other Jehoram, who was king of Judah, was not a good man, in spite of the example left to him by his father Jehoshaphat. For his wife, Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab, taught him to worship strange gods, and he made all the people of Judah sin in the same way. And there came a letter to him from Elisha the prophet, saying that the Lord would punish him for his wickedness, and would allow his wives and children to be slain, and would sent on him a terrible sickness.

Not long after this an army of Philistines and Arabians fell upon the city of Jerusalem, and took it, and slew the king's children, so that only one of his sons, named Ahaziah, and many of his wives, and carried away quantities of treasure from the city. Jehoram fell sick of a grievous illness and died, and his son Ahaziah was appointed king of Israel in his place.