Yehoramu Atawala
(2 Wafalme 8:17-24)
121:1 1Nya 3:11Yehoshafati akalala na baba zake, akazikwa pamoja nao katika Mji wa Daudi. Mwanawe Yehoramu akawa mfalme baada yake. 2Ndugu zake Yehoramu, wana wa Yehoshafati walikuwa: Azaria, Yehieli, Zekaria, Azaria, Mikaeli na Shefatia. Hawa wote walikuwa wana wa Yehoshafati mfalme wa Israeli21:2 Yaani Yuda. 321:3 2Nya 11:23; 11:10Baba yao alikuwa amewapa zawadi nyingi za fedha na dhahabu na vitu vya thamani, pamoja na miji yenye ngome huko Yuda, bali ufalme akampa Yehoramu kwa sababu alikuwa mwanawe mzaliwa wa kwanza.
421:4 1Fal 2:12; Amu 9:5; Mwa 4:8; 1Yn 3:12Baada ya Yehoramu kujiimarisha katika ufalme wa baba yake, akawaua kwa upanga ndugu zake wote pamoja na baadhi ya wakuu wa Israeli. 5Yehoramu alikuwa na umri wa miaka thelathini na miwili alipoanza kutawala, naye akatawala huko Yerusalemu kwa miaka minane. 621:6 1Fal 12:28-30; 2Nya 18:1; 22:3; Neh 13:26; 2Fal 8:18Akaenenda katika njia za wafalme wa Israeli, kama nyumba ya Ahabu ilivyokuwa imefanya, kwa kuwa alimwoa binti wa Ahabu. Akatenda maovu machoni pa Bwana. 721:7 2Sam 7:13-15; 2Nya 23:3; 2Sam 21:17; 2Fal 8:19; 1Fal 11:36; Za 132:11Hata hivyo, kwa sababu ya Agano ambalo Bwana alikuwa amefanya na Daudi, Bwana hakuwa radhi kuangamiza nyumba ya Daudi. Mungu alikuwa ameahidi kuidumisha taa kwa ajili yake na wazao wake milele.
821:8 2Nya 20:22-23; Mwa 27:40; 2Fal 8:20; 9:22; Za 106:39; Ufu 17:1-5Wakati wa Yehoramu, Edomu waliasi dhidi ya Yuda na kujiwekea mfalme wao wenyewe. 9Basi Yehoramu akaenda huko pamoja na maafisa wake na magari yake ya vita. Waedomu wakamzunguka yeye na majemadari wake wa magari yake ya vita, lakini akaondoka, akapenya usiku na kuwashambulia Waedomu. 1021:10 Hes 33:20; Mwa 27:40Hadi leo Edomu wameasi dhidi ya Yuda.
Libna pia wakaasi wakati huo huo kwa sababu Yehoramu alikuwa amemwacha Bwana, Mungu wa baba zake. 1121:11 Law 17:7; 20:5Alikuwa pia ametengeneza mahali pa juu pa kuabudia miungu katika vilima vya Yuda na akawa amewasababisha watu wa Yerusalemu kufanya uzinzi na akawa amewapotosha watu wa Yuda.
1221:12 Kut 34:13; 1Fal 22:4321:12 2Fal 1:16-17; 2Nya 17:3-6; 14:2Yehoramu akapokea barua kutoka kwa nabii Eliya iliyosema:
“Hili ndilo Bwana, Mungu wa Daudi baba yako, asemalo: ‘Hukuenenda katika njia za Yehoshafati baba yako au za Asa mfalme wa Yuda. 1321:13 1Fal 16:29-33; 2:32; Kut 34:15; 2Fal 9:22Lakini umeenenda katika njia za wafalme wa Israeli, nawe umewaongoza Yuda na watu wa Yerusalemu kuzini, kama vile nyumba ya Ahabu ilivyofanya. Pia umewaua ndugu zako mwenyewe, watu wa nyumbani mwa baba yako, watu waliokuwa bora kuliko wewe. 14Hivyo basi Bwana yu karibu kuwapiga watu wako, wanao, wake zako na kila kitu kilicho chako, kwa pigo zito. 1521:15 Hes 12:10Wewe mwenyewe utaugua sana kwa ugonjwa wa tumbo kwa muda mrefu, hadi ugonjwa utakaposababisha matumbo yako kutoka nje.’ ”
1621:16 2Nya 22:1; 26:7; 2Sam 24:1; 1Fal 11:14, 23Bwana akaamsha chuki ya Wafilisti na ya Waarabu walioishi karibu na Wakushi dhidi ya Yehoramu. 1721:17 2Fal 12:18; 2Nya 24:7; Yoe 3:5Wakaishambulia Yuda, wakaivamia na kuchukua mali zote zilizopatikana katika jumba la mfalme pamoja na wanawe na wake zake. Hakubakiziwa mwana yeyote isipokuwa Ahazia aliyekuwa mdogo wa wote.
18Baada ya mambo haya yote, Bwana akampiga Yehoramu kwa ugonjwa usioponyeka wa matumbo. 1921:19 2Nya 16:14Ikawa baada ya muda, mwisho wa mwaka wa pili, matumbo yake yakatoka nje kwa sababu ya ugonjwa, naye akafa katika maumivu makali sana. Watu wake hawakuwasha moto kwa heshima yake, kama walivyokuwa wamewafanyia baba zake.
2021:20 2Nya 33:20; Yer 22:18, 28Yehoramu alikuwa na umri wa miaka thelathini na miwili alipokuwa mfalme, naye akatawala huko Yerusalemu miaka minane. Akafa, bila kusikitikiwa na mtu yeyote, naye akazikwa katika Mji wa Daudi, lakini si katika makaburi ya wafalme.
1Then Jehoshaphat rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. And Jehoram his son succeeded him as king. 2Jehoram’s brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat, were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael and Shephatiah. All these were sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.21:2 That is, Judah, as frequently in 2 Chronicles 3Their father had given them many gifts of silver and gold and articles of value, as well as fortified cities in Judah, but he had given the kingdom to Jehoram because he was his firstborn son.
Jehoram king of Judah
4When Jehoram established himself firmly over his father’s kingdom, he put all his brothers to the sword along with some of the officials of Israel. 5Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for eight years. 6He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter of Ahab. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. 7Nevertheless, because of the covenant the Lord had made with David, the Lord was not willing to destroy the house of David. He had promised to maintain a lamp for him and his descendants for ever.
8In the time of Jehoram, Edom rebelled against Judah and set up its own king. 9So Jehoram went there with his officers and all his chariots. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, but he rose up and broke through by night. 10To this day Edom has been in rebellion against Judah.
Libnah revolted at the same time, because Jehoram had forsaken the Lord, the God of his ancestors. 11He had also built high places on the hills of Judah and had caused the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves and had led Judah astray.
12Jehoram received a letter from Elijah the prophet, which said:
‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: “You have not followed the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or of Asa king of Judah. 13But you have followed the ways of the kings of Israel, and you have led Judah and the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves, just as the house of Ahab did. You have also murdered your own brothers, members of your own family, men who were better than you. 14So now the Lord is about to strike your people, your sons, your wives and everything that is yours, with a heavy blow. 15You yourself will be very ill with a lingering disease of the bowels, until the disease causes your bowels to come out.” ’
16The Lord aroused against Jehoram the hostility of the Philistines and of the Arabs who lived near the Cushites. 17They attacked Judah, invaded it and carried off all the goods found in the king’s palace, together with his sons and wives. Not a son was left to him except Ahaziah,21:17 Hebrew Jehoahaz, a variant of Ahaziah the youngest.
18After all this, the Lord afflicted Jehoram with an incurable disease of the bowels. 19In the course of time, at the end of the second year, his bowels came out because of the disease, and he died in great pain. His people made no funeral fire in his honour, as they had for his predecessors.
20Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for eight years. He passed away, to no-one’s regret, and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.
