Chapter 3
1 Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah , and reigned twelve years .
2 He did that which was evil in Yahweh ’s sight , but not like his father and like his mother, for he put away the pillar of Baal that his father had made .
3 Nevertheless he held to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat , with which he made Israel to sin . He didn’t depart from them .
4 Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder ; and he supplied the king of Israel with one hundred thousand lambs and the wool of one hundred thousand rams .
5 But when Ahab was dead , the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel .
6 King Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time , and mustered all Israel .
7 He went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah , saying, " The king of Moab has rebelled against me . Will you go with me against Moab to battle ?" He said, " I will go up . I am as you are , my people as your people , my horses as your horses ."
8 Then he said, " Which way shall we go up ?" Jehoram 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 marched for seven days along a circuitous route . There was no water for the army or for the animals that followed them .
10 The king of Israel said , "Alas! For Yahweh has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab ."
11 But Jehoshaphat said , "Isn’t there a prophet of Yahweh here , that we may inquire of Yahweh by him ?" One of the king of Israel ’s servants answered , "Elisha the son of Shaphat , who poured water on the hands of Elijah, is here ."
12 Jehoshaphat said , " Yahweh ’s word 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 have I to do with you ? Go to the prophets of your father, and to the prophets of your mother." The king of Israel said to him , " No , for Yahweh has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab ."
14 Elisha said, " As Yahweh of Armies lives , before whom I stand , surely , were it not that I respect the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah , I would not look toward you , nor see you .
15 But now bring me a musician ." When the musician played , Yahweh ’s hand came on him .
16 He said, " Yahweh says , ‘ Make this valley full of trenches .’
17 For Yahweh says , ‘ You will not see wind , neither will you see rain , yet that valley will be filled with water , and you will drink , both you and your livestock and your other animals.
18 This is an easy thing in Yahweh ’s sight . He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand .
19 You shall strike every fortified city and every choice city , and shall fell every good tree , and stop all springs of water , and mar every good piece of land with stones.’"
20 In the morning , about the time of offering the sacrifice , behold , water came by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water .
21 Now when all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them , they gathered themselves together , all who were able to put on armor , young and old , and stood on the border .
22 They rose up early in the morning , and the sun shone on the water , and the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood .
23 They said, " This is blood . The kings are surely destroyed , and they have struck each other . Now therefore , Moab , to the plunder !"
24 When they came to the camp of Israel , the Israelites rose up and struck the Moabites , so that they fled before them ; and they went forward into the land attacking the Moabites .
25 They beat down the cities ; and on every good piece of land each man cast his stone, and filled it . They also stopped all the springs of water and cut down all the good trees , until in Kir Hareseth all they left was its stones; however the men armed with slings went around it and attacked it .
26 When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too severe for him , he took with him seven hundred men who drew a sword , to break through to the king of Edom; but they could not .
27 Then he took his oldest son who would have reigned in his place , and offered him for a burnt offering on the wall . There was great wrath against Israel ; and they departed from him , and returned to their own land.