1Jehoshaphat died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. His son Jehoram became king in his place.
2Jehoram had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah. All of these were sons of Jehoshaphat, king of Israel.
3Their father gave them many gifts of silver, gold, and valuable items, along with fortified cities in Judah. But he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn son.
4When Jehoram had established himself firmly in his father's kingdom, he killed all his brothers with a sword, and also some of the leaders of Israel.
5Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned for eight years in Jerusalem.
6He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, just like the family of Ahab did, because he had married Ahab's daughter. He did what Yahweh considered evil.
7However, Yahweh would not destroy the house of David because of the covenant he had made with David and his promise to always keep a descendant on his throne.
8During his reign, Edom rebelled against Judah and set up their own king.
9So Jehoram went there with his commanders and all his chariots. He attacked by night and struck down the Edomites who had surrounded him and his chariot commanders.
10Edom has been free from Judah's control ever since that day. At the same time, Libnah also rebelled against Jehoram because he had abandoned Yahweh, the God of his ancestors.
11Furthermore, he built places of worship on elevated ground in the mountains of Judah, caused the people of Jerusalem to worship other gods, and led Judah astray.
12A letter came to him from the prophet Elijah, saying, “Yahweh, the God of your father David, says: ‘Because you have not followed the ways of your father Jehoshaphat, nor the ways of King Asa of Judah,
13but have followed the ways of the kings of Israel, and have caused Judah and the people of Jerusalem to worship other gods, just as the family of Ahab did, and because you have murdered your own brothers, who were better than you,
14Yahweh will strike your people, your children, your wives, and all your possessions with a terrible plague.
15You yourself will suffer from a severe illness, a disease of your intestines, until your intestines fall out day after day because of the sickness.’”
16Yahweh caused the Philistines and the Arabians, who lived near the Ethiopians, to attack Jehoram.
17They invaded Judah, broke in, and took all the treasures from the king's palace, along with his sons and wives. Only his youngest son, Jehoahaz, was left.
18After all this, Yahweh struck Jehoram with an incurable intestinal disease.
19Two years later, due to his illness, his bowels came out, and he died in terrible pain. His people did not cremate him with special spices, as they had done for his ancestors.
20He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for eight years. He died unmourned, and they buried him in the City of David, but not in the royal tombs.