2 Chronicles 21:4-20
New American Standard Bible
4 Now when Jehoram had [a]taken over the kingdom of his father and gathered courage, he (A)killed all his brothers with the sword, and some of the leaders of Israel as well. 5 (B)Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned for eight years in Jerusalem. 6 (C)He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, (D)for Ahab’s daughter was his wife; and he did evil in the sight of the Lord. 7 Yet the Lord was not willing to destroy the house of David because of the covenant which He had made with David, (E)and because He had promised to give a lamp to him and his sons forever.
Revolt against Judah
8 In his days (F)Edom broke away [b]from the rule of Judah, and appointed a king over themselves. 9 Then Jehoram crossed over with his commanders and all his chariots with him. And he got up at night and struck and killed the Edomites who were surrounding him, and the commanders of the chariots. 10 So Edom revolted [c]against Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time [d]against his rule because he had abandoned the Lord God of his fathers. 11 Furthermore, (G)he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem (H)to be unfaithful, and led Judah astray.
12 Then a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, “This is what the Lord, the God of your father David says: ‘Because (I)you have not walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat (J)and the ways of Asa king of Judah, 13 but (K)have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to be unfaithful (L)as the house of Ahab was unfaithful, and you (M)have also killed your brothers, [e]your own family, who were better than you, 14 behold, the Lord is going to strike your people, your sons, your wives, and all your possessions with a great plague; 15 and (N)you will suffer [f]severe sickness, a disease of your bowels, until your bowels come out because of the sickness, day by day.’”
16 Then (O)the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and (P)the Arabs who [g]bordered the Ethiopians; 17 and they came against Judah and invaded it, and carried away all the possessions found in the king’s house together with his sons and his wives, so that no son was left to him except [h](Q)Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.
18 So after all this the Lord struck him (R)in his intestines with an incurable sickness. 19 Now it came about in the course of time, at the end of two years, that his bowels came out because of his sickness, and he died in great pain. And his people did not make a funeral fire for him like (S)the fire for his fathers. 20 He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for eight years; and he departed [i](T)with no one’s regret, and they buried him in the city of David, (U)but not in the tombs of the kings.
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- 2 Chronicles 21:4 Lit risen
- 2 Chronicles 21:8 Lit from under the hand of
- 2 Chronicles 21:10 Lit from under the hand of
- 2 Chronicles 21:10 Lit from under his hand
- 2 Chronicles 21:13 Lit your father’s house
- 2 Chronicles 21:15 Lit in many sicknesses
- 2 Chronicles 21:16 Lit were at the hand of
- 2 Chronicles 21:17 In 2 Chr 22:1, Ahaziah
- 2 Chronicles 21:20 Lit without desire
2 Chronicles 21:4-20
King James Version
4 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.
5 Jehoram was thirty and two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.
6 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.
7 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.
8 In his days the Edomites revolted from under the dominion of Judah, and made themselves a king.
9 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.
10 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.
11 Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication, and compelled Judah thereto.
12 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,
13 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:
14 Behold, with a great plague will the Lord smite thy people, and thy children, and thy wives, and all thy goods:
15 And thou shalt have great sickness by disease of thy bowels, until thy bowels fall out by reason of the sickness day by day.
16 Moreover the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabians, that were near the Ethiopians:
17 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.
18 And after all this the Lord smote him in his bowels with an incurable disease.
19 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.
20 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.
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2 Chronicles 21:4-20
Living Bible
3-4 Their father had given each of them valuable gifts of money and jewels, also the ownership of some of the fortified cities of Judah. However, he gave the kingship to Jehoram because he was the oldest. But when Jehoram had become solidly established as king, he killed all of his brothers and many other leaders of Israel. 5 He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 6 But he was as wicked as the kings who were over in Israel. Yes, as wicked as Ahab, for Jehoram had married one of the daughters of Ahab, and his whole life was one constant binge of doing evil. 7 However, the Lord was unwilling to end the dynasty of David, for he had made a covenant with David always to have one of his descendants upon the throne.
8 At that time the king of Edom revolted, declaring his independence of Judah. 9 Jehoram attacked him with his full army and with all of his chariots, marching by night, and almost[a] managed to subdue him. 10 But to this day Edom has been successful in throwing off the yoke of Judah. Libnah revolted too because Jehoram had turned away from the Lord God of his fathers. 11 What’s more, Jehoram constructed idol shrines in the mountains of Judah and led the people of Jerusalem in worshiping idols; in fact, he compelled his people to worship them.
12 Then Elijah the prophet wrote him this letter: “The Lord God of your ancestor David says that because you have not followed in the good ways of your father Jehoshaphat, nor the good ways of King Asa, 13 but you have been as evil as the kings over in Israel and have made the people of Jerusalem and Judah worship idols just as in the times of King Ahab, and because you have killed your brothers who were better than you, 14 now the Lord will destroy your nation with a great plague. You, your children, your wives, and all that you have will be struck down. 15 You will be stricken with an intestinal disease and your bowels will rot away.”
16 Then the Lord stirred up the Philistines and the Arabs living next to the Ethiopians to attack Jehoram. 17 They marched against Judah, broke across the border, and carried away everything of value in the king’s palace, including his sons and his wives; only his youngest son, Jehoahaz, escaped.
18 It was after this that Jehovah struck him down with the incurable bowel disease. 19 In the process of time, at the end of two years, his intestines came out, and he died in terrible suffering. (The customary pomp and ceremony was omitted at his funeral.) 20 He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years and died unmourned. He was buried in Jerusalem, but not in the royal cemetery.
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- 2 Chronicles 21:9 Jehoram attacked him . . . and almost, literally, “Jehoram . . . struck down the Edomites. . . . Nevertheless Edom . . . revolted.”
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.