2 Chronicles

Now Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.

1Jehoshaphat died, as his fathers had died before him. He was buried with them in the City of David. His son Jehoram became king in his place.

2And 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 Israel.

2Jehoram had brothers, the other sons of Jehoshaphat. They were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, another Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah. All of them were sons of Jehoshaphat, the king.

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

3Their father gave them many gifts of silver, gold, and other costly things. He also gave them strong walled cities in Judah. But he gave the kingdom to Jehoram, because Jehoram was the oldest son.

4Now when Jehoram was risen up to the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself, and slew all his brethren with the sword, and divers also of the princes of Israel.

4When Jehoram had full control of his father's kingdom, he made himself strong. He killed all his brothers with the sword. He also killed some of the leaders of Israel.

5Jehoram was thirty and two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.

5Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for eight years.

6And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, like as did the house of Ahab: for he had the daughter of Ahab to wife: and he wrought that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD.

6He lived the way the kings of Israel lived, just like Ahab's family did. He had married a daughter of Ahab. He did what the LORD said was evil.

7Howbeit the LORD would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and as he promised to give a light to him and to his sons for ever.

7Even so, the LORD would not destroy David's family. He had made a covenant with David, which is a solemn agreement. He had promised to keep a lamp burning for David and his sons forever.

Note"A light" is a word picture. It means David's family line would keep going, with a king from that family.

8In his days the Edomites revolted from under the dominion of Judah, and made themselves a king.

8While Jehoram was king, the country of Edom rebelled against Judah's rule. The people of Edom chose their own king.

9Then Jehoram went forth with his 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.

9So Jehoram went out with his officers and all his chariots. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders. He got up in the night and attacked them.

10So the Edomites revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day. The same time also did Libnah revolt from under his hand; because he had forsaken the LORD God of his fathers.

10So Edom has stayed free from Judah's rule until this day. At the same time, the town of Libnah rebelled against Jehoram too. This happened because he had turned away from the LORD, the God of his fathers.

11Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication, and compelled Judah thereto.

11Jehoram also built places to worship other gods on the hills of Judah. He led the people of Jerusalem to turn away from the LORD. He pushed the rest of Judah to do the same.

NoteThe KJV uses words about being unfaithful in marriage. Here they describe people leaving the LORD to worship other gods.

12And there came a writing to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus saith the LORD God of David thy father, Because thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah,

12Then a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, a man who told people God's messages. It said: This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says. You have not lived the way your father Jehoshaphat lived. You have not lived the way Asa, king of Judah, lived.

13But hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a whoring, like to the whoredoms of the house of Ahab, and also hast slain thy brethren of thy father’s house, which were better than thyself:

13Instead you have lived like the kings of Israel. You led Judah and the people of Jerusalem away from God. You did what Ahab's family did. You also killed your own brothers, your father's sons, who were better men than you.

14Behold, with a great plague will the LORD smite thy people, and thy children, and thy wives, and all thy goods:

14So now the LORD will strike your people with a heavy blow. Your children, your wives, and everything you own will be struck too.

15And thou shalt have great sickness by disease of thy bowels, until thy bowels fall out by reason of the sickness day by day.

15You yourself will become very sick. It will be a disease inside your body. It will get worse day after day, until your insides come out.

16Moreover the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabians, that were near the Ethiopians:

16Then the LORD stirred up the Philistines and the Arabs against Jehoram. Those Arabs lived near the land of Cush.

17And they came up into Judah, and brake into it, and carried away all the substance that was found in the king’s house, and his sons also, and his wives; so that there was never a son left him, save Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.

17They marched into Judah and broke into the land. They carried off everything of value in the king's palace. They took away his sons and his wives too. Only Jehoahaz, his youngest son, was left to him.

18And after all this the LORD smote him in his bowels with an incurable disease.

18After all this, the LORD struck Jehoram with a disease inside his body. No one could cure it.

19And 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 no burning for him, like the burning of his fathers.

19Time went by, and after two full years his insides came out. He died in great pain. His people did not light a fire to honor him, as they had for the kings before him.

NoteThe "burning" was a fire of spices lit to honor a king who had died. It was not the burning of the body.

20Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years, and departed without being desired. Howbeit they buried him in the city of David, but not in the sepulchres of the kings.

20Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for eight years. He died, and no one was sad that he was gone. They buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.