Jehoram Reigns in Judah
וַיִּשְׁכַּ֤ב יְהֽוֹשָׁפָט֙ עִם־אֲבֹתָ֔יו וַיִּקָּבֵ֥ר עִם־אֲבֹתָ֖יו בְּעִ֣יר דָּוִ֑יד וַיִּמְלֹ֛ךְ יְהוֹרָ֥ם בְּנ֖וֹ תַּחְתָּֽיו׃
And Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David. And his son Jehoram reigned in his place.
וְלֽוֹ־אַחִ֞ים בְּנֵ֣י יְהוֹשָׁפָ֗ט עֲזַרְיָ֤ה וִֽיחִיאֵל֙ וּזְכַרְיָ֣הוּ וַעֲזַרְיָ֔הוּ וּמִיכָאֵ֖ל וּשְׁפַטְיָ֑הוּ כָּל־אֵ֕לֶּה בְּנֵ֥י יְהוֹשָׁפָ֖ט מֶ֥לֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Jehoram’s brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat, were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah; these were all sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.
וַיִּתֵּ֣ן לָהֶ֣ם׀ אֲ֠בִיהֶם מַתָּנ֨וֹת רַבּ֜וֹת לְכֶ֤סֶף וּלְזָהָב֙ וּלְמִגְדָּנ֔וֹת עִם־עָרֵ֥י מְצֻר֖וֹת בִּֽיהוּדָ֑ה וְאֶת־הַמַּמְלָכָ֛ה נָתַ֥ן לִֽיהוֹרָ֖ם כִּי־ה֥וּא הַבְּכֽוֹר׃ פ
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.
וַיָּ֨קָם יְהוֹרָ֜ם עַל־מַמְלֶ֤כַת אָבִיו֙ וַיִּתְחַזַּ֔ק וַיַּהֲרֹ֥ג אֶת־כָּל־אֶחָ֖יו בֶּחָ֑רֶב וְגַ֖ם מִשָּׂרֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
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.
בֶּן־שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים וּשְׁתַּ֛יִם שָׁנָ֖ה יְהוֹרָ֣ם בְּמָלְכ֑וֹ וּשְׁמוֹנֶ֣ה שָׁנִ֔ים מָלַ֖ךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃
Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years.
וַיֵּ֜לֶךְ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ׀ מַלְכֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר עָשׂוּ֙ בֵּ֣ית אַחְאָ֔ב כִּ֚י בַּת־אַחְאָ֔ב הָ֥יְתָה לּ֖וֹ אִשָּׁ֑ה וַיַּ֥עַשׂ הָרַ֖ע בְּעֵינֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃
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.
וְלֹא־אָבָ֣ה יְהוָ֗ה לְהַשְׁחִית֙ אֶת־בֵּ֣ית דָּוִ֔יד לְמַ֣עַן הַבְּרִ֔ית אֲשֶׁ֥ר כָּרַ֖ת לְדָוִ֑יד וְכַאֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמַ֗ר לָתֵ֨ת ל֥וֹ נִ֛יר וּלְבָנָ֖יו כָּל־הַיָּמִֽים׃
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
בְּיָמָיו֙ פָּשַׁ֣ע אֱד֔וֹם מִתַּ֖חַת יַד־יְהוּדָ֑ה וַיַּמְלִ֥יכוּ עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם מֶֽלֶךְ׃
In the days of Jehoram, Edom rebelled against the hand of Judah and appointed their own king.
וַיַּֽעֲבֹ֤ר יְהוֹרָם֙ עִם־שָׂרָ֔יו וְכָל־הָרֶ֖כֶב עִמּ֑וֹ וַיְהִי֙ קָ֣ם לַ֔יְלָה וַיַּ֗ךְ אֶת־אֱדוֹם֙ הַסּוֹבֵ֣ב אֵלָ֔יו וְאֵ֖ת שָׂרֵ֥י הָרָֽכֶב׃
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.
וַיִּפְשַׁ֨ע אֱד֜וֹם מִתַּ֣חַת יַד־יְהוּדָ֗ה עַ֚ד הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה אָ֣ז תִּפְשַׁ֥ע לִבְנָ֛ה בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִ֖יא מִתַּ֣חַת יָד֑וֹ כִּ֣י עָזַ֔ב אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י אֲבֹתָֽיו׃
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.
גַּם־ה֥וּא עָשָֽׂה־בָמ֖וֹת בְּהָרֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֑ה וַיֶּ֙זֶן֙ אֶת־יֹשְׁבֵ֣י יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם וַיַּדַּ֖ח אֶת־יְהוּדָֽה׃ פ
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
וַיָּבֹ֤א אֵלָיו֙ מִכְתָּ֔ב מֵֽאֵלִיָּ֥הוּ הַנָּבִ֖יא לֵאמֹ֑ר כֹּ֣ה׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה אֱלֹהֵי֙ דָּוִ֣יד אָבִ֔יךָ תַּ֗חַת אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־הָלַ֙כְתָּ֙ בְּדַרְכֵי֙ יְהוֹשָׁפָ֣ט אָבִ֔יךָ וּבְדַרְכֵ֖י אָסָ֥א מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָֽה׃
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,
וַתֵּ֗לֶךְ בְּדֶ֙רֶךְ֙ מַלְכֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַתַּזְנֶ֤ה אֶת־יְהוּדָה֙ וְאֶת־יֹשְׁבֵ֣י יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם כְּהַזְנ֖וֹת בֵּ֣ית אַחְאָ֑ב וְגַ֨ם אֶת־אַחֶ֧יךָ בֵית־אָבִ֛יךָ הַטּוֹבִ֥ים מִמְּךָ֖ הָרָֽגְתָּ׃
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.
הִנֵּ֣ה יְהוָ֗ה נֹגֵ֛ף מַגֵּפָ֥ה גְדוֹלָ֖ה בְּעַמֶּ֑ךָ וּבְבָנֶ֥יךָ וּבְנָשֶׁ֖יךָ וּבְכָל־רְכוּשֶֽׁךָ׃
So behold, the LORD is about to strike your people, your sons, your wives, and all your possessions with a serious blow.
וְאַתָּ֛ה בָּחֳלָיִ֥ים רַבִּ֖ים בְּמַחֲלֵ֣ה מֵעֶ֑יךָ עַד־יֵצְא֤וּ מֵעֶ֙יךָ֙ מִן־הַחֹ֔לִי יָמִ֖ים עַל־יָמִֽים׃
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
וַיָּ֨עַר יְהוָ֜ה עַל־יְהוֹרָ֗ם אֵ֣ת ר֤וּחַ הַפְּלִשְׁתִּים֙ וְהָ֣עַרְבִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־יַ֥ד כּוּשִֽׁים׃
Then the LORD stirred against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and Arabs who lived near the Cushites.
וַיַּעֲל֤וּ בִֽיהוּדָה֙ וַיִּבְקָע֔וּהָ וַיִּשְׁבּ֗וּ אֵ֤ת כָּל־הָרְכוּשׁ֙ הַנִּמְצָ֣א לְבֵית־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וְגַם־בָּנָ֖יו וְנָשָׁ֑יו וְלֹ֤א נִשְׁאַר־לוֹ֙ בֵּ֔ן כִּ֥י אִם־יְהוֹאָחָ֖ז קְטֹ֥ן בָּנָֽיו׃
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.
וְאַחֲרֵ֖י כָּל־זֹ֑את נְגָפ֨וֹ יְהוָ֧ה׀ בְּמֵעָ֛יו לָחֳלִ֖י לְאֵ֥ין מַרְפֵּֽא׃
After all this, the LORD afflicted Jehoram with an incurable disease of the bowels.
וַיְהִ֣י לְיָמִ֣ים׀ מִיָּמִ֡ים וּכְעֵת֩ צֵ֨את הַקֵּ֜ץ לְיָמִ֣ים שְׁנַ֗יִם יָצְא֤וּ מֵעָיו֙ עִם־חָלְי֔וֹ וַיָּ֖מָת בְּתַחֲלֻאִ֣ים רָעִ֑ים וְלֹא־עָ֨שׂוּ ל֥וֹ עַמּ֛וֹ שְׂרֵפָ֖ה כִּשְׂרֵפַ֥ת אֲבֹתָֽיו׃
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.
בֶּן־שְׁלֹשִׁ֤ים וּשְׁתַּ֙יִם֙ הָיָ֣ה בְמָלְכ֔וֹ וּשְׁמוֹנֶ֣ה שָׁנִ֔ים מָלַ֖ךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וַיֵּ֙לֶךְ֙ בְּלֹ֣א חֶמְדָּ֔ה וַֽיִּקְבְּרֻ֙הוּ֙ בְּעִ֣יר דָּוִ֔יד וְלֹ֖א בְּקִבְר֥וֹת הַמְּלָכִֽים׃
Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. He died, to no one’s regret, and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.