The Skeptics Annotated Bible (388 page)

(20.31-33) “Jehoshaphat … walked in the way of Asa his father, and departed not from it, doing that which was right in the sight of the LORD. Howbeit the high places were not taken away.”
240 Did Jehoshaphat take away the high places?

34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani, who is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel.

35 And after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very wickedly:

36 And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish: and they made the ships in Ezion-geber.

37 Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the LORD hath broken thy works. And the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish.

21
Now Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.

2 And he had brethren the sons of Jehoshaphat, Azariah, and Jehiel, and Zechariah, and Azariah, and Michael, and Shephatiah: all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.

3 And their father gave them great gifts of silver, and of gold, and of precious things, with fenced cities in Judah: but the kingdom gave he to Jehoram; because he was the firstborn.

4 Now when Jehoram was risen up to the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself, and slew all his brethren with the sword, and divers also of the princes of Israel.

5 Jehoram was thirty and two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.

6 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, like as did the house of Ahab: for he had the daughter of Ahab to wife: and he wrought that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD.

7 Howbeit the LORD would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and as he promised to give a light to him and to his sons for ever.

8 In his days the Edomites revolted from under the dominion of Judah, and made themselves a king.

9 Then Jehoram went forth with his princes, and all his chariots with him: and he rose up by night, and smote the Edomites which compassed him in, and the captains of the chariots.

10 So the Edomites revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day. The same time also did Libnah revolt from under his hand; because he had forsaken the LORD God of his fathers.

11 Moreover
he
made high places in the mountains of Judah, and
caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication
, and compelled Judah thereto.

(21.11)
“He
[Jehoram]
… caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication.”

(21.12-15) Elijah tells Jehoram that God will smite his children, wives, and the people of Judah with a great plague (for things that Jehoram did) and God will smite him with a disease of his bowels until his bowels fall out.

12 And
there came a writing to him from Elijah the prophet
, saying, Thus saith the LORD God of David thy father, Because thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah,

(21.12)
“There came a writing to him from Elijah the prophet.”

13 But hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a whoring, like to the whoredoms of the house of Ahab, and also hast slain thy brethren of thy father’s house, which were better than thyself:

14
Behold, with a great plague will the LORD smite thy people, and thy children, and thy wives
, and all thy goods:

(21.14) “Behold, with a great plague will the LORD smite thy people, and thy children, and thy wives.”

15
And thou shalt have great sickness by disease of thy bowels, until thy bowels fall out
by reason of the sickness day by day.

(21.15) “And thou shalt have great sickness by disease of thy bowels, until thy bowels fall out.”

16 Moreover
the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabians
, that were near the Ethiopians:

17
And they came up into Judah, and
brake into it, and
carried away
all the substance that was found in the king’s house, and
his sons also, and his wives; so that there was never a son left him, save Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.

(21.16-17) “The LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabians … And they came up into Judah, and … carried away … his sons also, and his wives; so that there was never a son left him, save Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.”