The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Chronicles 21
1 Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and
was buried with his fathers in David’s city;
and Jehoram his son reigned in his place.
2 He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah,
Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah. All
these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king
of Israel.
3 Their father gave them great gifts of
silver, of gold, and of precious things, with
fortified cities in Judah; but he gave the
kingdom to Jehoram, because he was the
firstborn.
4 Now when Jehoram had risen up
over the kingdom of his father, and had
strengthened himself, he killed all 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 eight
years in Jerusalem.
6 He walked in the way of the kings of
Israel, as did Ahab’s house, for he had
Ahab’s daughter as his wife. He did that
which was evil in Yahweh’s sight.
7 However Yahweh would not destroy
David’s house, because of the covenant
that he had made with David, and as he
promised to give a lamp to him and to his
children always.
8 In his days Edom revolted from under
the hand of Judah, and made a king over
themselves.
9 Then Jehoram went there with his captains and all his chariots with him. He rose
up by night and struck the Edomites who
surrounded him, along with the captains
of the chariots.
10 So Edom has been in revolt from under the hand of Judah to this day. Then
Libnah revolted at the same time from
under his hand, because he had forsaken
Yahweh, the God of his fathers.
11 Moreover he made high places in the
mountains of Judah, and made the inhabitants of Jerusalem play the prostitute, and
led Judah astray.
12 A letter came to him from Elijah
the prophet, saying, “Yahweh, the 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 made Judah and
the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the
prostitute like Ahab’s house did, and also
have slain your brothers of your father’s
house, who were better than yourself,
14 behold, Yahweh will strike your people with a great plague, including your
children, your wives, and all your possessions;
15 and you will have great sickness with
a disease of your bowels, until your bowels
fall out by reason of the sickness, day by
day.’ ”
16 Yahweh stirred up against Jehoram
the spirit of the Philistines and of the Arabians who are beside the Ethiopians;
17and they came up againstJudah, broke
into it, and carried away all the possessions that were found in the king’s house,
including his sons and his wives, so that
there was no son left to him except Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.
18 After all this Yahweh struck him in his
bowels with an incurable disease.
19 In process of time, at the end of two
years, his bowels fell out by reason of his
sickness, and he died of severe diseases.
His people made no burning for him, like
the burning of his fathers.
20 He was thirty-two years old when
he began to reign, and he reigned in
Jerusalem eight years. He departed with
no one’s regret. Theyburiedhimin David’s
city, but not in the tombs of the kings.