1And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David : and Jehoram his son reigned in his stead . 2And he had brethren, 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 . 3And their father gave them great gifts , of silver , and of gold , and of precious things , with fortified cities in Judah : but the kingdom gave he to Jehoram , because he was the first-born. 4Now when Jehoram was risen up over the kingdom of his father, and had strengthened himself , he slew all his brethren with the sword , and divers also of the princes of Israel . 5Jehoram was thirty and two years old when he began to reign ; and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem . 6And 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 . 7Howbeit 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 children alway .
The Murder of His Brothers
8In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah , and made a king over themselves . 9Then Jehoram passed over with his captains , and all his chariots with him : and he rose up by night , and smote the Edomites that compassed him about , and the captains of the chariots . 10So Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day : then did Libnah revolt at the same time from under his hand , because he had forsaken Jehovah , the God of his fathers. 11Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah , and made the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot , and led Judah astray .
The Letter from Elijah
12And there came a writing to him from Elijah the prophet , saying, Thus saith Jehovah , the God of David thy father, Because thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah , 13but hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel , and hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot , like as the house of Ahab did , and also hast slain thy brethren of thy father’s house , who were better than thyself : 14behold , Jehovah will smite with a great plague thy people , and thy children , and thy wives, and all thy substance ; 15and thou shalt have great sickness by disease of thy bowels , until thy bowels fall out by reason of the sickness , day by day . 16And Jehovah stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines , and of the Arabians that are beside the Ethiopians : 17and they came up against Judah , and brake 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 was never a son left him , save Jehoahaz , the youngest of his sons . 18And after all this Jehovah smote him in his bowels with an incurable disease . 19And it came to pass , in process of time , at the end of two years , that his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness , and he died of sore diseases . And his people made no burning for him , like the burning of his fathers.
The Judgment of Jehoram
20Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign , and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years : and he departed without being desired ; and they buried him in the city of David , but not in the sepulchres of the kings .