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 what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, but not like his father and mother, for he removed the sacred pillar of Baal that his father had made.

3Yet he held on to the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them.

4Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder, and he used to pay the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs and the wool of a hundred thousand 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 has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?” He said, “I will go. I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”

8Then he asked, “Which way should we go up?” Jehoram answered, “By way of the wilderness of Edom.”

9So the king of Israel set out with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. After they had made a roundabout march of seven days, there was no water for the army or for the animals that were with them.

10The king of Israel said, “Oh no! Yahweh has called these three kings together to hand them over to Moab!”

11But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there no prophet of Yahweh here, through whom we may consult Yahweh?” One of the servants of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here, who used to pour water on Elijah’s hands.”

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

13Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What do you want with me? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.” But the king of Israel said to him, “No, for Yahweh has called these three kings together to hand them over to Moab.”

14Elisha said, “As Yahweh of Armies lives, before whom I stand, if I did not respect the presence of 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 Yahweh came upon Elisha,

16and he said, “This is what Yahweh says: Dig this valley full of trenches.

17For this is what Yahweh says: You will not see wind or see rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you will drink, you and your cattle and your other animals.

18This is an easy thing in the sight of Yahweh; he will also hand Moab over to you.

19You will strike every fortified city and every choice city. You will cut down every good tree, stop up all the springs of water, and ruin every good field with stones.”

20The next morning, at the time the grain offering is presented, 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 up to fight against them. So everyone old enough to put on a sword belt, and older, was called out, and they took their stand at the border.

22When they got up early in the morning, the sun was shining on the water, and to the Moabites across the way the water looked red as blood.

23They said, “This is blood! The kings have surely fought one another, and each has struck down the other. Now to the plunder, Moab!”

24But when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and struck the Moabites, who fled before them. The Israelites went on striking the land, cutting down Moab.

25They tore down the cities, and each man threw a stone onto every good field until it was covered. They stopped up every spring of water and cut down every good tree. Only in Kir-hareseth were its stones left standing, but the slingers surrounded it and attacked 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.

27Then he took his firstborn son, who was to reign in his place, and offered him as a burnt offering on the city wall. Great wrath came upon Israel, so they withdrew from him and returned to their own land.