2 Kings 3
3
King Joram of Israel
1Joram,#3:1 In the Masoretic Text this king of Israel is also called Jehoram, a longer form of Joram. son of Ahab, became king of Israel in Samaria during Jehoshaphat’s eighteenth year as king of Judah. He ruled for 12 years. 2He did what the Lord considered evil, but he didn’t do what his father or mother had done. He put away the sacred stone that his father had set up and dedicated to Baal. 3But he would not give up the sins that Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) led Israel to commit. Joram would not turn away from those sins.
King Mesha of Moab Defeated
4King Mesha of Moab raised sheep. ⌞Each year⌟ he had to pay the king of Israel 100,000 male lambs and the wool from 100,000 rams. 5But when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the ⌞new⌟ king of Israel. 6King Joram immediately left Samaria to prepare Israel’s army for war. 7He sent this message to King Jehoshaphat of Judah: “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you fight Moab with me?”
Jehoshaphat answered, “I’ll go. I will do what you do. My troops will do what your troops do. My horses will do what your horses do.”
8Joram asked, “Which road should we take?”
Jehoshaphat answered, “The road through the desert of Edom.”
9So the king of Israel, the king of Judah, and the king of Edom took an indirect route ⌞to Moab⌟. After seven days they ran out of water for the army and the animals. 10The king of Israel said, “Oh no! The Lord has put the three of us at the mercy of ⌞the people of⌟ Moab.”
11But Jehoshaphat asked, “Isn’t there a prophet of the Lord whom we could ask?”
One of the officials of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha, the son of Shaphat, is here. He used to be Elijah’s assistant.” #3:11 Or “He used to pour water on Elijah’s hands.”
12Jehoshaphat said, “The Lord’s word is with him.” So King Jehoshaphat of Judah, the king of Israel, and the king of Edom went to Elisha.
13Elisha asked the king of Israel, “Why did you come to me? Go to your father’s prophets or your mother’s prophets.”
The king of Israel answered him, “No. The Lord has called the three of us in order to put us at Moab’s mercy.”
14Elisha answered, “I solemnly swear, as the Lord of Armies whom I serve lives, I wouldn’t even bother to look at you or notice you if it weren’t for my respect for King Jehoshaphat of Judah. 15But get me someone to play some music.”
While the musician was playing, the Lord’s power came over Elisha. 16He said, “This is what the Lord says: Make this valley full of ditches. 17You will not see wind or rain, but this valley will be filled with water. You, your cattle, and your other animals will drink. 18The Lord considers that an easy thing to do. In addition, he will put Moab at your mercy. 19You will defeat every walled city and every important city. You will cut down every good tree, seal all the wells, and use rocks to ruin every good piece of land.”
20That is what happened in the morning. At the time of the grain offering, water flowed from Edom and filled the countryside.
21All the people of Moab heard that the kings had come to fight them. So all men old enough to bear arms were called to fight. They stood at the border. 22When the Moabites got up early in the morning as the sun was rising over the water, they saw the water from a distance. It was as red as blood. 23They said, “It’s blood! The kings have been fighting one another and have killed each other. Now, Moabites, let’s take their goods!”
24So when the Moabites came to Israel’s camp, the Israelites attacked them, and they fled from the Israelites. Israel went after the Moabites and defeated them. 25Then Israel tore down the cities, each man throwing rocks on every good field until it was covered. They sealed every well and cut down every good tree. Only the stones ⌞in the walls⌟ of Kir Hareseth were left. Soldiers surrounded Kir Hareseth and attacked it with slings and stones. 26When the king of Moab saw he was losing the battle, he took 700 swordsmen to try to break through to the king of Edom. But they couldn’t do it. 27Then he took his firstborn son, who would have succeeded him as king, and sacrificed him on the wall as a burnt offering. There was bitter anger against the Israelites. So they went home to their own country.
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
2 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.