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2 Chronicles 21

Jehoram inherits Judah from good king Jehoshaphat and secures the throne by killing all six of his brothers. Married to Ahab's daughter, he imports northern-kingdom idolatry into Judah, and Edom and Libnah both break free of his rule. Chronicles gives him a distinction no other Judean king gets: a written rebuke from the prophet Elijah. Watch the reversal of everything his father built. Where Jehoshaphat strengthened Judah, Jehoram loses territory, family, and finally his own body to a slow disease of the bowels.

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2 Chronicles 21 (WEB)

1
Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in David’s city; and Jehoram his son reigned in his place.
2
He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah. All these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.
3
Their father gave them great gifts of silver, of gold, and of precious things, with fortified cities in Judah; but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram, because he was the firstborn.
4
Now when Jehoram had risen up over the kingdom of his father, and had strengthened himself, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and also some of the princes of Israel.
5
Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.
6
He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did Ahab’s house, for he had Ahab’s daughter as his wife. He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight.
7
However the LORD would not destroy David’s house, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and as he promised to give a lamp to him and to his children always.
8
In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves.
9
Then Jehoram went there with his captains and all his chariots with him. He rose up by night and struck the Edomites who surrounded him, along with the captains of the chariots.
10
So Edom has been in revolt from under the hand of Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time from under his hand, because he had forsaken the LORD, the God of his fathers.
11
Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and made the inhabitants of Jerusalem play the prostitute, and led Judah astray.
12
A letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, “the LORD, the God of David your father, says, ‘Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah,
13
but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the prostitute like Ahab’s house did, and also have slain your brothers of your father’s house, who were better than yourself,
14
behold, the LORD will strike your people with a great plague, including your children, your wives, and all your possessions;
15
and you will have great sickness with a disease of your bowels, until your bowels fall out by reason of the sickness, day by day.’”
16
The LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and of the Arabians who are beside the Ethiopians;
17
and they came up against Judah, broke into it, and carried away all the possessions that were found in the king’s house, including his sons and his wives, so that there was no son left to him except Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.
18
After all this the LORD struck him in his bowels with an incurable disease.
19
In process of time, at the end of two years, his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness, and he died of severe diseases. His people made no burning for him, like the burning of his fathers.
20
He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. He departed with no one’s regret. They buried him in David’s city, but not in the tombs of the kings.

2 Crónicas 21 (RV1909)

1
Y DURMIÓ Josaphat con sus padres, y sepultáronlo con sus padres en la ciudad de David. Y reinó en su lugar Joram su hijo.
2
Este tuvo hermanos, hijos de Josaphat, á Azarías, Jehiel, Zachârías, Azarías, Michâel, y Sephatías. Todos estos fueron hijos de Josaphat rey de Israel.
3
Y su padre les había dado muchos dones de oro y de plata, y cosas preciosas, y ciudades fuertes en Judá; mas había dado el reino á Joram, porque él era el primogénito.
4
Fué pues elevado Joram al reino de su padre; y luego que se hizo fuerte, mató á cuchillo á todos sus hermanos, y asimismo algunos de los príncipes de Israel.
5
Cuando comenzó á reinar era de treinta y dos años, y reinó ocho años en Jerusalem.
6
Y anduvo en el camino de los reyes de Israel, como hizo la casa de Achâb; porque tenía por mujer la hija de Achâb, é hizo lo malo en ojos de Jehová.
7
Mas Jehová no quiso destruir la casa de David, á causa de la alianza que con David había hecho, y porque le había dicho que le daría lámpara á él y á sus hijos perpetuamente.
8
En los días de éste se rebeló la Idumea, para no estar bajo el poder de Judá, y pusieron rey sobre sí.
9
Entonces pasó Joram con sus príncipes, y consigo todos sus carros; y levantóse de noche, é hirió á los Idumeos que le habían cercado, y á todos los comandantes de sus carros.
10
Con todo eso Edom quedó rebelado, sin estar bajo la mano de Judá hasta hoy. También se rebeló en el mismo tiempo Libna para no estar bajo su mano; por cuanto él había dejado á Jehová el Dios de sus padres.
11
Demás de esto hizo altos en los montes de Judá, é hizo que los moradores de Jerusalem fornicasen, y á ello impelió á Judá.
12
Y viniéronle letras del profeta Elías, que decían: Jehová, el Dios de David tu padre, ha dicho así: Por cuanto no has andado en los caminos de Josaphat tu padre, ni en los caminos de Asa, rey de Judá,
13
Antes has andado en el camino de los reyes de Israel, y has hecho que fornicase Judá, y los moradores de Jerusalem, como fornicó la casa de Achâb; y además has muerto á tus hermanos, á la familia de tu padre, los cuales eran mejores que tú:
14
He aquí Jehová herirá tu pueblo de una grande plaga, y á tus hijos y á tus mujeres, y á toda tu hacienda;
15
Y á ti con muchas enfermedades, con enfermedad de tus entrañas, hasta que las entrañas se te salgan á causa de la enfermedad de cada día.
16
Entonces despertó Jehová contra Joram el espíritu de los Filisteos, y de los Arabes que estaban junto á los Etiopes;
17
Y subieron contra Judá, é invadieron la tierra, y tomaron toda la hacienda que hallaron en la casa del rey, y á sus hijos, y á sus mujeres; que no le quedó hijo, sino Joachâz el menor de sus hijos.
18
Después de todo esto Jehová lo hirió en las entrañas de una enfermedad incurable.
19
Y aconteció que, pasando un día tras otro, al fin, al cabo de dos años, las entrañas se le salieron con la enfermedad, muriendo así de enfermedad muy penosa. Y no le hizo quema su pueblo, como las había hecho á sus padres.
20
Cuando comenzó á reinar era de treinta y dos años, y reinó en Jerusalem ocho años; y fuése sin ser deseado. Y sepultáronlo en la ciudad de David, mas no en los sepulcros de los reyes.

The lamp that won't go out

Verse 7 is the theological hinge: the LORD refuses to destroy David's house "because of the covenant" and the promise to give David "a lamp" always. Judah is spiraling into Ahab-style apostasy, yet the dynasty survives on a promise older than the king ruining it.

The chapter closes bleakly to underline the point: no fire was made in his honor, he reigned to "no one's regret," and he was denied burial in the royal tombs. The line lives; the man is discarded.

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