2 Kings Chapter THREE

3 As for Jehoram the son of Ahab, he became king over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, and he continued to reign for twelve years. 2 And he kept on doing what was bad in Jehovah's eyes, only not like his father or like his mother, but he removed the sacred pillar of Baal that his father had made. 3 Only he stuck to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he caused Israel to sin. He did not depart from them. 4 As regards Mesha the king of Moab, he became a sheep raiser, and he paid to the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs and a hundred thousand unshorn male sheep. 5 And it came about that as soon as Ahab died, the king of Moab began to revolt against the king of Israel. 6 Consequently King Jehoram went out on that day from Samaria and mustered all Israel. 7 He went farther and now sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying: The king of Moab himself has revolted against me. Will you go with me to Moab in war?" To this he said: "I shall go. I am the same as you are; my people are the same as your people, my horses are the same as your horses." 8 And he went on to say: "By which particular way shall we go up?" So he said: "By the way of the wilderness of Edom. 9 And the king of Isael and the king of Judah and the king of Edom proceeded to go, and they kept going their way around for seven days, and there proved to be no water for the camp and for the domestic animals that were following their steps. 10 At length the king of Israel said: "How unfortunate that Jehovah has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab!" 11 At that Jehoshaphat said: "Is there not here a prophet of Jehovah? Then let us inquire of Jehovah through him." So one of the servants of the king of Israel answered and said: "There is here Elisha the son of Shaphat, who poured out water upon the hands of Elijah." 12 Then Jehoshaphat said: "The word of Jehovah exists with him." Accordingly the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him. 13 And Elisha proceeded to say to the king of Israel: "What do I have to do with you? So to the prophets of your fater and to the prophets of your mother." But the king of Israel said to him: "No, for Jehovah has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab." 14 To this Elisha said: "As Jehovah of armies before whom I do stand is living, if it were not that it is the face of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah for which I am having consideration, I would not look at you or see you. 15 And now you men fetch me a string-instrument player." And it occurred that, as soon as the string-instrument player played, the hand of Jehovah came to be upon him. 16 And he went on to say: "This is what Jehovah has said, 'Let there be a making of this torrent valley full of ditches; 17 for this is what Jehovah has said: "You men will not see a wind, and you will not see a downpour; yet that torrent valley will be filled with water, and you men will certainly drink [from it], you and your livestock and your domestic animals." 18 And this will indeed be a trivial thing in the eyes of Jehovah, and he will certainly give Moab into your hand. 19 And you must strike down every fortified city and every choice city, and every good tree you should fell, and all the springs of water you should stop up, and every good tract of land you should mar with stones." 20 And it came about in the morning, at the time of the going up of the grain offering, that, look! water was coming from the direction of Edom, and the land came to be filled with the water. 21 As regards all the Moabites, they heard that the kings had come up to fight against them. Consequently they called together [men] from as many as were girding on a belt and upward, and they began standing at the boundary. 22 When they go up early in the morning, the sun itself flashed upon the water, so that the Moabites from the opposite side saw the water red like blood. 23 And they began to say: "This is blood! The kings have unquestionably been put to the sword, and they went striking one another down. So now, to the spoil, O Moab!" 24 When they came into the camp of Israel, the Israelites immediately rose up and began striking the Moabites down so that they took to flight from before them. Hence they came into Moab, striking the Moabites down as they came. 25 And the cities they went throwing down, and, as for every good tract of land, they would pitch each one his stone and actually fill it; and every spring of water they would stop up, and every good tree they would fell, until they left only the stones of Kirhareseth remaining in it; and the slingers began going around it and striking it down. 26 When the king of Moab saw that the battle had proved too strong for him, he at once took with him seven hundred men drawing sword to break through to the king of Edom; but they were not able to. 27 Finally he took his firstborn son who was going to reign in place of him and offered him up as a burnt sacrifice upon the wall. And there came to be great indignation against Israel, so that they pulled away from against him and returned to their land.