2 Kings 3
3
Joram Meets Moab in Battle
1Now Joram the son of Ahab had become king over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. He reigned twelve years 2and did evil in the eyes of Yahweh, yet not as his father or his mother, as he removed the stone pillars of Baal that his father had made. 3But he did cling to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who caused Israel to sin, and he did not depart from it.
4Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder, and he used to deliver to the king of Israel a hundred thousand male lambs and a hundred thousand wool rams. 5It happened that when Ahab died, Mesha king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. 6So King Joram went out on that day from Samaria, and he mustered all of Israel. 7He went and sent a message to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, saying, “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me against Moab for the battle?” And he said, “I will go up. I am like you;#Literally “Like I am, like you are” my people are like your people;#Literally “like my people, like your people” my horses are like your horses.”#Literally “like my horses, like your horses” 8Then he said, “Which way shall we go up?” And he answered, “By way of the wilderness of Edom.”
9So the king of Israel and the king of Judah and the king of Edom went around, a way of seven days, but there was no water for the army or for the animals which were with them.#Literally “were at their feet” 10Then the king of Israel said, “Aha, Yahweh has called for these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab.” 11Then Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of Yahweh here that we might inquire guidance from Yahweh?” One of the servants of the king of Israel answered and said, “Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.”#That is, Elisha had served Elijah 12Jehoshaphat said, “The word of Yahweh is with him.” So the king of Israel, Jehoshaphat, and the king of Edom went down to him.
13Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What do we have in common?#Literally “What to me and what for you” Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother.” Then the king of Israel said to him, “No, for Yahweh has called for these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab.” 14Then Elisha said, “As Yahweh of hosts lives,#Literally “The life of Yahweh of hosts” before whom I stand, surely if I was not regarding the face#Or “lifting the face” of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would have not looked at you nor even glanced at you. 15But now, bring me a musician.” It happened that at the moment the musician played, the hand of Yahweh came upon him. 16He said, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘Make this wadi full of cisterns,’#Literally “cisterns, cisterns” 17for thus says Yahweh, ‘You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this wadi will be full of water; and you and all of your livestock and your animals shall drink.’ 18And since this is too trivial in the eyes of Yahweh, he will also give Moab into your hand, 19and you shall defeat every fortified city, every choice city, and you shall fell every good tree. All of the springs of water you shall stop up, and every tract of good land you shall ruin with the stones.” 20It happened in the morning about the time of the morning offering, that water was suddenly coming from the direction of Edom and the land was filled with water.
21Now all of Moab had heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, and all who were fighting age and up#Literally “who girded on a belt and above” were called up, and they stood at the border. 22When they arose early in the morning, the sun shone on the waters, and Moab saw the waters from the opposite side as red as blood. 23Then they said, “This is blood! Certainly the kings have fought one another, and each has killed his neighbor. Now, to the war booty, O Moab!” 24But when they came to the camp of Israel, Israel stood up and killed Moab, so that they fled from before them. They came at her and defeated Moab. 25The cities they tore down, on every good tract of land they threw stones until it was filled up, every spring of water they stopped up, and every good tree they felled. They let the stone walls at Kir Hareseth remain, but the slingers surrounded and attacked it. 26When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too heavy for him, he took with him seven hundred men who drew the sword to break through to the king of Edom, but they were not able. 27He took his firstborn son who was to become king in his place and offered him as a burnt offering on the wall. Great wrath came upon Israel, and they withdrew from him and returned to the land.
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2 Kings 3: LEB
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