¶ Now Jehoshaphat¹ slept with his fathers, and was buried² with his fathers in the city of David. And Jehoram³ his son reigned⁴ in his stead.

And he had brethren the sons of Jehoshaphat, Azariah, and Jehiel, and Zechariah, and Azariah, and Michael, and Shephatiah: all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel⁵.

And their father gave them⁶ great gifts of silver, and of gold, and of precious things, with fenced cities in Judah: but the kingdom⁷ gave he to Jehoram⁸; because he was the firstborn.

Now when Jehoram was risen up to the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself, and slew all⁹ his brethren with the sword, and divers also of the princes of Israel.

Jehoram¹⁰ was thirty and two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.

And he walked in the way¹¹ of the kings of Israel, like as did the house of Ahab: for he had¹² the daughter of Ahab to wife: and he wrought that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD.

Howbeit¹³ the LORD would not destroy the house of David, because¹⁴ of the covenant that he had made with David, and as he promised¹⁵ to give a light¹⁶ to him and to his sons for ever.

In his days the Edomites¹⁷ revolted from under the dominion¹⁸ of Judah, and made themselves a king.

Then Jehoram went forth with his¹⁹ princes, and all his chariots with him: and he rose up by night, and smote the Edomites which compassed him in, and the captains of the chariots.

¶ So the Edomites revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day. The same time also did Libnah²⁰ revolt from under his hand; because²¹ he had forsaken the LORD God of his fathers.

Moreover²² he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused²³ the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication²⁴, and compelled²⁵ Judah thereto.

¶ And there came a writing²⁶ to him from Elijah the prophet²⁷, saying, Thus saith the LORD God of David thy father, Because thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat²⁸ thy father, nor in the ways of Asa²⁹ king of Judah,

But hast walked in the way³⁰ of the kings of Israel, and hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a whoring³¹, like to the whoredoms of the house of Ahab, and also hast slain³² thy brethren of thy father's house, which were better than thyself:

Behold, with a great plague³³ will the LORD smite thy people³⁴, and thy children³⁵, and thy wives, and all thy goods:

And thou shalt have great sickness by disease³⁶ of thy bowels, until thy bowels fall³⁷ out by reason of the sickness³⁸ day by day.

Moreover the LORD³⁹ stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines⁴⁰, and of the Arabians, that were near the Ethiopians:

And they came up into Judah, and brake into it, and carried away⁴¹ all the substance that was found in the king's house, and his sons also,⁴² and his wives; so that there was never a son left him, save Jehoahaz⁴³, the youngest of his sons.

And after all⁴⁶ this the LORD smote him in his bowels with an incurable disease⁴⁷.

And it came to pass, that in process of time, after the end of two years, his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness: so he died of sore diseases. And his people made no⁴⁸ burning for him, like the burning of his fathers.

¶ Thirty and two⁴⁹ years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years, and departed without being desired⁵⁰. Howbeit they buried him in the city of David, but not in the sepulchres of the kings.