2 Chronicles 21

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

Jehoshaphat slept with his ancestors and was buried with them in the city of David; Jehoram, his son, became king in his place.

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

Jehoram had brothers, sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael, and Shephatiah. All these were sons of Jehoshaphat, king of Israel.

3 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.

Their father had given them large gifts of silver, gold, and other precious things, and also fortified cities in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram.

4 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.

Now when Jehoram had risen up over his father's kingdom and had firmly established himself as king, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and also various other leaders of Israel.

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

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

6 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.

He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab was doing, for he had Ahab's daughter as his wife, and he did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh.

7 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.

However, Yahweh did not wish to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David; he had promised that he would always give life to him and his descendants.

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

In Jehoram's days, Edom revolted from the control of Judah, and they set a king over themselves.

9 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.

Then Jehoram crossed over with his commanders and all his chariots. It was night when he rose up and fought against the Edomites who had surrounded him and his chariot commanders.

10 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.

So Edom has been in rebellion from the control of Judah to this present day. Libnah also revolted at the same time from his control, because Jehoram had forsaken Yahweh, the God of his ancestors.

11 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.

In addition, Jehoram had also built high places in the mountains of Judah and he made the inhabitants of Jerusalem to live like prostitutes, and he led Judah astray.

12 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,

A letter from the prophet Elijah came to Jehoram. It said, “This is what Yahweh, the God of David, your ancestor, says: Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat, your father, nor in the ways of Asa, king of Judah,

13 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.

but have walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and have made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to act like a prostitute, as the house of Ahab did—and because you have also killed your brothers in your father's family, men who were better than yourself—

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

see, Yahweh will strike with a great plague your people, your children, your wives, and all your possessions.

15 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.’”

You yourself will have much sickness because of a disease in your intestines, until your intestines fall out because of the sickness, day after day.”

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

Yahweh stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and of the Arabians who were near the Cushites.

17 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.

They attacked Judah, invaded it, and carried away all the wealth that was found in the king's house. They also carried away his sons and his wives. No son was left to him except Jehoahaz, his youngest son.

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

After all this, Yahweh struck him in his intestines with an incurable disease.

19 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.

It came about in due time, at the end of two years, that his intestines fell out because of his sickness, and that he died of severe disease. His people made no fire in his honor as they had done for his ancestors.

20 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.

He had begun to reign when he was thirty-two years old; he reigned in Jerusalem for eight years, and when he departed no one mourned him. They buried him in the city of David, but not in the royal tombs.