2 Kings 3
New King James Version
Moab Rebels Against Israel
3 Now (A)Jehoram the son of Ahab became king over Israel at Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years. 2 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, but not like his father and mother; for he put away the sacred pillar of Baal (B)that his father had made. 3 Nevertheless he persisted in (C)the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin; he did not depart from them.
4 Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheepbreeder, and he (D)regularly paid the king of Israel one hundred thousand (E)lambs and the wool of one hundred thousand rams. 5 But it happened, when (F)Ahab died, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.
6 So King Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time and mustered all Israel. 7 Then he went and sent to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, saying, “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?”
And he said, “I will go up; (G)I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” 8 Then he said, “Which way shall we go up?”
And he answered, “By way of the Wilderness of Edom.”
9 So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom, and they marched on that roundabout route seven days; and there was no water for the army, nor for the animals that followed them. 10 And the king of Israel said, “Alas! For the Lord has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.”
11 But (H)Jehoshaphat said, “Is there no prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of the Lord by him?”
So one of the servants of the king of Israel answered and said, “Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who (I)poured[a] water on the hands of Elijah.”
12 And Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the Lord is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom (J)went down to him.
13 Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, (K)“What have I to do with you? (L)Go to (M)the prophets of your father and the (N)prophets of your mother.”
But the king of Israel said to him, “No, for the Lord has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.”
14 And Elisha said, (O)“As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you, nor see you. 15 But now bring me (P)a musician.”
Then it happened, when the musician (Q)played, that (R)the hand of the Lord came upon him. 16 And he said, “Thus says the Lord: (S)‘Make this valley full of [b]ditches.’ 17 For thus says the Lord: ‘You shall not see wind, nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you, your cattle, and your animals may drink.’ 18 And this is a simple matter in the sight of the Lord; He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand. 19 Also you shall attack every fortified city and every choice city, and shall cut down every good tree, and stop up every spring of water, and ruin every good piece of land with stones.”
20 Now it happened in the morning, when (T)the grain offering was offered, that suddenly water came by way of Edom, and the land was filled with water.
21 And when all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, all who were able to bear arms and older were [c]gathered; and they stood at the border. 22 Then they rose up early in the morning, and the sun was shining on the water; and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood. 23 And they said, “This is blood; the kings have surely struck swords and have killed one another; now therefore, Moab, to the spoil!”
24 So when they came to the camp of Israel, Israel rose up and attacked the Moabites, so that they fled before them; and they entered their land, killing the Moabites. 25 Then they destroyed the cities, and each man threw a stone on every good piece of land and filled it; and they stopped up all the springs of water and cut down all the good trees. But they left the stones of (U)Kir Haraseth intact. However the slingers surrounded and attacked it.
26 And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too fierce for him, he took with him seven hundred men who drew swords, to break through to the king of Edom, but they could not. 27 Then (V)he took his eldest son who would have reigned in his place, and offered him as a burnt offering upon the wall; and there was great [d]indignation against Israel. (W)So they departed from him and returned to their own land.
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 3:11 Was the personal servant of
- 2 Kings 3:16 water canals
- 2 Kings 3:21 summoned
- 2 Kings 3:27 wrath
Melachim Bais 3
Orthodox Jewish Bible
3 Now Yehoram ben Ach’av began to reign over Yisroel in Shomron the eighteenth year of Yehoshaphat Melech Yehudah, and reigned twelve shanah.
2 And he wrought rah in the eyes of Hashem; but not like Aviv, nor like Immo; for he put away matzvat HaBa’al (the image of Baal) that Aviv had made.
3 Nevertheless his deveykus was unto the chattot Yarov‘am Ben Nevat, which caused Yisroel to sin; therefrom he did not turn away.
4 And Mesha Melech Moav was a sheep breeder, and rendered unto the Melech Yisroel 100,000 lambs, and 100,000 rams, with the tzemer (wool).
5 But it came to pass, when Ach’av was mot, that Melech Moav rebelled against Melech Yisroel.
6 And Melech Yehoram went out of Shomron on that day, and mustered kol Yisroel.
7 And he went and sent to Yehoshaphat Melech Yehudah, saying, Melech Moav hath rebelled against me; wilt thou go with me against Moav for milchamah? And he said, I will go up: I am as thou art, my Am as thy Am, and my susim as thy susim.
8 And he said, Which derech shall we go up [to attack]? And he answered, The derech through the Midbar Edom.
9 So Melech Yisroel, Melech Yehudah, Melech Edom went, made a circuit of shivat yamim in their derech; and there was no mayim for the machaneh, and for the behemah that followed them.
10 And Melech Yisroel said, Alas that Hashem hath called these three melachim together, to deliver them into the yad Moav!
11 But Yehoshaphat said, Is there not here a navi of Hashem, that we may inquire of Hashem through him? And one of the avadim of Melech Yisroel answered and said, Here is Elishah Ben Shaphat, which poured mayim on the hands of Eliyahu.
12 And Yehoshaphat said, The Devar Hashem is with him. So Melech Yisroel and Yehoshaphat and Melech Edom went down to him.
13 And Elishah said unto Melech Yisroel, What have I to do with thee? Get thee to the [Ba’al] nevi’im of Avicha, and to the nevi’im of Immecha. And Melech Yisroel said unto him, No; for Hashem hath called these three melachim, to deliver them into the yad Moav.
14 And Elishah said, As Hashem Tzva’os liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Yehoshaphat Melech Yehudah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee.
15 But now bring me menagen. And it came to pass, when the menagen played, that the Yad Hashem came upon him.
16 And he said, Thus saith Hashem, Make this valley full of ditches.
17 For thus saith Hashem, Ye shall not see ruach, neither shall ye see geshem; yet this valley shall be filled with mayim, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your behemah (livestock).
18 And this is but a light thing in the eyes of Hashem; He will deliver Mo’av also into your yad.
19 And ye shall strike every fortified city, every ir mivchor, and shall fell every etz tov, stop up kol ma’yan mayim, mar every good allotment of land with avanim.
20 And it came to pass in the boker, when the minchah was offered, that, hinei, there came mayim by the derech of Edom, and HaAretz was filled with mayim.
21 And when kol Mo’av heard that the melachim were come up to fight against them, they gathered all that could bear arms, and older, and stood at the border.
22 And they rose up early in the boker, and the shemesh shone upon the mayim, and Mo’av saw the mayim on the other side, and to them it looked as red as dahm;
23 And they said, This is dahm; the melachim are surely slain, and they have struck one another; now therefore, Moav, to the plunder!
24 And when they came to the machaneh Yisroel, Yisroel rose up and struck Mo’av, so that they fled before them; but they went forward striking Mo’av, even invading their country.
25 And they beat down the towns, and on every good allotment of land every ish cast his even (stone), and filled it; and they stopped up kol ma’yan mayim, and felled kol etz tov; only in Kir Charaset left they the avanim thereof; howbeit the slingers surrounded it, and struck it.
26 And when Melech Moav saw that the milchamah was chazak against him, he took with him 700 ish that drew cherev, to break through even unto Melech Edom; but they could not.
27 Then he took bno habechor that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for an olah upon the chomah. And there was ketzef gadol (great fury) against Yisroel; and they withdrew, and returned to their own land.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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