1Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and he was buried with his fathers in the city of David. His son Jehoram became king in his place.
2Jehoram had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah. All these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.
3Their father gave them many gifts of silver and gold and precious things, along with walled cities in Judah. But he gave the kingdom to Jehoram, because he was the firstborn.
4When Jehoram had taken his place over his father's kingdom, he made himself strong. He killed all his brothers with the sword, and some of the leaders of Israel as well.
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, just as the house of Ahab had done, for he had married Ahab's daughter. He did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD.
7Yet the LORD would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant he had made with David, and because he had promised to give a light to him and to his sons for ever.
8In his days the Edomites rebelled against the rule of Judah, and made a king of their own.
9So Jehoram went out with his leaders, and all his chariots with him. He got up by night and struck the Edomites who had surrounded him, and the captains of the chariots.
10So the Edomites have been in revolt against the hand of Judah to this day. At the same time Libnah also revolted against his hand, because he had forsaken the LORD God of his fathers.
11He also made high places in the mountains of Judah, and led the people of Jerusalem to be unfaithful, and forced Judah into it.
12A letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, which said, "This is what the LORD God of David your father says: Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, nor 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 people of Jerusalem to be unfaithful, as the house of Ahab was unfaithful, and have also killed your brothers of your father's house, who were better than yourself:"
14"look, the LORD will strike your people with a great plague, and your children, and your wives, and all your goods."
15"And you yourself will be very ill with a disease of your bowels, until your bowels fall out because of the sickness, day after day."
16The LORD also stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabians who lived near the Ethiopians.
17They came up into Judah and broke into it, and carried away all the goods that were found in the king's house, and his sons also, and his wives. Not one son was left to him except Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.
18After all this the LORD struck him in his bowels with a disease that could not be cured.
19In time, after two years had ended, his bowels fell out because of his sickness, and he died in terrible pain. His people made no fire in his honour, as they had made for his fathers.