brothers were the sons of Jehoshaphat. They were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah. All of these were sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel. 3Their father had given them many gifts of silver, gold, and costly things. He also gave them walled cities in Judah. But he gave the kingdom to Jehoram, because he was the firstborn. 4Jehoram took firm control of his father's kingdom. Then he made himself strong by killing all his brothers with the sword. He also killed some of the princes of Israel. 5Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem eight years. 6Jehoram lived the way the kings of Israel did, just as the family of Ahab had done. This was because he had married a daughter of Ahab. And he did evil in the eyes of the LORD. 7But the LORD did not want to destroy the family of David. That was because of the covenant he had made with David. He had promised to keep a lamp burning for David and his children forever. 8While Jehoram was king, Edom rebelled against Judah's rule. They chose their own king. 9So Jehoram crossed into Edom with his officers and all his chariots. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot leaders. But he got up and attacked at night. 10So Edom has been rebelling against Judah's rule to this day. At that same time, the town of Libnah also rebelled against his rule. This was because Jehoram had turned away from the LORD, the God of his fathers. 11Jehoram had also built high places on the hills of Judah. He had caused the people of Jerusalem to act like prostitutes. He had led Judah the wrong way. 12Then a letter came to Jehoram from Elijah the prophet. It said, "This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: 'You have not lived the way your father Jehoshaphat did. You have not lived like Asa king of Judah. 13Instead, you have lived like the kings of Israel. You have caused Judah and the people of Jerusalem to act like prostitutes, just as Ahab's family did. You have also killed your brothers, your own father's family. They were better men than you. 14So listen. The LORD is about to strike your people, your sons, your wives, and everything you own with a heavy blow. 15And you yourself will be very sick day after day. You will have a disease of the bowels. In the end, it will cause your bowels to come out.'" 16Then the LORD stirred up the Philistines against Jehoram. He also stirred up the Arabs who lived near the Cushites. 17They went to war against Judah and invaded it. They carried off everything in the king's palace. They took his sons and wives too. Not one son was left to him except Jehoahaz, the youngest. 18After all this, the LORD struck Jehoram with a disease of the bowels that could not be cured. 19It went on day after day for two whole years. At last, his bowels came out because of the disease. He died in terrible pain. His people did not light a fire to honor him, as they had done for his fathers. 20Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem eight years. When he died, no one was sorry. He was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.