The story about Elisha is briefly interrupted to introduce two kings of Judah. The first is Joram, who, according to verse 17, reigned for eight years in Jerusalem. The narrator emphasizes that this king “did what the Lord disapproved of” (18), thereby designating him as an evil king; Judah remains isolated because of the divine promises made to David (19). There is also evidence of the gradual weakening of Judah due to the uprising of Edom, a people who had been tributaries of the southern kingdom until then (20-22).