2 Chronicles 21

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

Jehoshaphat died was buried with his fore fathers in the City of David, and his son Jehoram took over as king.

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 king of Israel.

His brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat, were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah. All were sons of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah.

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

Their father had given them many gifts of silver and gold and valuable items, as well as the fortified towns in Judah; but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn.

4 Now when Jehoram was risen up over the kingdom of his father, and had strengthened himself, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and also various of the rulers of Israel.

But once Jehoram had secured the kingdom, he made sure of his position by killing all his brothers, along with some of the princes of Judah.

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

Jehoram was thirty-two when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for eight years.

6 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab, for he had the daughter of Ahab to wife. And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah.

He followed the evil ways of the kings of Israel, and was as bad as Ahab, for he had married one of Ahab's daughters. He did evil in the Lord's sight.

7 However Jehovah 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 sons always.

However, Yet the Lord did not want to destroy David's line because of the agreement he had made with David, and he had promised that David's descendants would rule forever like an ever-burning lamp.

8 In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves.

During Jehoram's reign, Edom rebelled against Judah's rule and chose their own king.

9 Then Jehoram passed over with his captains, and all his chariots with him. And he rose up by night, and smote the Edomites that encompassed him around, and the captains of the chariots.

So Jehoram crossed into Edom with his officers and all his chariot army. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, but he broke through during the night.

10 So Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time from under his hand because he had forsaken Jehovah, the God of his fathers.

From this time on Edom was in rebellion against Judah's rule, and remains so to this day. At the same time Libnah also rebelled against his rule, because he had abandoned the Lord, the God of his forefathers.

11 Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and made the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot, and led Judah astray.

He also built high places on the mountains of Judah; he made the people of Jerusalem unfaithful to God and led Judah away from him.

12 And there came a writing to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus says Jehovah, the God of David thy father, Because thou have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah,

Jehoram received a letter from Elijah the prophet that said, “This is what the Lord, the God of David your forefather says, ‘You have not followed the ways of your father Jehoshaphat, or Asa, king of Judah,

13 but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot, like the house of Ahab did, and also have slain thy brothers of thy father's house who were better than thyself,

but instead you have followed the ways of the kings of Israel, and have made the people of Jerusalem unfaithful, and the people of Jerusalem as unfaithful as the family of Ahab. You have even killed your brothers, your father's family, who were better than you.

14 behold, Jehovah will smite thy people with a great plague, and thy sons, and thy wives, and all thy substance.

Watch out, for the Lord is going to hit your people hard—your sons, your wives, and all that you own.

15 And thou shall have great sickness by disease of thy bowels until thy bowels fall out by reason of the sickness, day by day.

You yourself will be struck with a terrible illness—a disease of the bowels which will get worse day by day until they come out.’”

16 And Jehovah stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabians who are beside the Ethiopians.

The Lord stirred up the hostility of the Philistines and of the Arabians (who live near the Ethiopians) against Jehoram.

17 And 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 has not been left a son to him, except Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.

They came and invaded Judah, and took away everything they found in the king's palace, along with his sons and his wives, so that only the youngest son Jehoahaz was left.

18 And after all this Jehovah smote him in his bowels with an incurable disease.

After all this, the Lord struck Jehoram with a disease of the bowels for which there was no cure.

19 And it came to pass, in process of time, at the end of two years, that his bowels fell out because of his sickness, and he died of severe diseases. And his people made no burning for him like the burning of his fathers.

Day after day it grew worse, until after two full years passed his bowels came out because of his disease, and he died in agony. His people did not make a fire to honor him as they had done for his forefathers.

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

Jehoram was thirty-two when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for eight years. When he died, no one mourned him. He was buried in the City of David, but not in the royal tombs.