2 Reyes 3

Jehoram king of Israel

¹In the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Jehoram son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned twelve years.^{a 2}He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, though not like his father and mother. He removed the standing stone of Baal that his father had made. ³Yet he held on to the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, by which he led Israel to sin; he did not turn away from them.

War against Moab

⁴Mesha king of Moab raised sheep, and he used to pay the king of Israel 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams. ⁵But when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. ⁶So at that time King Jehoram marched out of Samaria and mustered all Israel. ⁷He also sent word to Jehoshaphat king of Judah. “The king of Moab,” he said, “has rebelled against me. Will you join me in battle against Moab?” Jehoshaphat answered, “I will go. I am as you are, my troops are as your troops, my horses as your horses.” ⁸Then he asked, “By which route shall we attack?” He answered, “By the road through the wilderness of Edom.” ⁹So the king of Israel set out with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. After a roundabout march of seven days, there was no water left for the army or for the animals that followed them. ¹⁰The king of Israel said, “How terrible! The LORD has called these three kings together to hand them over to Moab.” ¹¹But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the LORD here, through whom we can inquire of the LORD?” One of the king of Israel’s officials answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here, the man who used to pour water on Elijah’s hands.” ¹²Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the LORD is with him.” Then the king of Israel went down to him, with Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom. ¹³Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What do you and I have to do with each other? Go to your father’s prophets and your mother’s prophets.” But the king of Israel said to him, “No, for the LORD has called these three kings together to hand them over to Moab.” ¹⁴Elisha said, “As surely as the LORD of Armies lives, whom I serve, if I did not respect Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you or even notice you. ¹⁵But now bring me a musician.” While the musician was playing, the hand of the LORD came on Elisha. ¹⁶Then he said, “The LORD says this: ‘Dig ditch after ditch in this streambed.’^{b 17}For the LORD says this: ‘You will see no wind and no rain, yet that streambed will fill with water, and you will drink, you and your livestock and your pack animals.’ ¹⁸This is only a small thing in the sight of the LORD; he will also hand Moab over to you. ¹⁹You will strike down every fortified town and every major town. You will cut down every good tree, block every spring of water, and ruin every good field with stones.” ²⁰The next morning, about the time of the morning offering, water suddenly came flowing from the direction of Edom, and the land was filled with water. ²¹Meanwhile all Moab had heard that the kings had come to fight against them. Everyone old enough to put on a sword belt, and older, was called out, and they took up positions at the border. ²²Early in the morning they got up, and the sun was shining on the water. To the Moabites facing it, the water looked as red as blood. ²³They said, “This is blood! The kings must have fought one another and killed each other. Now, Moab, to the plunder!” ²⁴But when the Moabites reached the camp of Israel, the Israelites sprang up and attacked them, and they fled. The Israelites pushed on into the land, striking down the Moabites.^{c 25}They tore down the towns, and each man threw a stone on every good field until it was covered. They blocked every spring of water and cut down every good tree. At last only Kir-hareseth was left with its stones standing, and the slingers surrounded it and attacked it.^{d 26}When the king of Moab saw that the battle was going against him, he took with him 700 swordsmen to try to break through to the king of Edom, but they failed. ²⁷Then he took his firstborn son, who was to become king after him, and offered him as a burnt offering on the wall. And great wrath came against Israel, so they withdrew from him and returned to their own land.^e