Dual Panel1JEHOSHAPHAT rested with his forefathers and was buried with them in the city of David. He was succeeded by his son Joram,
2whose brothers, sons of Jehoshaphat, were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah. All of them were sons of King Jehoshaphat of Judah,
3and their father gave them many gifts, silver and gold and other costly things, as well as fortified towns in Judah; the kingship he gave to Joram because he was the eldest.
4When Joram was firmly established on his father's throne, he put to the sword all his brothers, as well as some of the leading figures in Israel.
5He was thirty-two years old when he came to the throne, and he reigned in Jerusalem for eight years.
6He followed the practices of the kings of Israel as the house of Ahab had done, for he had married Ahab's daughter; he did what was wrong in the eyes of the LORD.
7Yet for the sake of the covenant which he had made with David, the LORD was unwilling to destroy the house of David, as he had promised to give him and his descendants a lamp for all time.
8During Joram's reign Edom revolted against Judah and set up its own king.
9Joram, with his commanders and all his chariots, pushed on into Edom. When the Edomites encircled him and his chariot-commanders he made a sortie by night and broke out.
10To this day Edom has remained independent of Judah. Libnah revolted against him at the same time, because he had forsaken the LORD the God of his fathers,
11and because he had built shrines in the hill-country of Judah and had seduced the inhabitants of Jerusalem into idolatrous practices and corrupted Judah.
12A letter reached Joram from Elijah the prophet, which read: “This is the word of the LORD the God of David your father: You have not followed in the footsteps of Jehoshaphat your father and of King Asa of Judah,
13but have followed the kings of Israel and have led astray Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, as the house of Ahab did; and you have murdered your own brothers, sons of your father's house, men better than yourself.
14Because of all this, the LORD is about to strike a heavy blow at your people, your children, your wives, and all your possessions;
15you yourself will suffer from a chronic disease of the bowels, so that they prolapse and become severely ulcerated.”
16The LORD aroused against Joram the hostility of the Philistines and of the Arabs who live near the Cushites,
17and they invaded Judah. Overrunning it, they carried off all the property which they found in the king's palace, as well as his sons and wives; not a son was left to him except the youngest, Jehoahaz.
18After this the LORD struck down the king with an incurable disease of the bowels.
19It continued for some time, and towards the end of the second year the disease caused his bowels to prolapse, and the painful ulceration brought on his death. But his people kindled no fire in his honour as they had done for his fathers.
20Joram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for eight years. His passing went unsung, and he was buried in the city of David, but not in the burial-place of the kings.