2Chronicles 21
21Jehoshaphat died, as had his ancestors, and was buried in the city of David alongside his ancestors. His son Jehoram became king in his place.H3092H7901H1H6912H1H5892H1732H3088H1121H44272Jehoshaphat's sons, Jehoram's brothers, included Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah. All of these were sons of Jehoshaphat, king of Israel.H251H1121H3092H5838H3171H2148H5838H4317H8203H1121H3092H4428H34783Their father gave them many gifts made of silver, and gold, as well as valuable things, along with fortified cities in Judah, but he passed the kingdom to Jehoram because Jehoram was his firstborn.H1H5414H7227H4979H3701H2091H4030H4694H5892H3063H4467H5414H3088H10604But after Jehoram had assumed the throne and consolidated his rule over his father's kingdom, he executed all of his brothers, along with some of the rulers of Israel.H3088H6965H4467H1H2388H2026H251H2719H8269H34785Jehoram was 32 years old when he became king, and he reigned for eight years in Jerusalem.H3088H7970H8147H8141H1121H4427H4427H8083H8141H33896He lived like the kings of Israel, following the example of Ahab's dynasty, since he had married Ahab's daughter, and he practiced what the Lord considered to be evil.H3212H1870H4428H3478H6213H1004H256H1323H256H802H6213H7451H5869H30687Nevertheless, the Lord was unwilling to destroy David's dynasty because of the covenant that he had made with David, especially since he had promised to give him and to his sons the reigning presence of an heir forever.H3068H14H7843H1004H1732H1285H3772H1732H559H5414H5216H1121H31178Nevertheless, Edom revolted against Judah's rule and set up their own king to rule them during Jehoram's reign.H3117H123H6586H3027H3063H4427H44289So Jehoram invaded Edom with his commanders and his chariots by night and killed the Edomites who had surrounded him and his chariot commanders.H3088H5674H8269H7393H6965H3915H5221H123H5437H8269H739310Edom remains in revolt against Judah to this day. Libnah revolted against Jehoram's rule, too, because he had abandoned the Lord God of his ancestors.H123H6586H3027H3063H3117H6256H3841H6586H3027H5800H3068H430H111In addition to all of this, he built high places in the mountains of Judah, led the inhabitants of Jerusalem into cultic sexual immorality, and made Judah go astray.H6213H1116H2022H3063H3427H3389H2181H5080H306312After this, a letter arrived from Elijah the prophet. It said: "This is what the Lord God of your ancestor David says: 'You haven't lived like your father Jehoshaphat and like King Asa of Judah.H935H4385H452H5030H559H559H3068H430H1732H1H1980H1870H3092H1H1870H609H4428H306313Instead, you have lived like the kings of Israel by causing Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit cultic sexual immorality - just like Ahab's dynasty did! And you've killed your brothers who were better than you - your own father's dynasty!H3212H1870H4428H3478H3063H3427H3389H2181H2181H1004H256H2026H251H1H1004H289614Look what's going to happen! The Lord is going to strike your people, your children, your wives, and everything you own with a massive tragedy.H1419H4046H3068H5062H5971H1121H802H739915And as for you, you will suffer from a serious disease of your bowels. Eventually, day-by-day you will excrete your own bowels because of this disease."2114H7227H2483H4245H4578H4578H3318H2483H3117H311716The Lord also provoked the attitude of the Philistines and the Arabs who bordered the Ethiopians against Jehoram,H3068H5782H3088H7307H6430H6163H5921H3027H356917and they attacked Judah, invading it and carried off everything he owned in his royal palace, along with all of his sons and wives except for his youngest son Jehoahaz.21H5927H3063H1234H7617H7399H4672H4428H1004H1121H802H1121H7604H3059H6996H112118After all of this happened, the Lord struck him in his bowels with an incurable illness.H310H3068H5062H4578H369H4832H248319Two years later, in due course his bowels came out because of his sickness and he died in agony. His people lit no memorial bonfire for him as they had done for his ancestors.H3117H3318H6256H7093H8147H3117H4578H3318H5973H2483H4191H7451H8463H5971H6213H8316H8316H120Jehoram was 32 years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for eight years. He left this earth - to nobody's regret - and they buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.H7970H8147H1121H4427H4427H3389H8083H8141H3212H2532H6912H5892H1732H6913H4428
Columbus, OH
