2 Kings 3

1 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,

In the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat’s reign over Judah, Jehoram son of Ahab became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria twelve years.

2 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;

And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as his father and mother had done. He removed the sacred pillar of Baal that his father had made.

3 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.

Nevertheless, he clung to the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them.

4 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,

Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder, and he would render to the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs and the wool of a hundred thousand rams.

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

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

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

So at that time King Jehoram set out from Samaria and mobilized all Israel.

7 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.”

And he sent a message to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?” “I will go,” replied Jehoshaphat. “I am like you, my people are your people, and my horses are your horses.”

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

Then he asked, “Which way shall we go up?” “By way of the Desert of Edom,” replied Joram.

9 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,

So the king of Israel, the king of Judah, and the king of Edom set out, and after they had traveled a roundabout route for seven days, they had no water for their army or for their animals.

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

“Alas,” said the king of Israel, “for the LORD has summoned these three kings to deliver them into the hand of Moab!”

11 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.”

But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the LORD here? Let us inquire of the LORD through him.” And one of the servants of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.”

12 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.

Jehoshaphat affirmed, “The word of the LORD is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.

13 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.”

Elisha, however, said to the king of Israel, “What have we to do with each other? Go to the prophets of your father and of your mother!” “No,” replied the king of Israel, “for it is the LORD who has summoned these three kings to deliver them into the hand of Moab.”

14 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;

Then Elisha said, “As surely as the LORD of Hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not for my regard for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you or acknowledge you.

15 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,

But now, bring me a harpist.” And while the harpist played, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha

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

and he said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Dig this valley full of ditches.’

17 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.

For the LORD says, ‘You will not see wind or rain, but the valley will be filled with water, and you will drink—you and your cattle and your animals.’

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

This is a simple matter in the sight of the LORD, and He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand.

19 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.”

And you shall attack every fortified city and every city of importance. You shall cut down every good tree, stop up every spring, and ruin every good field with stones.”

20 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,

The next morning, at the time of the morning sacrifice, water suddenly flowed from the direction of Edom and filled the land.

21 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.

Now all the Moabites had heard that the kings had come up to fight against them. So all who could bear arms, young and old, were summoned and stationed at the border.

22 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,

When they got up early in the morning, the sun was shining on the water, and it looked as red as blood to the Moabites across the way.

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

“This is blood!” they exclaimed. “The kings have clashed swords and slaughtered one another. Now to the plunder, Moab!”

24 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,

But when the Moabites came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and attacked them, and they fled before them. So the Israelites invaded their land and struck down the Moabites.

25 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.

They destroyed the cities, and each man threw stones on every good field until it was covered. They stopped up every spring and cut down every good tree. Only Kir-haraseth was left with stones in place, but men with slings surrounded it and attacked it as well.

26 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,

When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too fierce for him, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through to the king of Edom, but they could not prevail.

27 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.

So he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him, and offered him as a burnt offering on the city wall. And there was great fury against the Israelites, so they withdrew and returned to their own land.