2 Kings 3

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

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

3Yet he clung to the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who made Israel sin; he did not turn from them.

4Mesha, king of Moab, was a sheepmaster, and he paid Israel's king the wool of a hundred thousand lambs and a hundred thousand rams.

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

6King Jehoram set out from Samaria that day and mustered all Israel.

7He went and sent to Jehoshaphat 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."

8He said, "Which is the way we shall go up?" He replied, "The way through Edom's wilderness."

9The king of Israel set out with the king of Judah and the king of Edom, and they took a circuitous route of seven days, but no water was available for the camp or the livestock following them.

10The king of Israel said, "Alas! For Yahweh has called these three kings to hand them into Moab's grasp."

11Jehoshaphat said, "Isn't there a prophet of Yahweh here, through whom we can seek Yahweh?" One of Israel's king's servants answered, "Elisha son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on Elijah's hands."

12Jehoshaphat said, "Yahweh's word is with him." The king of Israel, Jehoshaphat, and the king of Edom went down to him.

13Elisha said to the king of Israel, "What is there between me and you? Go to your father's prophets and to your mother's prophets." The king of Israel said to him, "No, for Yahweh has called these three kings to put them in the hand of Moab.

14Elisha said, "As Yahweh of hosts lives, before whom I stand, if not for the respect I bear toward Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look upon you or see you."

15Now bring me a harpist. When the harpist played, the hand of Yahweh came upon him.

16He said, "Thus says Yahweh, Make this valley full of trenches."

17For thus says Yahweh: You will not see wind, nor rain; that valley, however, will fill with water, and you will drink—you, your cattle, and your beasts.

18This is easy in the sight of Yahweh; he will deliver Moab into your hands.

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

20In the morning, when the offering ascended, water suddenly came by the way of Edom, and the land was filled with water.

21All the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, and they gathered all who could gird on armor from below upward, and stood on the border.

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

23They said, "This is blood. The kings are destroyed, and each man has struck his companion. Now therefore, Moab, to the plunder!"

24When they came to Israel's camp, Israel rose up and struck Moab, so they fled before them; but they advanced into the land, striking Moab.

25They tore down the cities, and on every good field each man hurled his stone and filled it; they stopped up all the springs of water and felled all the good trees, until they left its stones in the wall of Kir Hareseth; however, the slingers went around it and struck it.

26When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too strong for him, he took seven hundred swordsmen with him to break through to the king of Edom, but they could not.

27He took his firstborn son, who would reign after him, and burned him as an offering on the wall. Great indignation arose against Israel, and they withdrew from him and returned to the land.