II Kings 3

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

²And he wrought evil in the sight of the Lord; but not like his father, and like his mother: for he put away the image of Baal that his father had made.

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

⁴And Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered unto the king of Israel an hundred thousand lambs, and an hundred thousand rams, with the wool.

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

⁶And king Jehoram went out of Samaria the same time, and numbered all Israel.

⁷And 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, and my horses as thy horses.

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

⁹So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom: and they fetched a compass of seven days’ journey: and there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that followed them.

¹⁰And the king of Israel said, Alas! that the Lord hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab!

¹¹But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may enquire of the Lord by him? And one of the king of Israel’s servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah.

¹²And 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.

¹³And 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.

¹⁴And 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.

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

¹⁶And he said, Thus saith the Lord, Make this valley full of ditches.

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

¹⁸And this is but a light thing in the sight of the Lord: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.

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

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

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

²²And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood:

²³And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.

²⁴And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them: but they went forward smiting the Moabites, even in their country.

²⁵And they beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the wells of water, and felled all the good trees: only in Kir–haraseth left they the stones thereof; howbeit the slingers went about it, and smote it.

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

²⁷Then he took 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 own land.

II Kings 3

¹And Jehoram son of Ahab hath reigned over Israel, in Samaria, in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigneth twelve years,

²and doth the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, only not like his father, and like his mother, and he turneth aside the standing-pillar of Baal that his father made;

³only to the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat that he caused Israel to sin he hath cleaved, he hath not turned aside from it.

⁴And Mesha king of Moab was a sheep-master, and he rendered to the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs, and a hundred thousand rams, with wool,

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

⁶And king Jehoram goeth out in that day from Samaria, and inspecteth all Israel,

⁷and goeth and sendeth unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, saying, `The king of Moab hath transgressed against me; dost thou go with me unto Moab for battle?' and he saith, `I go up, as I, so thou; as my people, so thy people; as my horses, so thy horses.

⁸And he saith, `Where is thisthe way we go up?' and he saith, `The way of the wilderness of Edom.'

⁹And the king of Israel goeth, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom, and they turn round the way seven days, and there hath been no water for the camp, and for the cattle that are at their feet,

¹⁰and the king of Israel saith, `Alas, for Jehovah hath called for these three kings, to give them into the hand of Moab.'

¹¹And Jehoshaphat saith, `Is there not here a prophet of Jehovah, and we seek Jehovah by him?' And one of the servants of the king of Israel answereth and saith, `Here is Elisha son of Shaphat, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.'

¹²And Jehoshaphat saith, `The word of Jehovah is with him;' and go down unto him do the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, and the king of Edom.

¹³And Elisha saith unto the king of Israel, `Whatto me and to thee? go unto the prophets of thy father, and unto the prophets of thy mother;' and the king of Israel saith to him, `Nay, for Jehovah hath called for these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab.'

¹⁴And Elisha saith, `Jehovah of Hosts liveth, before whom I have stood; for unless the face of Jehoshaphat king of Judah I am lifting up, I do not look unto thee, nor see thee;

¹⁵and now, bring to me a minstrel; and it hath been, at the playing of the minstrel, that the hand of Jehovah is on him,

¹⁶and he saith, `Thus said Jehovah, Make this valley ditchesditches;

¹⁷for thus said Jehovah, Ye do not see wind, nor do ye see rain, and that valley is full of water, and ye have drunkye, and your cattle, and your beasts.

¹⁸`And this hath been light in the eyes of Jehovah, and he hath given Moab into your hand,

¹⁹and ye have smitten every fenced city, and every choice city, and every good tree ye cause to fall, and all fountains of waters ye stop, and every good portion ye mar with stones.'

²⁰And it cometh to pass in the morning, at the ascending of the morning -present, that lo, waters are coming in from the way of Edom, and the land is filled with the waters,

²¹and all Moab have heard that the kings have come up to fight against them, and they are called together, from every one girding on a girdle and upward, and they stand by the border.

²²And they rise early in the morning, and the sun hath shone on the waters, and the Moabites see, from over-against, the waters red as blood,

²³and say, `Blood this is ; the kings have been surely destroyed, and they smite each his neighbour; and now for spoil, Moab!'

²⁴And they come in unto the camp of Israel, and the Israelites rise, and smite the Moabites, and they flee from their face; and they enter into Moab, so as to smite Moab,

²⁵and the cities they break down, and on every good portion they cast each his stone, and have filled it, and every fountain of water they stop, and every good tree they cause to falltill one had left its stones in Kir-Haraseth, and the slingers go round and smite it.

²⁶And the king of Moab seeth that the battle has been too strong for him, and he taketh with him seven hundred men, drawing sword, to cleave through unto the king of Edom, and they have not been able,

²⁷and he taketh his son, the first-born who reigneth in his stead, and causeth him to ascenda burnt-offering on the wall, and there is great wrath against Israel, and they journey from off him, and turn back to the land.