Jehoram becomes king of Judah and murders his brothers. He marries Ahab's daughter and leads Judah into idolatry. Elijah sends him a letter foretelling his death, and Jehoram dies of a terrible disease.
1 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.
2 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 .
3 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 .
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 .