The Reign of Jehoram

21 And Jehoshaphat slept with his ancestorsa and was buried with his ancestorsb in the city of David, and Jehoram his son reigned in his place. 2 Now he had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah. All these were the sons of Jehoshaphat, king of Israel. 3 And their father gave to them many gifts of silver, gold, and valuables, with fortified cities in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram, for he was the firstborn. 4 When Jehoram ascended to the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself and murdered all his brothers with the sword, and even some of the princes of Israel.

5 Jehoram ⌊was thirty-two years old⌋c when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 6 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife. And he did evil in the sight of Yahweh. 7 But Yahweh was not willing to destroy the house of David on account of the covenant that he had ⌊made⌋d with David and since he had promisede to give a lamp to him and to his descendantsf ⌊forever⌋.g

8 In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and they set up a king of their own. 9 Then Jehoram passed over with his commanders and all the chariots with him, and when night came he struck Edom who was all around him and the commanders of his chariots. 10 So Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah until this day. Then Libnah also revolted at that time from under his hand, because he had forsaken Yahweh, the God of his ancestors.h

11 Moreover, he made high places in the hill country of Judah, and he enticed the inhabitants of Jerusalem to be unfaithful, and he led Judah astray. 12 And a letter from Elijah the prophet came to him, saying, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of David your father: ‘Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father or in the ways of Asa, the king of Judah, 13 but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel and have enticed Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to be unfaithful like the unfaithfulness of the house of Ahab, and have also murdered your brothers of the house of your father who were better than you, 14 behold, Yahweh is inflicting a great plague on your people, your children, your wives, and all your possessions, 15 and you yourself will be afflicted with great illness, with sickness in your bowels, until your bowels come out on account of the illness, day by day.’ ”

16 And Yahweh stirred up the spirit of the Philistines and the Arabs who were ⌊near⌋i the Cushites against Jehoram. 17 And they came up against Judah and invaded it and carried away all the possessions found in the house of the king, and also his sons and his wives, so that no son was left to him except Jehoahaz his youngest son.

18 And after all this Yahweh afflicted him in his bowels with an illness for which there was no cure. 19 And it happened that ⌊after many days, at the end of two years⌋,j his bowels came out because of his illness, and he died in terrible agony. And his people did not make a fire for him like the fire for his ancestors.k 20 He was ⌊thirty-two years old⌋l when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he departedm with no one’s regret. And they buried him in the city of David, but not in the burial sites of the kings.

The Reign of Ahaziah

22 And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king in his place, for the band of men who had come with the Arabs to the camp had murdered all the older sons. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram, the king of Judah, reigned. 2 Ahaziah ⌊was forty-twoa years old⌋b when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And the name of his mother was Athaliah, the daughterc of Omri. 3 He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor for doing wickedness. 4 And he did evil in the eyes of Yahweh as the house of Ahab had done, for they were his counselors to his destruction after the death of his father. 5 He also walked in their counsel and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab, king of Israel, to war against Hazael king of Aramd at Ramoth-Gilead. And the Arameans wounded Joram. 6 And he returned to be healed in Jezreel because of the wounds he had suffered at Ramah, when he made war against Hazael king of Aram.e And Azariah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, went down to see Jehoram son of Ahab in Jezreel for he was sick.

7 But the downfall of Ahaziah was from God, and intended to come to Joram. And when he came, he went out with Jehoram to Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom Yahweh had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab. 8 And it happened that when Jehu was judging the house of Ahab, he found the princes of Judah and the sons of the brothers of Ahaziah who ministered to Ahaziah, and he killed them. 9 And he searched for Ahaziah and captured him. And he was hiding in Samaria. And they brought him to Jehu and put him to death. And they buried him, for they said, “He is the descendantf of Jehoshaphat, who sought Yahweh with his whole heart.” And the house of Ahab had no one to exercise power over the kingdom.