16 Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat was the king of Judah. He began to rule in the fifth year that Joram son of Ahab was king of Israel.
17 Jehoram was 32 years old when he began to rule. He ruled eight years in Jerusalem.
18 But Jehoram lived as the kings of Israel and did what the Lord saw as evil. He lived as the people from Ahab’s family, because his wife was Ahab’s daughter.
19 But the Lord would not destroy Judah because of the promise to his servant David. He had promised David that someone from his family would always be king.
20 In Jehoram’s time Edom broke away from Judah’s rule. The people of Edom chose a king for themselves.
21 Then Jehoram and all his chariots went to Zair. The Edomite army surrounded them, but Jehoram and his officers attacked them and escaped. Jehoram’s soldiers all ran away and went home.
22 So the Edomites broke away from the rule of Judah. And they have been free from the rule of Judah until today. At the same time Libnah also broke away from Judah’s rule.