M'lakhim Bet (2 Ki) 3
3
1Y’horam the son of Ach’av began his reign over Isra’el in Shomron during the eighteenth year of Y’hoshafat king of Y’hudah, and he ruled for twelve years. 2He did what was evil from Adonai’s perspective; but he was not as bad as his father and mother, because he got rid of Ba‘al’s standing-stone which his father had made. 3Nevertheless, he clung to the sins of Yarov‘am the son of N’vat, with which he had led Isra’el into sin; he never turned away from them.
4Mesha king of Mo’av was a sheep-breeder, and he used to send the king of Isra’el the wool of 100,000 lambs and of 100,000 rams as tribute. 5But after Ach’av died, the king of Mo’av rebelled against the king of Isra’el. 6Y’horam left Shomron and mustered all Isra’el. 7He also went and sent this word to Y’hoshafat king of Y’hudah: “The king of Mo’av has rebelled against me. Will you join me in attacking Mo’av?” He answered, “I will join in the attack — I’m with you all the way; think of my people and horses as yours. 8Which route should we take?” he added. “The road through the desert of Edom,” answered Y’horam.
9So the king of Isra’el set out, along with the king of Y’hudah and the king of Edom. After a roundabout journey of seven days, there was no water for either the army or the animals following them. 10“This is terrible!” exclaimed the king of Isra’el. “Has Adonai called these three kings together only to hand them over to Mo’av?” 11But Y’hoshafat said, “Isn’t there a prophet of Adonai here through whom we can consult Adonai?” One of the servants of the king of Isra’el answered, “Elisha the son of Shafat is here, the one who used to pour water on Eliyahu’s hands.” 12Y’hoshafat said, “The word of Adonai is with him.” So the king of Isra’el, Y’hoshafat and the king of Edom went down to consult him.
13Elisha said to the king of Isra’el, “What do you and I have in common? Go, consult your father’s prophets and your mother’s prophets!” But the king of Isra’el answered him, “No, because Adonai has called these three kings together to hand them over to Mo’av.” 14Elisha said, “As Adonai-Tzva’ot lives, before whom I stand, if I didn’t respect the fact that Y’hoshafat the king of Y’hudah is here, I wouldn’t even look in your direction or take notice of you. 15But now, bring me a musician.” As the musician played, the hand of Adonai fell on Elisha; 16and he said, “Adonai says to dig until this valley is full of trenches. 17For here is what Adonai says: ‘You won’t see wind, and you won’t see rain. Nevertheless the valley will be filled with water; and you will drink — you, your cattle and your other animals. 18That’s an easy thing to do, from Adonai’s perspective. He will also hand Mo’av over to you. 19You will conquer every fortified city and every choice town, you will chop down every good tree, stop up every well and ruin every good field with stones.” 20The next morning, around the time for making the offering, water came from the direction of Edom, and the countryside was filled with water.
21When all Mo’av heard that the kings had come up to attack them, every man was summoned, from the youngest capable of bearing arms to older ones, and stationed on the border. 22They rose early in the morning, when the sun was shining on the water. Mo’av, when they saw the water in the distance looking as red as blood, 23said, “That’s blood! The kings must have quarreled, and their soldiers killed each other. Mo’av! To the plunder!”
24When they arrived at the camp of Isra’el, Isra’el launched an attack, so that Mo’av fled before them. But they advanced on Mo’av and struck it. 25They made ruins of the cities. Each man threw his stone on every good field, covering it. They stopped up all the wells. They chopped down all the good trees. Finally, all that remained was Kir-Hareset behind its stone wall, with the slingers surrounding and attacking it. 26When the king of Mo’av saw that the fighting was too much for him, he took with him 700 men armed with swords and tried to break through to the king of Edom; but they couldn’t do it. 27Then he took his firstborn son, who was to have succeeded him as king, and offered him as a burnt offering on the wall. Following this, such great anger came upon Isra’el that they left him and went back to their own land.
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Learn More About Complete Jewish Bible2 Kings 3
3
War between Israel and Moab
1In the eighteenth year of the reign of King Jehoshaphat of Judah, Joram son of Ahab became king of Israel, and he ruled in Samaria for twelve years. 2He sinned against the LORD, but he was not as bad as his father or his mother Jezebel; he pulled down the image his father had made for the worship of Baal. 3Yet, like King Jeroboam son of Nebat before him, he led Israel into sin, and would not stop.
4King Mesha of Moab bred sheep, and every year he gave as tribute to the king of Israel 100,000 lambs, and the wool from 100,000 sheep. 5But when King Ahab of Israel died, Mesha rebelled against Israel. 6At once King Joram left Samaria and gathered all his troops. 7He sent word to King Jehoshaphat of Judah: “The king of Moab has rebelled against me; will you join me in war against him?”
“I will,” King Jehoshaphat replied. “I am at your disposal, and so are my men and my horses. 8What route shall we take for the attack?”
“We will go the long way, through the wilderness of Edom,” Joram answered.
9So King Joram and the kings of Judah and Edom set out. After marching for seven days, they ran out of water, and there was none left for the men or the pack animals. 10“We're done for!” King Joram exclaimed. “The LORD has put the three of us at the mercy of the king of Moab!”
11King Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there a prophet here through whom we can consult the LORD?”
An officer of King Joram's forces answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He was Elijah's assistant.”
12“He is a true prophet,” King Jehoshaphat said. So the three kings went to Elisha.
13“Why should I help you?” Elisha said to the king of Israel. “Go and consult those prophets that your father and mother consulted.”
“No!” Joram replied. “It is the LORD who has put us three kings at the mercy of the king of Moab.”
14Elisha answered, “By the living LORD, whom I serve, I swear that I would have nothing to do with you if I didn't respect your ally King Jehoshaphat of Judah. 15Now get me a musician.”
As the musician played his harp, the power of the LORD came on Elisha, 16and he said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Dig ditches all over this dry stream bed. 17Even though you will not see any rain or wind, this stream bed will be filled with water, and you, your livestock, and your pack animals will have plenty to drink.’ ” 18And Elisha continued, “But this is an easy thing for the LORD to do; he will also give you victory over the Moabites. 19You will conquer all their beautiful fortified cities; you will cut down all their fruit trees, stop all their springs, and ruin all their fertile fields by covering them with stones.”
20The next morning, at the time of the regular morning sacrifice, water came flowing from the direction of Edom, and covered the ground.
21When the Moabites heard that the three kings had come to attack them, all the men who could bear arms, from the oldest to the youngest, were called out and stationed at the border. 22When they got up the following morning, the sun was shining on the water, making it look as red as blood. 23“It's blood!” they exclaimed. “The three enemy armies must have fought and killed each other! Let's go and loot their camp!”
24But when they reached the camp, the Israelites attacked them and drove them back. The Israelites kept up the pursuit,#3.24 One ancient translation kept up the pursuit; Hebrew unclear. slaughtering the Moabites 25and destroying their cities. As they passed a fertile field, every Israelite would throw a stone on it until finally all the fields were covered; they also stopped up the springs and cut down the fruit trees. At last only the capital city of Kir Heres#3.25 Probable text only the capital city of Kir Heres; Hebrew unclear. was left, and the slingers surrounded it and attacked it.
26When the king of Moab realized that he was losing the battle, he took 700 swordsmen with him and tried to force his way through the enemy lines and escape to the king of Syria,#3.26 One ancient translation Syria; Hebrew Edom. but he failed. 27So he took his eldest son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him on the city wall as a sacrifice to the god of Moab. The Israelites were terrified#3.27 terrified: either because of what Chemosh, the god of the Moabites, might do, or because of what the LORD, the God of the Israelites, might do. and so they drew back from the city and returned to their own country.
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Good News Bible with Deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.