2 Kings 3

1 Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years.

And Jehoram son of Ahab has reigned over Israel, in Samaria, in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigns twelve years,

2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; but not like his father, and like his mother; for he put away the pillar of Baal that his father had made.

and does evil in the eyes of YHWH, only not like his father, and like his mother, and he turns aside the standing-pillar of Ba‘al that his father made;

3 Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.

surely he has cleaved to the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat that he caused Israel to sin; he has not turned aside from it.

4 Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep-master; and he rendered unto the king of Israel the wool of a hundred thousand lambs, and of a hundred thousand rams.

And Mesha king of Moab was a sheep-master, and he rendered to the king of Israel one hundred thousand lambs and one hundred thousand rams, [with] wool,

5 But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.

and it comes to pass at the death of Ahab, that the king of Moab transgresses against the king of Israel.

6 And king Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time, and mustered all Israel.

And King Jehoram goes out from Samaria in that day, and inspects all Israel,

7 And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying: 'The king of Moab hath rebelled against me; wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle?' And he said: 'I will go up; I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses.'

and goes and sends to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, saying, “The king of Moab has transgressed against me; do you go with me to Moab for battle?” And he says, “I go up, as I, so you; as my people, so your people; as my horses, so your horses.”

8 And he said: 'Which way shall we go up?' And he answered: 'The way of the wilderness of Edom.'

And he says, “Where [is] this—the way we go up?” And he says, “The way of the wilderness of Edom.”

9 So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom; and they made a circuit of seven days' journey; and there was no water for the host, nor for the beasts that followed them.

And the king of Israel goes, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom, and they turn around the way seven days, and there has been no water for the camp, and for the livestock that [are] at their feet,

10 And the king of Israel said: 'Alas! for the LORD hath called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.'

and the king of Israel says, “Aah! For YHWH has called for these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab.”

11 But Jehoshaphat said: 'Is there not here a prophet of the LORD, that we may inquire of the LORD by him?' And one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said: 'Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.'

And Jehoshaphat says, “Is there not a prophet of YHWH here, and we seek YHWH by him?” And one of the servants of the king of Israel answers and says, “Here [is] Elisha son of Shaphat, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.”

12 And Jehoshaphat said: 'The word of the LORD is with him.' So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.

And Jehoshaphat says, “The word of YHWH is with him”; and the king of Israel goes down to him, and Jehoshaphat, and the king of Edom.

13 And Elisha said unto the king of Israel: 'What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother.' And the king of Israel said unto him: 'Nay; for the LORD hath called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.'

And Elisha says to the king of Israel, “And what do I [have to do] with you? Go to the prophets of your father, and to the prophets of your mother”; and the king of Israel says to him, “No, for YHWH has called for these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab.”

14 And Elisha said: 'As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee.

And Elisha says, “YHWH of Hosts lives, before whom I have stood; for unless I am lifting up the face of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I do not look to you, nor see you;

15 But now bring me a minstrel.' And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him.

and now, bring a musician to me”; and it has been, at the playing of the musician, that the hand of YHWH is on him,

16 And he said: 'Thus saith the LORD: Make this valley full of trenches.

and he says, “Thus said YHWH: Make this valley ditches—ditches;

17 For thus saith the LORD: Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain, yet that valley shall be filled with water; and ye shall drink, both ye and your cattle and your beasts.

for thus said YHWH: You do not see wind, nor do you see rain, and that valley is full of water, and you have drunk—you, and your livestock, and your beasts.

18 And this is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD; He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand.

And this has been light in the eyes of YHWH, and he has given Moab into your hand,

19 And ye shall smite every fortified city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all fountains of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.'

and you have struck every fortified city, and every choice city, and you cause every good tree to fall, and you stop all fountains of waters, and you mar every good portion with stones.”

20 And it came to pass in the morning, about the time of making the offering, that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.

And it comes to pass in the morning, at the ascending of the [morning] present, that behold, waters are coming in from the way of Edom, and the land is filled with the waters,

21 Now when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they gathered themselves together, all that were able to put on armour, and upward, and stood on the border.

and all of Moab has heard that the kings have come up to fight against them, and they are called together, from everyone girding on a girdle and upward, and they stand by the border.

22 And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water some way off as red as blood;

And they rise early in the morning, and the sun has shone on the waters, and the Moabites see, from opposite [them], [that] the waters [are] red as blood,

23 and they said: 'This is blood: the kings have surely fought together, and they have smitten each man his fellow; now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.'

and say, “This [is] blood; the kings have been surely destroyed, and they each strike his neighbor; and now for spoil, Moab!”

24 And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them. And they smote the land, even Moab, mightily.

And they come to the camp of Israel, and Israel rises, and strikes the Moabites, and they flee from their face; and they enter into Moab, so as to strike Moab,

25 And they beat down the cities; and on every good piece of land they cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the fountains of water, and felled all the good trees; until there was left only Kir-hareseth with the stones of the wall thereof; so the slingers encompassed it, and smote it.

and they break down the cities, and they each cast his stone [on] every good portion, and have filled it, and they stop every fountain of water, and they cause every good tree to fall—until one had left its stones in Kir-Haraseth, and the slingers go around and strike it.

26 And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too sore for him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew sword, to break through unto the king of Edom; but they could not.

And the king of Moab sees that the battle has been too strong for him, and he takes with him seven hundred men drawing sword, to cleave through to the king of Edom, and they have not been able,

27 Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt-offering upon the wall. And there came great wrath upon Israel; and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.

and he takes his son, the firstborn who reigns in his stead, and causes him to ascend [as] a burnt-offering on the wall, and there is great wrath against Israel, and they journey from off him, and return to the land.