Jehoram Reigns in Judah (2 Kings 8:16–19)
1 UDB Then Jehoshaphat died and was buried where his ancestors were buried in the part of Jerusalem called the city of David. His son Jehoram became the next king of Judah. BSB BSB: And Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David. And his son Jehoram reigned in his place.
2 UDB Jehoram's younger brothers were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah. BSB BSB: Jehoram’s brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat, were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah; these were all sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.
3 UDB Before Jehoshaphat died, he had given them large gifts of silver and gold and other valuable things. He also appointed them to rule various cities in Judah that had walls around them. But he appointed Jehoram to be the king of Judah, because Jehoram was his oldest son. BSB BSB: Their father had given them many gifts of silver and gold and precious things, as well as the fortified cities in Judah; but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn.
4 UDB After Jehoram was completely in control of his father's kingdom, he caused all of his younger brothers to be killed, along with some of the leaders of the nation. BSB BSB: When Jehoram had established himself over his father’s kingdom, he strengthened himself by putting to the sword all his brothers along with some of the princes of Israel.
5 UDB Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became the king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for eight years. BSB BSB: Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years.
6 UDB But he did many of the evil things that the kings of Israel had done. He did many things that Yahweh said were evil, things that the family of Ahab had done, because he married one of Ahab's daughters. BSB BSB: And Jehoram walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done. For he married a daughter of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD.
7 UDB However, because of the covenant that Yahweh had made with King David, Yahweh did not want to get rid of the descendants Judah. BSB BSB: Yet the LORD was unwilling to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant He had made with David, and since He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever.
Edom and Libnah Rebel (2 Kings 8:20–24)
8 UDB While Jehoram was ruling, the people in the region of Edom rebelled against the king of Judah and appointed their own king. BSB BSB: In the days of Jehoram, Edom rebelled against the hand of Judah and appointed their own king.
9 UDB So Jehoram and his officers and his men in chariots went to Edom. There, the army of Edom surrounded them. However, Jerhoram and his army attacked them and broke free from them; then they escaped during the night. BSB BSB: So Jehoram crossed into Edom with his officers and all his chariots. When the Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, he rose up and attacked by night.
10 UDB But the king of Judah was never able to regain control of Edom, and Edom is still not controlled by Judah. The people in the city of Libnah between Judah and Philistia also rebelled against Judah. Those things happened because Jehoram stopped obeying Yahweh, the God whom his ancestors belonged to. BSB BSB: So to this day Edom has been in rebellion against the hand of Judah. Likewise, Libnah rebelled against his hand at the same time, because Jehoram had forsaken the LORD, the God of his fathers.
11 UDB On the hilltops in Judah he had also built high places, where they worshiped idols. He caused the people of Judah to stray away from Yahweh by worshiping foreign gods. BSB BSB: Jehoram had also built high places on the hills of Judah; he had caused the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves and had led Judah astray.
Elijah’s Letter to Jehoram 12 UDB One day, Jehoram received a letter from the prophet Elijah. Elijah had written this: "This is what Yahweh, the God whom your ancestor King David worshiped, says: 'You have not done things that please me like your father Jehoshaphat did or what King Asa did. BSB BSB: Then a letter came to Jehoram from Elijah the prophet, which stated: “This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: ‘You have not walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or of Asa king of Judah,
13 UDB Instead, you have continually done the evil things that the kings of Israel have done. You have encouraged the people in Jerusalem and other places in Judah to stop worshiping Yahweh and to be unfaithful to him. And you have killed your brothers, men who were better than you are.' BSB BSB: but you have walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and have caused Judah and the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves, just as the house of Ahab prostituted itself. You have also killed your brothers, your father’s family, who were better than you.
14 UDB So now Yahweh is about to cause disasters to strike very severely the people in your kingdom and even your own children and your wives, and everything that you own. BSB BSB: So behold, the LORD is about to strike your people, your sons, your wives, and all your possessions with a serious blow.
15 UDB And you yourself will have an intestinal disease that will continue to become worse, and you will suffer from it until you die." BSB BSB: And day after day you yourself will suffer from a severe illness, a disease of your bowels, until it causes your bowels to come out.’”
Jehoram’s Disease and Death 16 UDB Then Yahweh stirred up some men from the Philistia people and some Arabs who lived near the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, where people from Ethiopia had settled, to come against Jehoram. BSB BSB: Then the LORD stirred against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and Arabs who lived near the Cushites.
17 UDB Their army invaded Judah and took away from Jerusalem all the valuable things that they found in the king's palace; they also took away his sons and wives. His youngest son, Jehoahaz, was the only one of his sons whom they did not take away. BSB BSB: So they went to war against Judah, invaded it, and carried off all the possessions found in the king’s palace, along with his sons and wives; not a son was left to him except Jehoahaz, his youngest.
18 UDB After that happened, Yahweh caused Jehoram to be afflicted with an intestinal disease that no doctor could cure. BSB BSB: After all this, the LORD afflicted Jehoram with an incurable disease of the bowels.
19 UDB About two years later, while he had great pain, he died because of that disease. The people of Judah had made bonfires to honor his ancestors when they died, but they did not make a bonfire for Jehoram. BSB BSB: This continued day after day until two full years had passed. Finally, his intestines came out because of his disease, and he died in severe pain. And his people did not make a fire in his honor as they had done for his fathers.
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