La monarquía
King Joram's Reign and the Prophet Elijah's Judgment
King Joram succeeds his father Jehoshaphat but turns to idolatry and kills his brothers. The prophet Elijah sends a letter with a harsh judgment against the king, who is then attacked by Philistines and Arabs, loses his sons, and dies in great suffering from an intestinal disease.
2 Crónicas 21,1-20
1Then Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David, and his son Jehoram became king in his place.
וַיִּשְׁכַּ֤ב יְהֽוֹשָׁפָט֙ עִם־אֲבֹתָ֔יו וַיִּקָּבֵ֥ר עִם־אֲבֹתָ֖יו בְּעִ֣יר דָּוִ֑יד וַיִּמְלֹ֛ךְ יְהוֹרָ֥ם בְּנ֖וֹ תַּחְתָּֽיו׃
2He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael, and Shephatiah. All of these were sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.[^1]
[^1]: Jehoshaphat ruled Judah; here the writer calls him king of Israel, using that name for the whole covenant people.
וְלֽוֹ־אַחִ֞ים בְּנֵ֣י יְהוֹשָׁפָ֗ט עֲזַרְיָ֤ה וִֽיחִיאֵל֙ וּזְכַרְיָ֣הוּ וַעֲזַרְיָ֔הוּ וּמִיכָאֵ֖ל וּשְׁפַטְיָ֑הוּ כָּל־אֵ֕לֶּה בְּנֵ֥י יְהוֹשָׁפָ֖ט מֶ֥לֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
3Their father had given them many gifts of silver and gold and precious things, along with fortified cities in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram, because he was the firstborn.
וַיִּתֵּ֣ן לָהֶ֣ם ׀ אֲ֠בִיהֶם מַתָּנ֨וֹת רַבּ֜וֹת לְכֶ֤סֶף וּלְזָהָב֙ וּלְמִגְדָּנ֔וֹת עִם־עָרֵ֥י מְצֻר֖וֹת בִּֽיהוּדָ֑ה וְאֶת־הַמַּמְלָכָ֛ה נָתַ֥ן לִֽיהוֹרָ֖ם כִּי־ה֥וּא הַבְּכֽוֹר׃ פ
4When Jehoram had taken hold of his father's kingdom and made himself secure, he put all his brothers to the sword, and some of the officials of Israel as well.
וַיָּ֨קָם יְהוֹרָ֜ם עַל־מַמְלֶ֤כַת אָבִיו֙ וַיִּתְחַזַּ֔ק וַיַּהֲרֹ֥ג אֶת־כָּל־אֶחָ֖יו בֶּחָ֑רֶב וְגַ֖ם מִשָּׂרֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
5Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.
בֶּן־שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים וּשְׁתַּ֛יִם שָׁנָ֖ה יְהוֹרָ֣ם בְּמָלְכ֑וֹ וּשְׁמוֹנֶ֣ה שָׁנִ֔ים מָלַ֖ךְ בִּירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃
6He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he had married a daughter of Ahab. He did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD.
וַיֵּ֜לֶךְ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ ׀ מַלְכֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר עָשׂוּ֙ בֵּ֣ית אַחְאָ֔ב כִּ֚י בַּת־אַחְאָ֔ב הָ֥יְתָה לּ֖וֹ אִשָּׁ֑ה וַיַּ֥עַשׂ הָרַ֖ע בְּעֵינֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃
7Yet the LORD was unwilling to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant he had made with David, and because he had promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons forever.
וְלֹא־אָבָ֣ה יְהוָ֗ה לְהַשְׁחִית֙ אֶת־בֵּ֣ית דָּוִ֔יד לְמַ֣עַן הַבְּרִ֔ית אֲשֶׁ֥ר כָּרַ֖ת לְדָוִ֑יד וְכַאֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמַ֗ר לָתֵ֨ת ל֥וֹ נִ֛יר וּלְבָנָ֖יו כָּל־הַיָּמִֽים׃
8In his days Edom rebelled against the rule of Judah and set up a king of their own.
בְּיָמָיו֙ פָּשַׁ֣ע אֱד֔וֹם מִתַּ֖חַת יַד־יְהוּדָ֑ה וַיַּמְלִ֥יכוּ עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם מֶֽלֶךְ׃
9So Jehoram crossed over with his commanders and all his chariots. He rose by night and struck down the Edomites who had surrounded him, along with their chariot commanders.
וַיַּֽעֲבֹ֤ר יְהוֹרָם֙ עִם־שָׂרָ֔יו וְכָל־הָרֶ֖כֶב עִמּ֑וֹ וַיְהִי֙ קָ֣ם לַ֔יְלָה וַיַּ֗ךְ אֶת־אֱדוֹם֙ הַסּוֹבֵ֣ב אֵלָ֔יו וְאֵ֖ת שָׂרֵ֥י הָרָֽכֶב׃
10So Edom has been in rebellion against the rule of Judah to this day. At the same time Libnah also revolted against his rule, because he had forsaken the LORD, the God of his fathers.
וַיִּפְשַׁ֨ע אֱד֜וֹם מִתַּ֣חַת יַד־יְהוּדָ֗ה עַ֚ד הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה אָ֣ז תִּפְשַׁ֥ע לִבְנָ֛ה בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִ֖יא מִתַּ֣חַת יָד֑וֹ כִּ֣י עָזַ֔ב אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י אֲבֹתָֽיו׃
11He also built high places in the hills of Judah, led the people of Jerusalem into unfaithfulness, and drew Judah astray.
גַּם־ה֥וּא עָשָֽׂה־בָמ֖וֹת בְּהָרֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֑ה וַיֶּ֙זֶן֙ אֶת־יֹשְׁבֵ֣י יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם וַיַּדַּ֖ח אֶת־יְהוּדָֽה׃ פ
12Then a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, which said: "This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: Because you have not walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or in the ways of Asa king of Judah,
וַיָּבֹ֤א אֵלָיו֙ מִכְתָּ֔ב מֵֽאֵלִיָּ֥הוּ הַנָּבִ֖יא לֵאמֹ֑ר כֹּ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה אֱלֹהֵי֙ דָּוִ֣יד אָבִ֔יךָ תַּ֗חַת אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־הָלַ֙כְתָּ֙ בְּדַרְכֵי֙ יְהוֹשָׁפָ֣ט אָבִ֔יךָ וּבְדַרְכֵ֖י אָסָ֥א מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָֽה׃
13but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel and have led Judah and the people of Jerusalem into unfaithfulness, just as the house of Ahab led Israel astray, and because you have murdered your own brothers, your father's house, men better than yourself—
וַתֵּ֗לֶךְ בְּדֶ֙רֶךְ֙ מַלְכֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַתַּזְנֶ֤ה אֶת־יְהוּדָה֙ וְאֶת־יֹשְׁבֵ֣י יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם כְּהַזְנ֖וֹת בֵּ֣ית אַחְאָ֑ב וְגַ֨ם אֶת־אַחֶ֧יךָ בֵית־אָבִ֛יךָ הַטּוֹבִ֥ים מִמְּךָ֖ הָרָֽגְתָּ׃
14the LORD is about to strike your people, your sons, your wives, and all your possessions with a heavy blow.
הִנֵּ֣ה יְהוָ֗ה נֹגֵ֛ף מַגֵּפָ֥ה גְדוֹלָ֖ה בְּעַמֶּ֑ךָ וּבְבָנֶ֥יךָ וּבְנָשֶׁ֖יךָ וּבְכָל־רְכוּשֶֽׁךָ׃
15And you yourself will suffer a severe illness, a disease of the bowels, until your bowels come out because of the disease, day after day."
וְאַתָּ֛ה בָּחֳלָיִ֥ים רַבִּ֖ים בְּמַחֲלֵ֣ה מֵעֶ֑יךָ עַד־יֵצְא֤וּ מֵעֶ֙יךָ֙ מִן־הַחֹ֔לִי יָמִ֖ים עַל־יָמִֽים׃
16The LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and of the Arabs who lived near the Cushites.
וַיָּ֨עַר יְהוָ֜ה עַל־יְהוֹרָ֗ם אֵ֣ת ר֤וּחַ הַפְּלִשְׁתִּים֙ וְהָ֣עַרְבִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־יַ֥ד כּוּשִֽׁים׃
17They came up against Judah, broke into it, and carried off all the possessions found in the king's palace, together with his sons and his wives. Not a son was left to him except Jehoahaz, the youngest.
וַיַּעֲל֤וּ בִֽיהוּדָה֙ וַיִּבְקָע֔וּהָ וַיִּשְׁבּ֗וּ אֵ֤ת כָּל־הָרְכוּשׁ֙ הַנִּמְצָ֣א לְבֵית־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וְגַם־בָּנָ֖יו וְנָשָׁ֑יו וְלֹ֤א נִשְׁאַר־לוֹ֙ בֵּ֔ן כִּ֥י אִם־יְהוֹאָחָ֖ז קְטֹ֥ן בָּנָֽיו׃
18After all this, the LORD struck him with an incurable disease of the bowels.
וְאַחֲרֵ֖י כָּל־זֹ֑את נְגָפ֨וֹ יְהוָ֧ה ׀ בְּמֵעָ֛יו לָחֳלִ֖י לְאֵ֥ין מַרְפֵּֽא׃
19In the course of time, at the end of two years, his bowels came out because of the disease, and he died in terrible agony. His people made no fire in his honor, as they had done for his fathers.
וַיְהִ֣י לְיָמִ֣ים ׀ מִיָּמִ֡ים וּכְעֵת֩ צֵ֨את הַקֵּ֜ץ לְיָמִ֣ים שְׁנַ֗יִם יָצְא֤וּ מֵעָיו֙ עִם־חָלְי֔וֹ וַיָּ֖מָת בְּתַחֲלֻאִ֣ים רָעִ֑ים וְלֹא־עָ֨שׂוּ ל֥וֹ עַמּ֛וֹ שְׂרֵפָ֖ה כִּשְׂרֵפַ֥ת אֲבֹתָֽיו׃
20He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. He passed away, to no one's regret, and they buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.
בֶּן־שְׁלֹשִׁ֤ים וּשְׁתַּ֙יִם֙ הָיָ֣ה בְמָלְכ֔וֹ וּשְׁמוֹנֶ֣ה שָׁנִ֔ים מָלַ֖ךְ בִּירוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם וַיֵּ֙לֶךְ֙ בְּלֹ֣א חֶמְדָּ֔ה וַֽיִּקְבְּרֻ֙הוּ֙ בְּעִ֣יר דָּוִ֔יד וְלֹ֖א בְּקִבְר֥וֹת הַמְּלָכִֽים׃