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 the son of Achab became king over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, and he reigned twelve years.

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

And he did what is evil in the eyes of the Lord; but not like his father, and like his mother; and he removed the statue of Ba'al which his father had made.

3 Nevertheless he held to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin. He didn’t depart from them.

Nevertheless unto the sins of Jerobo'am the son of Nebat, who had induced Israel to sin, did he cleave: he departed not therefrom.

4 Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder; and he supplied the king of Israel with one hundred thousand lambs and the wool of one hundred thousand rams.

And Mesha' the king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered as tribute unto the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs, and a hundred thousand rams, with the wool.

5 But when Ahab was dead, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.

And it came to pass, when Achab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.

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

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

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

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 as thyself, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses.

8 Then he said, “Which way shall we go up?” Jehoram answered, “The way of the wilderness of Edom.”

And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he said, The way through the wilderness of Edom.

9 So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom, and they marched for seven days along a circuitous route. 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: and they took a circuitous route, a seven days' journey; and there was no water for the camp, and for the cattle that followed in their train.

10 The king of Israel said, “Alas! For the LORD has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.”

And the king of Israel said, Alas! that the Lord hath called these three kings, to deliver them into the hand of Moab!

11 But Jehoshaphat said, “Isn’t there a prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of the LORD by him?” One of the king of Israel’s servants answered, “Elisha the son of Shaphat, who poured water on the hands of Elijah, is here.”

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

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

And Jehoshaphat said, The word of the Lord is with him. And there went down to him the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom.

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

And Elisha' said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? go to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, Not so; for the Lord hath called these three kings, to deliver them into the hand of Moab.

14 Elisha said, “As the LORD of Armies lives, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I respect the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward you, nor see you.

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

15 But now bring me a musician.” When the musician played, the LORD’s hand came on him.

But now bring me a musician. And it came to pass, when the musician played, that the inspiration of the Lord came upon him.

16 He said, “The LORD says, ‘Make this valley full of trenches.’

And he said, Thus hath said the Lord, Make this valley full of ditches.

17 For the LORD says, ‘You will not see wind, neither will you see rain, yet that valley will be filled with water, and you will drink, both you and your livestock and your other animals.

For thus hath said the Lord, Ye shall not perceive wind, nor shall ye see rain; yet this valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, yourselves, and your flocks, and your cattle.

18 This is an easy thing in the LORD’s sight. He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand.

And this is yet too light a thing in the eyes of the Lord; and he will also deliver the Moabites into your hand.

19 You shall strike every fortified city and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all springs of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.’”

And ye shall smite every fortified city, and every choice city, and every good tree shall ye fell, and all springs of water shall ye stop, and every good piece of land shall ye spoil with stones.

20 In the morning, about the time of offering the sacrifice, behold, water came by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.

And it came to pass in the morning, at the time when the meat-offering is offered, that, behold, there came water by the way from Edom, and the country was filled with the water.

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

And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they were called together from every one who was girded with a sword, and upward, and they posted themselves on the border.

22 They rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone on the water, and the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood.

And when they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, the Moabites saw the water at a distance as red as blood.

23 They said, “This is blood. The kings are surely destroyed, and they have struck each other. Now therefore, Moab, to the plunder!”

And they said, This is blood; the kings have certainly had a contest among themselves, and they have smitten one another: and now, up to the spoil, Moab.

24 When they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and struck the Moabites, so that they fled before them; and they went forward into the land attacking the Moabites.

But 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 Moabites completely, even in their own country.

25 They beat down the cities; and on every good piece of land each man cast his stone, and filled it. They also stopped all the springs of water and cut down all the good trees, until in Kir Hareseth all they left was its stones; however the men armed with slings went around it and attacked it.

And the cities they pulled down, and into every good piece of land they cast every man his stone, and filled it up, and every spring of water they stopped, and every good tree they felled, until they left only its stones in Kir-chareseth, and this the slingers encompassed and smote it.

26 When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too severe for him, he took with him seven hundred men who drew a sword, to break through to the king of Edom; but they could not.

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

27 Then he took his oldest son who would have reigned in his place, and offered him for a burnt offering on the wall. There was great wrath against Israel; and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.

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