1 ^dJehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Jehoram his son reigned in his place. 2 He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of ^eIsrael.¹ 3 Their father gave them great gifts of silver, gold, and valuable possessions, together with ^ffortified cities in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram, because he was the firstborn. 4 When Jehoram had ascended the throne of his father and was established, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and also some of the princes of ^eIsrael. 5 ^gJehoram was ^hthirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 6 ⁱAnd he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for ^jthe daughter of Ahab was his wife. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. 7 Yet the Lord was not willing to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and since he had promised to give ^ka lamp to him and to his sons forever.

8 In his days Edom revolted from the ^lrule of Judah and set up a king of their own. 9 Then Jehoram passed over with his commanders and all his chariots, and he rose by night and struck the Edomites who had surrounded him and his chariot commanders. 10 So Edom revolted from ^mthe rule of Judah to this day. At that time Libnah also revolted from his rule, because he had forsaken the Lord, the God of his fathers.

11 Moreover, he made high places in the hill country of Judah and led the inhabitants of Jerusalem ⁿinto whoredom and made Judah go astray. 12 And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, “Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father, ^o‘Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or ^pin the ways of Asa king of Judah, 13 ⁱbut have walked in the way of the kings of Israel and have enticed Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem ⁿinto whoredom, ^qas the house of Ahab led Israel into whoredom, and also you ^rhave killed your brothers, of your father’s house, who were better than you, 14 behold, the Lord will bring a great plague on your people, your children, your wives, and all your possessions, 15 and you yourself will have a severe sickness ^swith a disease of your bowels, until your bowels come out because of the disease, day by day.’”

16 ^tAnd the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the anger² of the Philistines and of ^uthe Arabians who are near the Ethiopians. 17 And they came up against Judah and invaded it and carried away all the possessions they found that belonged to the king’s house, and also his sons and his wives, so that no son was left to him except ^vJehoahaz, his youngest son.

18 And after all this the Lord struck him ^win his bowels with an incurable disease. 19 In the course of time, at the end of two years, his bowels came out because of the disease, and he died in great agony. His people made no fire in his honor, ^xlike the fires made for his fathers. 20 ^yHe was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he departed ^zwith no one’s regret. ^aThey buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

1 The vision of Obadiah.

1 Now concerning^{1 m}food offered to idols: we know that ⁿ“all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” ^opuffs up, ^pbut love builds up. 2 ^qIf anyone imagines that he knows something, ^rhe does not yet know as he ought to know. 3 But if anyone loves God, ^she is known by God.²

4 Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that ^t“an idol has no real existence,” and that ^u“there is no God but one.” 5 For although there may be ^vso-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— 6 yet ^wfor us there is one God, the Father, ^xfrom whom are all things and for whom we exist, and ^yone Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and ^zthrough whom we exist.

7 However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, ^athrough former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and ^btheir conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 ^cFood will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. 9 But take care ^dthat this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block ^eto the weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating³ in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged,⁴ if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? 11 And so by your knowledge this weak person is ^fdestroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. 12 Thus, sinning against your brothers⁵ and ^gwounding their conscience when it is weak, ^hyou sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, ⁱif food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.