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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Melaḵim Bĕt (2 Kings) 3
3
1And Yehoram son of Aḥaḇ began to reign over Yisra’ĕl at Shomeron in the eighteenth year of Yehoshaphat sovereign of Yehuḏah, and reigned twelve years.
2And he did evil in the eyes of יהוה, but not like his father and mother; for he removed the statue of Ba‛al which his father had made.
3But he clung to the sins of Yaroḇ‛am son of Neḇat, who had made Yisra’ĕl sin. He did not turn away from them.
4And Mĕysha sovereign of Mo’aḇ was a sheep-breeder, and he paid the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl one hundred thousand lambs and the wool of one hundred thousand rams.
5And it came to be, when Aḥaḇ died, that the sovereign of Mo’aḇ revolted against the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl.
6And Sovereign Yehoram went out of Shomeron at that time and mustered all Yisra’ĕl.
7And he went and sent to Yehoshaphat sovereign of Yehuḏah, saying, “The sovereign of Mo’aḇ has revolted against me. Do you go with me to fight against Mo’aḇ?” And he said, “I go up. I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”
8And he said, “Which way do we go up?” And he said, “By way of the Wilderness of Eḏom.”
9And the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl went, and the sovereign of Yehuḏah and the sovereign of Eḏom, and went round a journey of seven days. And there was no water for the army, nor for the cattle that followed them.
10And the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl said, “What? Has יהוה called these three sovereigns to give them into the hand of Mo’aḇ.”
11And Yehoshaphat said, “Is there no prophet of יהוה here? Then let us inquire of יהוה through him.” One of the servants of the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl then answered and said, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here, who poured water out on the hands of Ěliyahu.”
12And Yehoshaphat said, “The word of יהוה is with him.” And the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl and Yehoshaphat and the sovereign of Eḏom went down to him.
13And Elisha said to the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl, “What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.” And the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl said to him, “No, for יהוה has called these three sovereigns to give them into the hand of Mo’aḇ.”
14And Elisha said, “As יהוה of hosts lives, before whom I stand, if it were not that I regard the presence of Yehoshaphat sovereign of Yehuḏah, I would not look at you nor see you.
15“And now, bring me a harpist.” And it came to be, when the harpist played, that the hand of יהוה came upon him.
16And he said, “Thus said יהוה, ‘Make this wadi ditches – ditches.’
17“For thus said יהוה, ‘You are not going to see wind, nor rain. Yet that wadi is to be filled with water, so that you, your cattle, and your beasts shall drink.’
18“And this shall be but a light matter in the eyes of יהוה. And He shall give Mo’aḇ into your hand.
19“And you shall strike every walled city and every choice city, and shall cut down every good tree, and stop up every fountain of water, and ruin every good piece of land with stones.”
20And it came to be in the morning, when the grain offering was offered, that see, water came by way of Eḏom, and the land was filled with water.
21And when all Mo’aḇ heard that the sovereigns had come up to fight against them, all who were able to bear arms and older were gathered, and they stood at the border.
22And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun was shining on the water. And the Mo’aḇites saw the water on the other side as red as blood.
23And they said, “This is blood. The sovereigns have indeed struck swords and have killed one another. And now, Mo’aḇ, to the spoil!”
24And they came to the camp of Yisra’ĕl, and Yisra’ĕl rose up and struck the Mo’aḇites, so that they fled before them. And striking they struck the Mo’aḇites.
25And they broke down the cities, and each man threw a stone on every good piece of land and filled it. And they stopped up all the fountains of water and cut down all the good trees, until only the stones of Qir Ḥaraseth was left. And the slingers went round and struck it.
26And when the sovereign of Mo’aḇ saw that the battle was too strong for him, he took with him seven hundred men who drew swords, to break through to the sovereign of Eḏom, but they could not,
27then took his eldest son who would have reigned in his place, and offered him as an ascending offering upon the wall. And there was great wrath against Yisra’ĕl. And they left him and returned to the land.
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