« | 2 Kings 3 | » |
1 Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign in Israel in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned twelve years.
2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, only not as his father, nor as his mother; and he removed the pillars of Baal which his father had made.
3 Only he adhered to the sin of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin; he departed not from it.
4 And Mesha king of Moab was a sheepbreeder, and he rendered to the king of Israel in the beginning [of the year], a hundred thousand lambs, and a hundred thousand rams, with the wool.
5 And it came to pass, after the death of Ahab, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.
6 And King Jehoram went forth in that day out of Samaria, and numbered Israel.
7 And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab has rebelled against me: will you go with me against Moab to war? And he said, I will go up: you are as I [am], [and] I am as you; as my people, so [are] your people, as my horses, so [are] your horses.
8 And he said, What way shall I go up? And he said, The way of the Wilderness of Edom.
9 And the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom; and they marched on that roundabout route for seven days; and there was no water for the army, and for the cattle that went with them.
10 And the king of Israel said, Alas! That the Lord should have called the three kings on their way, to give them into the hand of Moab.
11 And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may inquire of the Lord by him? And one of the servants of the king of Israel answered and said, [There is] here Elisha son of Shaphat, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.
12 And Jehoshaphat said, He has the word of the Lord. And the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and the king of Edom went down to him.
13 And Elisha said to the king of Israel, What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father, and the prophets of your mother. And the king of Israel said to him, Has the Lord called the three kings to deliver them into the hands of Moab?
14 And Elisha said, [As] the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, unless I regarded the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not have looked on you, nor seen you.
15 And now fetch me a harpist. And it came to pass, as the harpist played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him.
16 And he said, Thus says the Lord: Make this valley full of trenches.
17 For thus says the Lord: You shall not see wind, neither shall you see rain, yet this valley shall be filled with water, and you and your flocks and your cattle shall drink.
18 And this [is] a light [thing] in the eyes of the Lord: I will also deliver Moab into your hand.
19 And you shall smite every strong city, and you shall cut down every good tree, and you shall stop all wells of water, and spoil every good piece [of land] with stones.
20 And it came to pass in the morning, when the sacrifice was offered, that behold, waters came from the way of Edom, and the land was filled with water.
21 And all Moab heard that the three kings had come up to fight against them. And they cried out on every [side, even] all that were girded with a belt, and they said, Lo! And stood upon the border.
22 And they rose early in the morning, and the sun rose upon the waters, and the Moabites saw the water on the opposite side red as blood.
23 And they said, This [is] the blood of the sword; and the kings have fought, and each man has killed his neighbor; now then to the spoils, O Moab!
24 And they entered into the camp of Israel; and Israel arose and attacked the Moabites, and they fled from before them; and they went on and attacked Moab as they went.
25 And they razed the cities, and cast every man his stone on every good piece [of land] and filled it; and they stopped every well, and cut down every good tree, until they left [only] the stones of the wall cast down; and the slingers surrounded [the land], and attacked it.
26 And the king of Moab saw that the battle prevailed against him; and he took with him seven hundred men that drew the sword, to cut through to the king of Edom, and they could not.
27 And he took his eldest son whom he had designed to reign in his place, and offered him up for a whole burnt offering on the walls. And there was a great indignation against Israel; and they departed from him, and returned to their land.
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