Josaphat, then, was laid to rest with his fathers, with the Keep of David for his burying-place, and the throne passed to his son Joram.

Many brothers Joram had, princes of the blood; Azarias, Jahiel, Zacharias (Azarias), Michael and Saphatias were all sons of Josaphat, king of Juda,

and to all these their father gave rich presents of silver and gold, money for their needs, and walled cities in Juda to be their homes, but to Joram, the eldest, he left his kingdom.

So Joram came to his father’s throne, and when he was firmly established on it, he slew all these brethren of his, and some of the chief men of Juda with them.

This Joram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and his reign at Jerusalem lasted eight years.

He followed the example of the Israelite kings, just as Achab’s line did; he himself had married a daughter of Achab’s. So he defied the Lord’s will;

but the Lord would not bring ruin upon David’s race; had he not made a covenant with him, promising to keep the lamp of his line unquenched for ever?

It was in Joram’s days that the Edomites renounced their allegiance to Juda, and set up a king of their own choice.

Joram indeed marched out across the river, with his captains and all the horsemen he could muster, and when the Edomites surrounded him, he broke through them with a night attack, broke through the commanders of their chariots;

but Edom has never been subject to Juda from that day to this. Lobna, at the same time, revolted from his allegiance.✻ An ill day it was for him when he forsook the Lord, the God of his fathers,

raised hill-shrines in the cities of his realm, taught Jerusalem to betray her troth, and made sinners of Juda.

A letter, too, was brought to him, written by the prophet Elias, with a message from the Lord, the God of his father David: Not for thee the example of thy father Josaphat, and of king Asa, that reigned in Juda before thee;

thou wouldst play the wanton, like the house of Achab, teach the men of Juda and Jerusalem to betray their troth, after Israel’s fashion, and wouldst slay thy brethren, princes of thy own father’s line, better men than thyself.

A heavy punishment the Lord will send upon thee, taking toll of thy people, of thy sons, of thy wives, and of all thou hast;

and for thyself, a foul disease shall attack thy inward parts, that grows worse from day to day until thy very bowels drop out.

After this, the Lord embroiled the Philistines against Joram, and the Arab tribesmen, too, that dwell next the Ethiopians.

These marched upon Juda and ravaged it, carrying off all the palace treasures, and his sons and wives with them; never a son was left to Joram but Joachaz, the youngest of all.✻

And, not content with this, the Lord smote him with an incurable disease of his inward parts.

Wearily the days passed, lengthened themselves out till two whole years had run their course; till at last he voided his very bowels, and his sickness ended only with death. Right foul was the manner of his ending, and his subjects made no burning at his funeral, as they did for his ancestors.

He had reigned but eight years, that was thirty-two years old when he came to the throne; a life ill lived. And they laid him to rest in David’s Keep, but not in the burying-place of the kings.