2 Kings 3

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

And Jehoram, the son of Ahab, became king over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of the rule of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah; and he was king for twelve years.

2 He did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, but not like his father and his mother; for he removed the sacred stone pillar of Baal that his father had made.

He did evil in the eyes of the Lord; but not like his father and his mother, for he put away the stone pillar of Baal which his father had made.

3 Nevertheless he held on to the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin; he did not turn away from them.

But still he did the same sins which Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, did and made Israel do; he went on in them.

4 Now Mesha king of Moab bred sheep. He had to give to the king of Israel 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams.

Now Mesha, king of Moab, was a sheep-farmer; and he gave regularly to the king of Israel the wool from a hundred thousand lambs and a hundred thousand sheep.

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

But when Ahab was dead, the king of Moab got free from the authority of the king of Israel.

6 So King Joram left Samaria at that time to mobilize all Israel for war.

At that time, King Jehoram went out from Samaria and got all Israel together in fighting order.

7 He sent a message to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, saying, “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me against Moab to battle?” Jehoshaphat replied, “I will go. I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”

And he sent to Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab has got free from my authority: will you go with me to make war on Moab? And he said, I will go with you: I am as you are, my people as your people, and my horses as your horses.

8 Then he said, “By which way should we attack?” Jehoshaphat answered, “By way of the wilderness of Edom.”

And he said, Which way are we to go? And he said in answer, By the waste land of Edom.

9 So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. They wandered around for seven days, and then there was no water for the army or for the animals that followed them.

So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom by a roundabout way for seven days: and there was no water for the army or for the beasts they had with them.

10 So the king of Israel said, “What is this? Has Yahweh called three kings to give them into the hand of Moab?”

And the king of Israel said, Here is trouble: for the Lord has got these three kings together to give them into the hands of Moab.

11 But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here a prophet of Yahweh, that we may consult Yahweh by him?” One of the king of Israel's servants answered and said, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.”

But Jehoshaphat said, Is there no prophet of the Lord here, through whom we may get directions from the Lord? And one of the king of Israel's men said in answer, Elisha, the son of Shaphat, is here, who was servant to Elijah.

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

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.

13 Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and mother.” So the king of Israel said to him, “No, because Yahweh has called these three kings together to give them into the hand of Moab.”

But Elisha said to the king of Israel, What have I to do with you? go to the prophets of your father and your mother. And the king of Israel said, No; for the Lord has got these three kings together to give them up into the hands of Moab.

14 Elisha replied, “As Yahweh of hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely were it not for the fact that I honor the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not pay any attention to you, or even look at you.

Then Elisha said, By the life of the Lord of armies whose servant I am, if it was not for the respect I have for Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, I would not give a look at you, or see you.

15 But now bring me a musician.” Then it came to pass when the harpist played, the hand of Yahweh came upon Elisha.

But now, get me a player of music, and it will come about that while the man is playing, the hand of the Lord will come on me and I will give you the word of the Lord: and they got a player of music, and while the man was playing, the hand of the Lord was on him.

16 He said, “Yahweh says this, 'Make this dry river valley full of trenches.'

And he said, The Lord says, I will make this valley full of water-holes.

17 For Yahweh says this, 'You will not see wind, neither will you see rain, but this river valley will be filled with water, and you will drink, you and your livestock and all your animals.'

For the Lord says, Though you see no wind or rain, the valley will be full of water, and you and your armies and your beasts will have drink.

18 This is an easy thing in the sight of Yahweh. He will also give you victory over the Moabites.

And this will be only a small thing to the Lord: in addition he will give the Moabites into your hands.

19 You will attack every fortified city and every good city, cut down every good tree, stop up all springs of water, and ruin every good piece of land with rocks.”

And you are to put every walled town to destruction, cutting down every good tree, and stopping up every water-spring, and making all the good land rough with stones.

20 So in the morning about the time of offering the sacrifice, there came water from the direction of Edom; the country was filled with water.

Now in the morning, about the time when the offering was made, they saw water flowing from the direction of Edom till the country was full of water.

21 Now when all the Moabites heard that the kings had come to fight against them, they gathered themselves together, all who were able to put on armor, and they stood at the border.

Now all Moab, hearing that the kings had come to make war against them, got together all who were able to take up arms and went forward to the edge of the country.

22 They awakened early in the morning and the sun reflected on the water. When the Moabites saw the water opposite them, it looked as red as blood.

And early in the morning they got up, when the sun was shining on the water, and they saw the water facing them as red as blood.

23 They exclaimed, “This is blood! The kings have certainly been destroyed, and they have killed each other! So now, Moab, let us go plunder them!”

Then they said, This is blood: it is clear that destruction has come on the kings; they have been fighting one another: now come, Moab, let us take their goods.

24 When they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites surprised them and attacked the Moabites, who fled before them. The army of Israel drove the Moabites across the land, killing them.

But when they came to the tents of Israel, the Israelites came out and made a violent attack on the Moabites, so that they went in flight before them; and they went forward still attacking them;

25 They destroyed the cities, and on every good piece of land every man threw a rock until it was covered up. They stopped up every spring of water and chopped down all the good trees. Only Kir Hareseth was left with its rocks in place. But the soldiers armed with slings surrounded and attacked it.

Pulling down the towns, covering every good field with stones, stopping up all the water-springs, and cutting down all the good trees; they went on driving Moab before them till only in Kir-hareseth were there any Moabites; and the fighting-men went round the town raining stones on it.

26 When King Mesha of Moab saw that the battle was lost, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through to the king of Edom, but they failed.

And when the king of Moab saw that the fight was going against him, he took with him seven hundred men armed with swords, with the idea of forcing a way through to the king of Aram, but they were not able to do so.

27 Then he took his oldest son, who should have reigned after him, and offered him as a burnt offering upon the wall. So there was great anger against Israel, and the Israelite army left King Mesha and returned to their own land.

Then he took his oldest son, who would have been king after him, offering him as a burned offering on the wall. So there was great wrath against Israel; and they went away from him, back to their country.