2 Kings 3:1-23 ▼

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

2 And he did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, though not like his father and his mother; and he took away the sacred pillar of Baal which his father had made.

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

4 Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder and used to pay the king of Israel 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams.

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

6 And King Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time and mustered all Israel.

7 Then he went and sent word to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?” And he said, “I will go up; I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”

8 And he said, “Which way shall we go up?” And he answered, “The way of the wilderness of Edom.”

9 So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom; and they went around on a seven days’ journey, and there was no water for the camp or for the cattle that followed them.

10 Then the king of Israel said, “Alas! For Yahweh has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab.”

11 But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not a prophet of Yahweh here, that we may inquire of Yahweh by him?” And one of the king of Israel’s servants answered and said, “Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.”

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

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

14 And Elisha said, “As Yahweh of hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look at you nor see you.

15 So now bring me a musician.” And it came about, when the musician played, that the hand of Yahweh came upon him.

16 And he said, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘Make this valley full of trenches.’

17 For thus says Yahweh, ‘You shall not see wind nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you shall drink, both you and your livestock and your cattle.

18 And this is but a light thing in the sight of Yahweh; He will also give the Moabites into your hand.

19 Then you shall strike every fortified city and every choice city, and fell every good tree and stop all springs of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.’”

20 Then it happened in the morning about the time of offering the sacrifice, that behold, water came by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.

21 Now all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them. And they summoned all who were able to put on armor and older, and they stood on the border.

22 Then they rose early in the morning, and the sun shone on the water, and the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood.

23 Then they said, “This is blood; the kings have surely fought together, and they have struck down one another. So now, Moab, to the spoil!”