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.
