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Jehoshaphat, the good king of
Judah, was now dead, and his son Jehoram reigned after him. There
were two kings named Jehoram or Joram; one king of Israel, and the other,
king of Judah. They were both wicked. Jehoram, king of Judah,
was not like his good father; he was more like the wicked kings of
Israel. As soon as he was made king, he put all his brothers to
death. He had seven brothers; and when Jehoshaphat died, and Jehoram
was made king, all Jehoshaphat's riches had been divided among these
brothers. Jehoram had more than they. He had the kingdom,
because he was the eldest son; but Jehoram was not contented with
this. He could not feel safe and happy while his brothers lived, for
he thought that perhaps they might want the kingdom. So this wicked
king commanded them all to be killed; and then he thought he might feel
safe and strong; but his happiness did not last long. His subjects
rebelled against him, and he was not able to subdue them. Why was
this trouble sent to Jehoram? The Bible tells us,—"Because he
had forsaken the Lord God." When people forsake God, trouble
must come upon them: God will not bless those who forget Him. One
day a letter was brought to king Jehoram. It was a very old
letter. It had been written many years before by the good prophet
Elijah. God had told Elijah about this wicked king Jehoram, and all
that he would do, and Elijah wrote the letter by God's command. And
what was in the letter? A very fearful message from God to wicked
king Jehoram. "Thus saith the Lord; because thou hast forsaken
me, and worshiped idols, and not served me as thy fathers Asa and
Jehoshaphat did, I will send a plague upon thee, and upon thy family, and
upon thy people, and upon all that thou hast; and I will smite thee with a
dreadful sickness, and thou shalt die." This was sad news for
Jehoram. It all came to pass very soon. God sent enemies to
fight against him; and they took away his money, and his children, and
carried them into other countries. But still Jehoram did not repent;
and, therefore, God punished him again with the dreadful illness He had
threatened. Jehoram suffered very much for a long time, and none
could cure him. His physicians could not do him any good; medicines
could not take away his pain; he had no wife, no children to comfort him;
all were gone: and his people did not love him, nor care about
him. At last, Jehoram died, and was buried in Jerusalem. But
the people did not mourn for him; and they did not honor him at his
burial.
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