Now when Jehoram was risen up to the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself, and slew all his brethren with the sword, and {divers} also of the princes of Israel.

Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication, and compelled Judah {thereto}.

And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, like as did the house of Ahab: for he had the daughter of Ahab to wife: and he wrought {that which was} evil in the eyes of the LORD.

And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that {were} before him.

And they said one to another, We {are} verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain. {blood: Heb. bloods}

And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go {to be} among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them. {sleep: Heb. lie down}

And the king said unto him, Do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and bury him; that thou mayest take away the innocent blood, which Joab shed, from me, and from the house of my father.

And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. {blood: Heb. bloods}

Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and {one} call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice;

But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the LORD, and did worse than all that {were} before him.

And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.

And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, {Is it} peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts {are so} many?

Not as Cain, {who} was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.

Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity! {blood: Heb. bloods}

Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren:

And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, {Is it} peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts {are so} many?

And the LORD shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing {thereof, to wit}, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah.

Also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made.

And they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers, and served groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass.

The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, {departing} from the LORD.

My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused {them} to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God.

And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab: for the daughter of Ahab was his wife: and he did evil in the sight of the LORD.

Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication, and compelled Judah {thereto}.