2 Kings 3:12-27 ▼

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

13 And Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What is to me and to 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 YHWH has called these three kings to deliver them into the hand of Moab.”

14 And Elisha said, “As YHWH of Hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely unless I am lifting up the face of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you or see you.

15 And bring me a harpist.” And it came to pass, at the playing of the harpist, that the hand of YHWH came upon him.

16 And he said, “Thus says YHWH, ‘Make this valley of pits and pits.’

17 For thus says YHWH, ‘You? shall not see wind, nor shall you? see rain, and that valley shall be filled with water so that you? may drink—you? and your? cattle and your? animals.’

18 And this is slight in the eyes of YHWH, and He will deliver the Moabites into your? hands.

19 And you? will strike every fortified city and every choice city, and every good tree you? will cut down, and every spring of water you? will stop up, and every good piece of the land you? will ruin with stones.”

20 And it came to pass in the morning at the ascending of the grain offering, that, behold, waters were coming from the way of Edom, and the land was filled with the waters.

21 And all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, and they were called together from everyone girding a belt and older, and they stood at the border.

22 And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun was shining on the waters. And the Moabites saw on the other side the waters, as red as blood.

23 And they said, “This is blood! The kings have been utterly destroyed, and they have struck one another. And now to the spoil, Moab!”

24 And when they came to the camp of Israel, Israel rose up and struck Moab so that they fled before them. And they came into it and struck down the Moabites.

25 And they tore down the cities, and on every good piece of land threw each man a stone and filled it. And all the springs of water they stopped up, and all the good trees they cut down. Yet they left the stones in Kir-haraseth, and the slingers surrounded it and attacked it.

26 And the king of Moab saw that the battle was too fierce for him, and he took with him seven hundred men who drew swords to break through to the king of Edom; and they were not able.

27 And he took his eldest son who would have reigned in his place, and he lifted him up as a burnt offering upon the wall. And there was great indignation against Israel, and they departed from him and returned to the land.