Now Jehoram the son
of Ahab
began to reign
over Israel
in Samaria
the eighteenth
year
of Jehoshaphat
king
of Judah
, and reigned
twelve
years
.
And he wrought evil
in the sight
of the LORD
; but not like his father
, and like his mother
: for he put away
the image
of Baal
that his father
had made
.
Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins
of Jeroboam
the son
of Nebat
, which made Israel
to sin
; he departed
not therefrom.
And Mesha king
of Moab
was a sheepmaster
, and rendered
unto the king
of Israel
an hundred
thousand
lambs
, and an hundred
thousand
rams
, with the wool
.
But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead
, that the king
of Moab
rebelled
against the king
of Israel
.
And king Jehoram
went out
of Samaria
the same time
, and numbered
all Israel
.
And he went and sent
to Jehoshaphat
the king
of Judah
, saying
, The king
of Moab
hath rebelled
against me: wilt thou go
with me against Moab
to battle
? And he said
, I will go up
: I am as thou art , my people
as thy people
, and my horses
as thy horses
.
And he said, Which way
shall we go up
? And he answered
, The way
through the wilderness
of Edom
.
So the king of Israel
went
, and the king
of Judah
, and the king
of Edom
: and they fetched a compass
of seven
days
' journey
: and there was no water
for the host
, and for the cattle
that followed
them.
And the king of Israel
said
, Alas
! that the LORD
hath called
these three
kings
together
, to deliver
them into the hand
of Moab
!
But Jehoshaphat said
, Is there not here a prophet
of the LORD
, that we may enquire
of the LORD
by him? And one
of the king
of Israel's
servants
answered
and said
, Here is Elisha
the son
of Shaphat
, which poured
water
on the hands
of Elijah
.
And Jehoshaphat said
, The word
of the LORD
is
with him. So the king
of Israel
and Jehoshaphat
and the king
of Edom
went down
to him.
And Elisha said
unto the king
of Israel
, What have I to do with thee? get
thee to the prophets
of thy father
, and to the prophets
of thy mother
. And the king
of Israel
said
unto him, Nay: for the LORD
hath called
these three
kings
together
, to deliver
them into the hand
of Moab
.
And Elisha said
, As the LORD
of hosts
liveth
, before
whom I stand
, surely, were it not that
I regard
the presence
of Jehoshaphat
the king
of Judah
, I would not look
toward thee, nor see
thee.
But now bring me a minstrel
. And it came to pass, when the minstrel
played
, that the hand
of the LORD
came upon him.
And he said, Thus saith
the LORD
, Make
this valley
full of ditches
.
For thus saith the LORD
, Ye shall not see
wind
, neither shall ye see
rain
; yet that valley
shall be filled
with water
, that ye may drink
, both ye, and your cattle
, and your beasts
.
And this is but a light thing in the sight
of the LORD
: he will deliver
the Moabites
also into your hand
.
And ye shall smite every fenced
city
, and every choice
city
, and shall fell
every good
tree
, and stop
all wells
of water
, and mar
every good
piece
of land with stones
.
And it came to pass in the morning, when the meat offering
was offered
, that, behold, there came
water
by the way
of Edom
, and the country
was filled
with water
.
And when all the Moabites heard
that the kings
were come up
to fight
against them, they gathered
all that were able to put
on armour
, and upward
, and stood
in the border
.
And they rose up early in the morning
, and the sun
shone
upon the water
, and the Moabites
saw
the water
on the other side
as red
as blood
:
And they said, This is blood
: the kings
are surely
slain
, and they have smitten
one
another
: now therefore, Moab
, to the spoil
.
And when they came to the camp
of Israel
, the Israelites
rose up
and smote
the Moabites
, so that they fled
before
them: but they went forward
smiting
the Moabites
, even in their country.
And they beat down the cities
, and on every good
piece
of land cast
every man
his stone
, and filled
it; and they stopped
all the wells
of water
, and felled
all the good
trees
: only in Kirharaseth
left
they the stones
thereof; howbeit the slingers
went about
it , and smote
it.
And when the king of Moab
saw
that the battle
was too sore
for him, he took
with him seven
hundred
men
that drew
swords
, to break through
even unto the king
of Edom
: but they could
not.
Then he took his eldest
son
that should have reigned
in his stead, and offered
him for a burnt offering
upon the wall
. And there was great
indignation
against Israel
: and they departed
from him, and returned
to their own land
.