2 Chronicles 21

Modern

Literal

Jehoram Reigns in Judah

¹And Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David. And his son Jehoram reigned in his place.

¹And Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. And Jehoram his son reigned in his place.

²Jehoram’s brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat, were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah; these were all sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.^a

²And unto him were brothers, 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.

³Their father had given them many gifts of silver and gold and precious things, as well as the fortified cities in Judah; but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn.

³And their father gave to them great gifts of silver, and of gold, and of precious things, with fortified cities in Judah. And the kingdom he gave to Jehoram, because he was the firstborn.

⁴When Jehoram had established himself over his father’s kingdom, he strengthened himself by putting to the sword all his brothers along with some of the princes of Israel.

⁴And Jehoram rose over the kingdom of his father, and he strengthened himself and killed all his brothers with the sword, and also some of the princes of Israel.

⁵Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years.

⁵Jehoram was a son of thirty-two years in his reigning, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.

⁶And Jehoram walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done. For he married a daughter of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD.

⁶And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as had done the house of Ahab. For a daughter of Ahab was unto him as a wife, and he did evil in the eyes of YHWH.

⁷Yet the LORD was unwilling to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant He had made with David, and since He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever.

⁷And YHWH was not willing destroy the house of David, on account of the covenant that He had cut with David, and since He had promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons all the days.

Edom and Libnah Rebel

⁸In the days of Jehoram, Edom rebelled against the hand of Judah and appointed their own king.

⁸In his days Edom rebelled against the hand of Judah, and they caused a king to reign over themselves.

⁹So Jehoram crossed into Edom with his officers and all his chariots. When the Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, he rose up and attacked^a by night.

⁹And Jehoram went out with his officers, and all the chariots with him, and he rose by night and struck the Edomites who were coming around against him, and the captains of the chariots.

¹⁰So to this day Edom has been in rebellion against the hand of Judah. Likewise, Libnah rebelled against his hand at the same time, because Jehoram had forsaken the LORD, the God of his fathers.

¹⁰And Edom has been in rebellion against the hand of Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at that time against his rule, because he had forsaken YHWH, God of his fathers.

¹¹Jehoram had also built high places on the hills of Judah; he had caused the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves and had led Judah astray.

¹¹Moreover, he made high places in the hill country of Judah, and he caused those dwelling in Jerusalem to prostitute themselves, and he drove away Judah.

Elijah’s Letter to Jehoram

¹²Then a letter came to Jehoram from Elijah the prophet, which stated:

“This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says:

‘You have not walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or of Asa king of Judah,

¹²And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying: “Thus says YHWH, God of David your father: ‘Because that you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father and in the ways of Asa king of Judah,

¹³but you have walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and have caused Judah and the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves, just as the house of Ahab prostituted itself. You have also killed your brothers, your father’s family, who were better than you.

¹³and you have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have caused Judah and those dwelling in Jerusalem to prostitute themselves like the prostitution of the house of Ahab—and also your brothers, the house of your father, who are better than you, you have killed—

¹⁴So behold, the LORD is about to strike your people, your sons, your wives, and all your possessions with a serious blow.

¹⁴behold, YHWH will strike with a great affliction your people, and your children, and your wives, and all your possessions,

¹⁵And day after day you yourself will suffer from a severe illness, a disease of your bowels, until it causes your bowels to come out.’”

¹⁵and you, with many sicknesses, with disease of your bowels, until your intestines come out by reason of the sickness, days upon days.’”

Jehoram’s Disease and Death

¹⁶Then the LORD stirred against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and Arabs who lived near the Cushites.

¹⁶And YHWH stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and of the Arabs who were upon the hand of the Cushites,

¹⁷So they went to war against Judah, invaded it, and carried off all the possessions found in the king’s palace, along with his sons and wives; not a son was left to him except Jehoahaz,^a his youngest.

¹⁷and they came up into Judah and invaded it and carried away all the possessions that were found in the house of the king, and also his sons and his wives, so that there was not left to him a son except but Jehoahaz the youngest of his sons.

¹⁸After all this, the LORD afflicted Jehoram with an incurable disease of the bowels.

¹⁸And after all this, YHWH struck him in his intestines with a disease of no healing.

¹⁹This continued day after day until two full years had passed. Finally, his intestines came out because of his disease, and he died in severe pain. And his people did not make a fire in his honor as they had done for his fathers.

¹⁹And it came to pass, from days to days, and at the time of the going out of the end of two years, that his intestines came out because of his sickness, and he died of evil diseases. And his people did not make for him a burning like the burning for his fathers.

²⁰Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. He died, to no one’s regret, and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

²⁰He was a son of thirty-two in his reigning, and eight years he reigned in Jerusalem, and he departed without desire, and they buried him in the City of David and not in the tombs of the kings.