2 Kings 3

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

² He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, though not like his father and his mother, for he removed the sacred pillar of Baal that his father had made.

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

⁴ Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder, and he used to deliver to the king of Israel one hundred thousand lambs and the wool of one hundred thousand rams.

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

⁶ So King Jehoram went out from Samaria at that time and mustered all Israel.

⁷ He went and sent word to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, saying, "The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to battle against Moab?" He said, "I will go up. I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses."

⁸ He asked, "By which way shall we go up?" He answered, "By way of the wilderness of Edom."

⁹ So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. They made a circuitous march of seven days, and there was no water for the army or for the animals that followed them.

¹⁰ The king of Israel said, "Alas! The LORD has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab."

¹¹ But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there no prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of the LORD through him?" One of the servants of the king of Israel answered, "Elisha son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah."

¹² 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.

¹³ Elisha said to the king of Israel, "What do I have to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother." But the king of Israel said to him, "No, for the LORD has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab."

¹⁴ Elisha said, "As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I respect the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you or notice you."

¹⁵ "But now, bring me a musician." When the musician played, the hand of the LORD came upon him.

¹⁶ He said, "This is what the LORD says: 'Make this valley full of ditches.'"

¹⁷ "For this is what the LORD says: 'You will not see wind and you will not see rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you will drink—you, your livestock, and your animals.'"

¹⁸ "This is easy in the sight of the LORD. He will also give Moab into your hand."

¹⁹ "You will strike every fortified city and every choice city. You will fell every good tree and stop up every spring of water. You will ruin every good piece of land with stones."

²⁰ In the morning, about the time of the offering, water suddenly came from the direction of Edom, and the land was filled with water.

²¹ Now all Moab had heard that the kings had come up to fight against them. They mobilized everyone who could strap on a belt and older, and they stood at the border.

²² They rose early in the morning, and the sun shone on the water. The Moabites saw the water across from them as red as blood.

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

²⁴ But when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and struck the Moabites, who fled before them. They went forward, striking Moab as they went.

²⁵ They tore down the cities, and on every good piece of land each man threw a stone until it was covered. They stopped up every spring of water and felled every good tree, until only the stones of Kir-hareseth remained, and the slingers surrounded it and attacked it.

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

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