21

1约沙法与他祖先同睡,与他祖先同葬在大卫城,他的儿子约兰接续他作王。

犹大王约兰

(王下8.17-24)

2约兰有几个兄弟,就是约沙法的儿子亚撒利雅耶歇撒迦利雅亚撒列夫米迦勒示法提雅;这些都是以色列约沙法的儿子。 3他们的父亲把许多礼物,金银财宝和犹大的坚固城赐给他们,却把国赐给约兰,因为他是长子。 4约兰起来治理他父亲的国,奋勇自强,用刀杀了他所有的兄弟和以色列的几个领袖。 5约兰登基的时候年三十二岁,在耶路撒冷作王八年。 6他行以色列诸王的道,正如亚哈家所行的,因他娶了亚哈的女儿为妻,行耶和华眼中看为恶的事。 7耶和华却因自己与大卫所立的约,不肯灭绝大卫的家,要照他所应许的,永远赐灯光给大卫和他的子孙。
8约兰在位期间,以东背叛,自己立王治理他们,脱离犹大的权势。 9约兰就率领他的军官和所有的战车过去。他夜间起来,攻打围困他的以东人和战车长。 10这样,以东背叛,脱离犹大的权势,直到今日。那时,立拿也背叛了,脱离它的权势,因为约兰离弃耶和华-他列祖的上帝。
11他又在犹大山岭建造丘坛,使耶路撒冷的居民行淫,诱惑犹大 12以利亚先知写信给约兰说:“耶和华-你祖先大卫的上帝如此说:‘因为你不行你父约沙法犹大亚撒的道, 13反而行以色列诸王的道,使犹大耶路撒冷居民行淫,像亚哈家行淫一样,又杀了你父家比你好的那些兄弟。 14看哪,耶和华必降大灾于你的百姓和你的妻妾、儿女,以及你一切所有的。 15至于你,你必患许多的病,你的肠子也必生病,日渐沉重,直到肠子坠落下来。’”
16耶和华激发非利士人和靠近古实人的阿拉伯人的心来攻击约兰 17他们上来攻击犹大,侵入境内,掳掠了王宫里所有的财物和他的妻妾、儿女,除了他的小儿子约哈斯之外,没有留下一个儿子。
18这一切事以后,耶和华击打约兰,使他的肠子患不能医治的病。 19这病缠绵日久,过了二年,肠子坠落下来,他就病重而死。他的百姓没有为他生火志哀,像从前为他祖先生火一样。 20约兰登基的时候年三十二岁,在耶路撒冷作王八年。他逝世无人思慕,众人把他葬在大卫城,只是不在列王的坟墓里。

21

Jehoram Reigns in Judah

1And Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. Then Jehoram his son reigned in his place. 2He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azaryahu, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel. 3Their father gave them great gifts of silver and gold and precious things, with fortified cities in Judah; but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram, because he was the firstborn.
4Now when Jehoram was established over the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself and killed all his brothers with the sword, and also others of the princes of Israel.
5Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 6And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for he had the daughter of Ahab as a wife; and he did evil in the sight of the Lord. 7Yet the Lord would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that He had made with David, and since He had promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons forever.
8In his days Edom revolted against Judah’s authority, and made a king over themselves. 9So Jehoram went out with his officers, and all his chariots with him. And he rose by night and attacked the Edomites who had surrounded him and the captains of the chariots. 10Thus Edom has been in revolt against Judah’s authority to this day. At that time Libnah revolted against his rule, because he had forsaken the Lord God of his fathers. 11Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit harlotry, and led Judah astray.
12And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying,
  Thus says the Lord God of your father David:
   Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa king of Judah,
   13but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot like the harlotry of the house of Ahab, and also have killed your brothers, those of your father’s household, who were better than yourself,    14behold, the Lord will strike your people with a serious affliction—your children, your wives, and all your possessions;    15and you will become very sick with a disease of your intestines, until your intestines come out by reason of the sickness, day by day.
16Moreover the Lordstirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and the Arabians who were near the Ethiopians. 17And they came up into Judah and invaded it, and carried away all the possessions that were found in the king’s house, and also his sons and his wives, so that there was not a son left to him except Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.
18After all this the Lord struck him in his intestines with an incurable disease. 19Then it happened in the course of time, after the end of two years, that his intestines came out because of his sickness; so he died in severe pain. And his people made no burning for him, like the burning for his fathers.
20He was thirty-two years old when he became king. He reigned in Jerusalem eight years and, to no one’s sorrow, departed. However they buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.