“1 Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria
the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve
years. 2 And he wrought evil in the sight of the LORD; but not like his
father, and like his mother: for he put away the image of Baal that his
father had made. 3 Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the
son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom. 4 And
Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered unto the king of
Israel an hundred thousand lambs, and an hundred thousand rams, with the
wool. 5 But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab
rebelled against the king of Israel.”
“6 And king Jehoram went out of Samaria the same time, and numbered
all Israel. 7 And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah,
saying, The king of Moab hath rebelled against me: wilt thou go with me
against Moab to battle? And he said, I will go up: I [am] as thou [art],
my people as thy people, [and] my horses as thy horses. 8 And he said,
Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the
wilderness of Edom. 9 So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah,
and the king of Edom: and they fetched a compass of seven days’ journey:
and there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that followed
them. 10 And the king of Israel said, Alas! that the LORD hath called
these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab! 11
But Jehoshaphat said, [Is there] not here a prophet of the LORD, that we
may enquire of the LORD by him? And one of the king of Israel’s servants
answered and said, Here [is] Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured
water on the hands of Elijah. 12 And 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 And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What
have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to
the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay:
for the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them
into the hand of Moab. 14 And Elisha said, [As] the LORD of hosts liveth,
before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of
Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see
thee. 15 But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the
minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him. 16 And he
said, Thus saith the LORD, Make this valley full of ditches. 17 For thus
saith the LORD, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet
that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and
your cattle, and your beasts. 18 And this is [but] a light thing in the
sight of the LORD: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand. 19
And ye shall smite every fenced city, and every choice city, and shall
fell every good tree, and stop all wells of water, and mar every good
piece of land with stones.”
“20 And it came to pass in the morning, when the meat offering was
offered, that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the
country was filled with water. 21 And when all the Moabites heard that
the kings were come up to fight against them, they gathered all that
were able to put on armour, and upward, and stood in the border. 22 And
they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and
the Moabites saw the water on the other side [as] red as blood: 23 And
they said, This [is] blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have
smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil. 24 And when they
came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the
Moabites, so that they fled before them: but they went forward smiting
the Moabites, even in [their] country. 25 And they beat down the cities,
and on every good piece of land cast every man his stone, and filled it;
and they stopped all the wells of water, and felled all the good trees:
only in Kirharaseth left they the stones thereof; howbeit the slingers
went about [it], and smote it. 26 And when the king of Moab saw that the
battle was too sore for him, he took with him seven hundred men that
drew swords, to break through [even] unto the king of Edom: but they
could not. 27 Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in
his stead, and offered him [for] a burnt offering upon the wall. And
there was great indignation against Israel: and they departed from him,
and returned to [their own] land.” (2 Kings 3:1-27 AV)
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