Jehoram

16Joram, son of Ahab, was king of Israel. In his fifth year, Jehoram became king of Judah. Jehoram was the son of Jehoshaphat.

And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Je hoshaphat king of Judah began to reign.

NoteGod's people had split into two lands. The northern land was called Israel. The southern land was called Judah. Each land had its own king. Joram was king in Israel, and Jehoram, whose name is almost the same, became king in Judah.

17Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for eight years.

Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.

18He lived the way the kings of Israel lived, just like Ahab's family. He had married a daughter of Ahab. He did evil things, and the LORD saw it.

And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab: for the daughter of Ahab was his wife: and he did evil in the sight of the LORD.

NoteAhab had been a king of Israel who worshiped other gods. "Ahab's family" means everyone in his household and the way they lived.

19Still, the LORD would not destroy Judah. He had promised his servant David to keep a light burning for him and his children always.

Yet the LORD would not destroy Judah for David his servant’s sake, as he promised him to give him alway a light, and to his children.

Note"Keeping a light burning" was a picture of a family that does not die out. It meant David's family would keep having kings.

20While Jehoram was king, the land of Edom turned against Judah. The people of Edom chose their own king.

In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves.

NoteEdom was a land southeast of Judah. Judah had been ruling it, and now Edom wanted to be its own country again.

21So Jehoram went to the town of Zair with all his chariots. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot leaders. He got up at night and attacked them. But his own soldiers ran away to their homes.

So Joram went over to Zair, and all the chariots with him: and he rose by night, and smote the Edomites which compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots: and the people fled into their tents.

NoteA chariot was a small cart pulled by fast horses. Soldiers rode in chariots to fight, and they were the strongest part of an army.

22So Edom has stayed free from Judah ever since. The town of Libnah turned away at the same time.

Yet Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time.

NoteLibnah was a town in Judah. "Turned away" means it stopped obeying Judah's king.

23The other things Jehoram did are written down. They are in the book called the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah.

And the rest of the acts of Joram, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

NoteThis was a record book where kings' deeds were written down. That book is lost now. It is not the same as the Bible book called Chronicles.

24Then Jehoram died, like his fathers before him. They buried him with them in the City of David. His son Ahaziah became king in his place.

And Joram slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.

Note"Died like his fathers before him" is an old way of saying he died. Families were buried together in the same place. The City of David was the oldest part of Jerusalem, where kings were buried.

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.

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.

NoteThe City of David was a part of Jerusalem. King David captured it long ago. Kings from his family were buried there.

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.

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 Israel.

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.

And 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.

NoteA walled city had a high wall all around it. People went inside the walls when enemies came. Also, the oldest son usually took his father's place as king.

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.

Now 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.

NoteNew kings sometimes killed their brothers on purpose. They were afraid a brother might take the throne from them.

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

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

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.

And 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.

NoteLong before this, God's people had split into two countries. The northern one was called Israel. The southern one, ruled by David's family, was called Judah. Ahab was a king of Israel who worshiped other gods.

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.

Howbeit 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.

NoteA covenant is a promise that is meant to last forever. The "lamp" is a picture, not a real lamp. It means someone from David's family would keep on being king.

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

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

NoteEdom was the country just south of Judah. Its people had been ruled by Judah's kings. Now they picked a king of their own.

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

Then 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.

NoteA chariot was a small cart pulled by fast horses. Soldiers rode in chariots to fight.

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.

So 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.

NoteLibnah was a town in Judah. "Until this day" means the time when this book was written, very long ago.

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.

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

NotePeople built altars on hilltops to worship other gods. The Bible calls these spots high places. Israel's God had told his people not to worship any other god.

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.

And 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,

NoteElijah was a famous prophet who lived in the north, in Israel. A prophet is someone who tells people what God says. Letters then were written on rolled-up paper called a scroll.

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.

But 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:

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

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

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.

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

NoteThe old word "bowels" means the parts deep inside your tummy.

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

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

NoteThe Philistines lived by the sea, west of Judah. They often fought against God's people. The Arabs here were desert people who lived to the south. Cush was a land far to the south, past Egypt.

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.

And 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.

NoteKings back then often had more than one wife. So a king could have many sons.

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

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

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.

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

NoteWhen a king died, people lit a big fire of sweet-smelling spices. It was a way to show honor. Skipping it showed no one honored this king.

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.

Thirty 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.

NoteThe tombs of the kings were special caves cut into rock. Kings from David's family were laid there. Jehoram was buried somewhere else instead.