2 Kings 3

1 Joram, son of Ahab, became king of Israel in the eighteenth year of the reign of King Jehoshaphat of Judah. He reigned in Samaria for twelve years.

Truly, Joram, the son of Ahab, reigned over Israel, in Samaria, in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah. And he reigned for twelve years.

2 He did evil in the Lord's sight, but not like his father and mother had done, for he got rid of the stone image of Baal that his father had made.

And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, but not as his father and mother did. For he took away the statues of Baal, which his father had made.

3 However, he still held on to the sins that Jeroboam, son of Nebat, had made Israel commit—he did not give them up.

Yet truly, he did adhere to the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin; neither did he withdraw from these.

4 Mesha, king of Moab, was a sheep breeder. He used to provide a tribute to the king of Israel of one hundred thousand lambs and the wool of one hundred thousand rams.

Now Mesha, the king of Moab, raised many sheep. And he repaid to the king of Israel one hundred thousand lambs, and one hundred thousand rams, with their fleece.

5 But after Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.

And when Ahab had died, he transgressed the pact that he had with the king of Israel.

6 Immediately King Joram called up the whole Israelite army and left Samaria.

Therefore, king Joram departed on that day from Samaria, and he took a count of all of Israel.

7 On his way he sent a message to Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, saying, “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you join me in an attack on Moab?” Jehoshaphat replied, “Yes, I will join you. You and I are as one, my men and your men are as one, and my horses and your horses are as one.”

And he sent to Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, saying: “The king of Moab has withdrawn from me. Come to battle with me against him.” And he responded: “I will go up. What is mine, is yours. My people are your people. And my horses are your horses.”

8 Then he asked, “Which way shall we go?” “We'll take the road through the desert of Edom,” he replied.

And he said, “Along which way shall we ascend?” So he responded, “Along the desert of Idumea.”

9 So the king of Israel, the king of Judah, and the king of Edom set off. Having followed an indirect route for seven days, they ran out of water for their army and for their animals.

Therefore, the king of Israel, and the king of Judah, and the king of Idumea, traveled, and they went by a circuitous path for seven days. But there was no water for the army or for the beasts of burden which were following them.

10 “What are we doing?” complained the king of Israel. “The Lord has brought us three kings here to hand us over to the Moabites!”

And the king of Israel said: “Alas, alas, alas! The Lord has gathered we three kings, so that he might deliver us into the hands of Moab.”

11 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Isn't there a prophet of the Lord here with us? Let us consult the Lord through him.” One of the king of Israel's officers answered, “Elisha, son of Shaphat, is here. He was Elijah's assistant.”

And Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not a prophet of the Lord here, so that we may appeal to the Lord through him?” And one of the servants of the king of Israel responded, “Elisha, the son of Shaphat, is here, who poured water upon the hands of Elijah.”

12 Jehoshaphat agreed, “The Lord communicates by him.” So the king of Israel, Jehoshaphat, and the king of Edom went to see him.

And Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the Lord is with him.” And so, the king of Israel, with Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, and with the king of Idumea, descended to him.

13 Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What have I got to do with you? Go to your own prophets, those of your father and your mother.” But the king of Israel said to him, “No—because it's the Lord who has brought these three kings here to hand them over to the Moabites!”

Then Elisha said to the king of Israel: “What is there between you and me? Go to the prophets of your father and your mother.” And the king of Israel said to him, “Why has the Lord gathered these three kings, so that he might deliver them into the hands of Moab?”

14 Elisha replied, “As the Lord Almighty lives, the one I serve, if I didn't respect the fact that Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, is here, I wouldn't even look in your direction or acknowledge you.

And Elisha said to him: “As the Lord of hosts lives, in whose sight I stand, if I was not humbled by the face of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, certainly I would neither have listened to you, nor have looked upon you.

15 Now bring me a musician.” While the musician played, the Lord's power came upon Elisha,

But now, bring a musician to me.” And while the musician was playing, the hand of the Lord fell upon him, and he said:

16 and he announced, “This is what the Lord says: This valley will be filled with pools of water. For the Lord says:

“Thus says the Lord: Make, in the channel of this torrent, pit after pit.

17 You won't see any wind, you won't see any rain, but even so this valley will be filled with water. You will drink, and your cattle, and your animals.

For thus says the Lord: You shall not see wind or rain. And yet this channel shall be filled with water. And you shall drink, you and your families, and your beasts of burden.

18 The Lord views this as something trivial to do; and he will also make you victorious over the Moabites.

And this is small in the sight of the Lord. So, in addition, he will also deliver Moab into your hands.

19 You will conquer every fortified town, and every important town. You will chop down every good tree, block up every spring, and spoil every good field by throwing stones on them.”

And you shall strike every fortified town and every elect city. And you shall cut down every fruitful tree. And you shall obstruct all the sources of water. And you shall cover every excellent field with stones.”

20 The next day, around the time of the morning sacrifice, water suddenly flowed from the direction of Edom, filling the whole countryside with water.

Then it happened that, in the morning, when the sacrifices were usually to be offered, behold, water was arriving along the way of Idumea, and the land was filled with water.

21 All the Moabites had heard that the kings had come to attack them. So everyone who could wear a sword, young and old, was called up and went to guard the border.

Then all the Moabites, hearing that the kings had ascended so that they might fight against them, gathered all who had been girded with a belt around them, and they stood at the borders.

22 But the next morning when they got up the sun was shining on the water, and to the Moabites on the other side it looked blood red.

And rising up in early morning, and when the sun was now rising before the waters, the Moabites saw the waters opposite them, which were red like blood.

23 “This is blood!” they said. “The kings and their armies must have attacked and killed each other! Moabites, let's grab the plunder!”

And they said: “It is the blood of the sword! The kings have fought among themselves, and they have slain one another. Go now, Moab, to the spoils!”

24 But when the Moabites arrived at the Israelite camp, the Israelites ran out and attacked them, and they ran away from them. So the Israelites invaded their country and killed the Moabites.

And they went into the camp of Israel. But Israel, rising up, struck Moab, and they fled before them. And since they had prevailed, they went and struck down Moab.

25 They destroyed the towns, and each soldier threw stones on every good field until it was covered. They blocked up every spring and chopped down every good tree. Only Kir-haraseth still had its walls, but soldiers using slingshots surrounded it and attacked it as well.

And they destroyed the cities. And they filled up every excellent field, each one casting stones. And they obstructed all the sources of water. And they cut down all the fruitful trees, to such an extent that only brick walls remained. And the city was encircled by the slingers of stones. And a great part of it was struck down.

26 When the king of Moab realized he'd lost the battle, he led seven hundred swordsmen in an attempt to break through and attack the king of Edom, but they weren't able to do so.

And when the king of Moab had seen this, specifically, that the enemies had prevailed, he took with him seven hundred men who draw the sword, so that he might break through to the king of Idumea. But they were unable.

27 So the king of Moab took his firstborn son, who was meant to succeed him, and sacrificed him as a burnt offering on the town wall. Great anger came upon the Israelites, so they left and went back to their own country.

And taking his firstborn son, who would have reigned in his place, he offered him as a holocaust upon the wall. And there was great indignation in Israel. And they promptly withdrew from him, and they turned back to their own land.