1 Then Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and he was buried with them in the City of David. And his son, Jehoram, reigned in his place.
2 And he had brothers, sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, and Jehiel, and Zechariah, and Azariah, and Michael, and Shephatiah. All these were sons of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah.
3 And their father gave to them many gifts of silver, and gold, and valuables, with very fortified cities in Judah. But the kingdom he handed on to Jehoram, because he was the firstborn.
4 Therefore, Jehoram rose up over the kingdom of his father. And when he had established himself, he killed with the sword all his brothers, and certain ones from the leaders of Israel.
5 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he had begun to reign. And he reigned for eight years in Jerusalem.
6 And he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done. For his wife was a daughter of Ahab, and he did evil in the sight of the Lord.
7 But the Lord was not willing to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had formed with him, and because he had promised that he would provide a lamp to him, and to his sons, for all time.
8 In those days, Edom rebelled, so as not to be subject to Judah, and they appointed for themselves a king.
9 And when Jehoram had gone across with his leaders, and all the horsemen who were with him, he arose in the night, and struck the Edomites (who had surrounded him), and all the commanders of his horsemen.
10 Even so, Edom rebelled, so as not to be under the authority of Judah, even to this day. Also at that time, Libnah withdrew, so as not to be under his hand. For he had forsaken the Lord, the God of his fathers.
11 Moreover, he also constructed high places in the cities of Judah. And he caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to fornicate, and Judah to prevaricate.
12 Then letters were conveyed to him from the prophet Elijah, in which it was written: “Thus says the Lord, the God of David, your father: Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat, your father, nor in the ways of Asa, the king of Judah,
13 but instead you have advanced along the paths of the kings of Israel, and you have caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to fornicate, imitating the fornication of the house of Ahab, and moreover, you have killed your brothers, the house of your father, who are better than you:
14 behold, the Lord will strike you with a great plague, with all your people, and your sons and wives, and all your substance.
15 And you shall be sickened by a very grievous disease of your bowels, until your inner organs depart, little by little, each day.”
16 Therefore, the Lord stirred up, against Jehoram, the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabians, who are along the borders of the Ethiopians.
17 And they ascended into the land of Judah. And they laid waste to it. And they despoiled all the substance that was found in the house of the king, including even his sons and wives. Neither did there remain for him any son, except Jehoahaz, who was the youngest born.
18 And in addition to all these things, the Lord struck him with an incurable disease of the bowels.
19 And as day followed after day, and the space of time turned, the course of two years was completed. And after having been wasted by a long consumption, so much so that even his inner organs were discharged, the disease ended along with his life. And so he died of a very grievous illness. And the people did not make a funeral for him, according to the custom of burning, as they had done for his ancestors.
20 He was thirty-two years old when he had begun to reign, and he reigned for eight years in Jerusalem. And he did not walk uprightly. And they buried him in the City of David, yet truly, not in the sepulcher of the kings.
Versículos relacionados com 2 Chronicles, 21:
Chapter 21 of 2 Chronicles tells the story of King Jeorão, son of Jehoshaphat, who ruled Judah after the death of his father. The chapter describes its wickedness and the consequences of this to its reign and to its people. Below are five verses related to the topics covered in the chapter:
Proverbs 29:2: "When the righteous rule, the people rejoice; but when the wicked dominates, the people moan." This verse talks about the relationship between justice and joy of the people, something that is neglected by Jeorão in his reign.
Psalm 106:39: "They contaminated with their works and corrupted themselves with their acts of prostitution." This verse talks about the sin and corruption that Jeorão was involved, causing the moral degradation of the people of Judah.
Proverbs 10:27: "The fear of the Lord extends life, but the life of the wicked is abbreviated." This verse describes the punishment Jeorão received for his wickedness, for his life was shortened by his sins.
Ezekiel 18:20: "The Son will not lead the iniquity of the Father, nor will the Father lead the iniquity of the Son. The righteous righteousness will be upon him and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon him." This verse talks about personal responsibility for our actions, something Jeorão ignored by following the footsteps of his Jehoshaphat father, who also committed sins.
1 John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all injustice." This verse talks about the repentance and forgiveness offered by God to those who confess their sins and turn to Him. Unfortunately, Jeorão showed no repentance, and thus suffered the consequences of his actions.
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