1 Jehoshaphat lay down with his fathers and was buried beside them in the City of David, and his son Jehoram became king after him.
2 Jehoram had brothers, sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah. All these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.
3 Their father had given them large gifts of silver, gold, and valuables, along with fortress cities in Judah; but the kingdom he gave to Jehoram, since he was the firstborn.
4 Once Jehoram had taken over his father's kingdom and secured his hold on it, he put all his brothers to the sword, along with some of Israel's leaders.
5 Jehoram was thirty-two when he became king, and he ruled eight years in Jerusalem.
6 He followed the way of the kings of Israel as Ahab's house had done, since he had married Ahab's daughter, and he did what was evil in the LORD's sight.
7 But the LORD did not want to wipe out the house of David, because of the covenant he had made with David and his promise to give him and his sons a lamp always.
8 During his reign Edom revolted against Judah's rule and made a king for themselves.
9 Jehoram crossed over with his commanders and all his chariots. He got up at night and attacked the Edomites who were surrounding him and his chariot commanders.
10 So Edom has remained in revolt against Judah's rule until this day. Libnah revolted from his rule at the same time, because he had abandoned the LORD God of his fathers.
11 He even built high places in the hills of Judah, caused the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves, and led Judah astray.
12 A letter reached him from Elijah the prophet, saying, "This is what the LORD God of your father David says: 'You have not followed the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or the ways of Asa king of Judah,
13 but you have followed the way of the kings of Israel and caused Judah and the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves as Ahab's house did; and you have also murdered your own brothers, your father's family, men better than you.
14 So now the LORD is about to strike your people, your sons, your wives, and everything you own with a heavy blow,
15 and you yourself with a severe illness, a disease of the bowels, until your bowels come out because of the disease, day after day.'"
16 Then the LORD roused against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and of the Arabs who lived next to the Cushites.
17 They invaded Judah, broke through, and carried away everything found in the palace, including his sons and wives. Not one son was left to him except Jehoahaz, his youngest.
18 After all this the LORD struck him in the bowels with an incurable disease.
19 Day after day it went on, and at the end of two years his bowels came out because of the disease, and he died in terrible pain. His people did not make a fire in his honor as they had for his fathers.
20 He was thirty-two when he became king and ruled eight years in Jerusalem. He passed away with no one regretting it. They buried him in the City of David, though not in the royal tombs.