And he had brethren the sons of Jehoshaphat, Azariah, and Jehiel, and Zechariah, and Azariah, and Michael, and Shephatiah: all thesewere the sons of Jehoshaphatking of Israel.
And theirfathergavethemgreatgifts of silver, and of gold, and of preciousthings, withfencedcities in Judah: but the kingdomgave he to Jehoram; because he was the firstborn.
Now whenJehoram was risen up to the kingdom of his father, he strengthenedhimself, and slew all his brethrenwith the sword, and diversalso of the princes of Israel.
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 wroughtthatwhich was evil in the eyes of the LORD.
Howbeit the LORDwould not destroy the house of David, because of the covenantthat he had madewithDavid, and as he promised to give a light to him and to his sons for ever.
ThenJehoramwentforthwith his princes, and all his chariotswith him: and he rose up by night, and smote the Edomiteswhichcompassed him in, and the captains of the chariots.
So the Edomitesrevoltedfromunder the hand of Judahuntothis day. The sametimealso did Libnahrevoltfromunder his hand; because he had forsaken the LORD God of his fathers.
And therecame a writing to him fromElijah the prophet, saying, Thussaith the LORD God of David thy father, Becausethouhast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah,
But hastwalked in the way of the kings of Israel, and hastmadeJudah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a whoring, like to the whoredoms of the house of Ahab, and alsohastslain thy brethren of thy father’shouse, whichwerebetterthanthyself:
And theycame up intoJudah, and brakeinto it, and carriedaway all the substancethat was found in the king’shouse, and his sonsalso, and his wives; so thatthere was never a son left him, saveJehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.
And it came to pass, that in process of time, after the end of two years, his bowelsfell out by reason of his sickness: so he died of sorediseases. And his peoplemade no burning for him, like the burning of his fathers.
Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalemeightyears, and departedwithoutbeingdesired. Howbeittheyburied him in the city of David, but not in the sepulchres of the kings.