2
He had the following brothers, sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael, and Shephatiah. All were the sons of King Jehoshaphat of Israel.
3
Their father gave them many gifts: silver, gold, and other expensive things, along with fortified cities in Judah. But Jehoshaphat gave the kingdom to Jehoram, who was the firstborn.
4
After Jehoram had taken over his father's kingdom, he strengthened his position and then executed all his brothers and some of the officials of Israel.
5
Jehoram was 32 years old when he became king, and he ruled for 8 years in Jerusalem.
6
He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, as Ahab's family had done, because his wife was Ahab's daughter. So he did what the LORD considered evil.
7
But the LORD, recalling the promise he had made to David, didn't want to destroy David's family. The LORD had told David that he would always give him and his descendants a [shining] lamp.
8
During Jehoram's time Edom rebelled against Judah and chose its own king.
9
Jehoram took all his chariot commanders to attack. The Edomites and their chariot commanders surrounded him, but he got up at night and broke through their lines.
10
So Edom rebelled against Judah's rule and is still independent today. At the same time Edom rebelled, Libnah rebelled because Jehoram had abandoned the LORD God of his ancestors.
11
Jehoram made illegal places of worship in the hills of Judah. This caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to chase after foreign gods as if they were prostitutes. So he led Judah astray.
12
Then a letter came to him from the prophet Elijah. It read, "This is what the LORD God of your ancestor David says: You haven't followed the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or the ways of King Asa of Judah.