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2 Kings 3
International Standard Version

Jehoram Becomes King

3 Ahab’s son Jehoram ascended to the throne of Israel at Samaria during the eighteenth year of the reign of Judah’s King Jehoshaphat. He reigned for twelve years, 2 practicing evil in the Lord’s presence,[a] only not to the extent that his mother and father had done[b]—he forced abolition of the sacred pillar to Baal[c] that his father had crafted. 3 Even so,[d] he kept on committing the sins that Nebat’s son Jeroboam had done, which ensnared Israel in sin—he never abandoned them.

Moab Rebels against Israel

4 Meanwhile, Moab’s King Mesha was a sheep breeder. He used to pay 100,000 lambs and the wool from 100,000 rams to the king of Israel as tribute. 5 After Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. 6 So King Jehoram left Samaria at that time[e] and mustered the entire army of[f] Israel. 7 As he was going out, he sent this message[g] to King Jehoshaphat of Judah: “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight Moab?”

“I’m coming,” Jehoshaphat[h] replied. “I’m like you! My army will act like your army and my cavalry like your cavalry,” Then Jehoshaphat[i] added: 8 “What road do we take?”

Jehoram[j] answered, “We’ll go along the Edom desert road.”

9 So the king of Israel, the king of Judah, and the king of Edom made a complete circuit on the road for seven days, but there was no water for the army or for the livestock that accompanied[k] them.

10 Then the king of Israel remarked, “Oh no! The Lord has summoned us three kings so he can hand us over to Moab, hasn’t he?”

The Kings Seek Elisha’s Counsel

11 Jehoshaphat asked, “Isn’t there a prophet who belongs to the Lord and through whom we can ask the Lord a question?”

One of the king of Israel’s attendants replied, “Shaphat’s son Elisha lives here. He used to be Elijah’s personal attendant.”[l]

12 Jehoshaphat answered, “He receives messages from[m] the Lord.” So the king of Israel, Jehoshaphat, and the king of Edom went to visit Elisha.[n]

13 Elisha asked the king of Israel, “What do I have in common[o] with you? Go visit your parents’ prophets.”[p]

The king of Israel replied, “No! The Lord has summoned these three kings so he can hand them over to Moab!”

14 But Elisha responded, “As the Lord of the Heavenly Armies lives, in whose presence I stand, I would never pay attention to you or even look in your direction were it not for my continuous respect for the presence of King Jehoshaphat of Judah. 15 Now bring me a musician.”

As the musician played, the hand of the Lord rested on Elisha, 16 so he said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Fill this valley with trench after trench!’ 17 This is what the Lord says: ‘Though you won’t see wind or storm, nevertheless that river[q] will overflow with water so that you, your cattle, and your livestock may drink.’ 18 And this is the easy part for the Lord[r]—he’s also going to hand the Moabites over to you! 19 Then you are to attack every fortified city and every significant city. Cut down every significant tree, fill in all of the water springs, and ruin every prime piece of land with stones.”

War with Moab

20 The very next day, about the time of the morning offering, water suddenly appeared, coming from the direction of Edom, and the land overflowed with water! 21 Meanwhile, all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to attack them, so everyone old enough to wear battle armor was mustered to stand guard at the border. 22 As the Moabites arose early that morning, the sun cast its rays on the water, and to the Moabites, the water across from them appeared to be red like blood. 23 So they concluded,[s] “This must be blood! The kings must have had one mighty big fight and each man killed the other! So let’s go get the battle spoil, Moab!”

24 But when the Moabites arrived at the Israeli encampment, the Israelis got up and attacked them. The Moabites ran away from the Israelis,[t] who followed them into the land as they continued their pursuit against Moab. 25 They destroyed their cities, and all of them threw stones onto every piece of farm[u] land, ruining the fields.[v] Then they filled in all the water wells[w] and chopped down all of the useful[x] trees. Stone walls remained surrounding Kir-hareseth only, until the archers surrounded and attacked that city. 26 When the king of Moab realized that the battle was going strongly against him, he took 700 expert swordsmen to attempt to break through to the king of Edom, but was unable to do so. 27 So he took his firstborn son, whom he intended to reign after him, and offered him up as a burnt offering on the wall. There subsequently came great anger against Israel, so they abandoned the attack and returned to their homeland.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 3:2 Lit. sight
  2. 2 Kings 3:2 The Heb. lacks had done
  3. 2 Kings 3:2 I.e. the main Canaanite male deity, and so throughout the book
  4. 2 Kings 3:3 Lit. Only
  5. 2 Kings 3:6 Lit. in those days
  6. 2 Kings 3:6 The Heb. lacks army of
  7. 2 Kings 3:7 The Heb. lacks this message
  8. 2 Kings 3:7 Lit. He
  9. 2 Kings 3:7 Lit. He
  10. 2 Kings 3:8 Lit. He
  11. 2 Kings 3:9 Or followed
  12. 2 Kings 3:11 Lit. to pour water on Elijah’s hands
  13. 2 Kings 3:12 Lit. He has the word of
  14. 2 Kings 3:12 Lit. him
  15. 2 Kings 3:13 The Heb. lacks in common
  16. 2 Kings 3:13 Lit. the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother
  17. 2 Kings 3:17 Or seasonal stream
  18. 2 Kings 3:18 Lit. part in the Lord’s eyes
  19. 2 Kings 3:23 Lit. said
  20. 2 Kings 3:24 Lit. of them
  21. 2 Kings 3:25 Or good
  22. 2 Kings 3:25 I.e. for future cultivation
  23. 2 Kings 3:25 Or springs
  24. 2 Kings 3:25 Or good
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2 Kings 3
Lexham English Bible

Joram Meets Moab in Battle

3 Now 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 2 and 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. 3 But he did cling to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who caused Israel to sin, and he did not depart from it.

4 Now 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. 5 It happened that when Ahab died, Mesha king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. 6 So King Joram went out on that day from Samaria, and he mustered all of Israel. 7 He 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;[a] my people are like your people;[b] my horses are like your horses.”[c] 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 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.[d] 10 Then the king of Israel said, “Aha, Yahweh has called for these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab.” 11 Then 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.”[e] 12 Jehoshaphat said, “The word of Yahweh is with him.” So the king of Israel, Jehoshaphat, and the king of Edom went down to him.

13 Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What do we have in common?[f] 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.” 14 Then Elisha said, “As Yahweh of hosts lives,[g] before whom I stand, surely if I was not regarding the face[h] of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would have not looked at you nor even glanced at you. 15 But now, bring me a musician.” It happened that at the moment the musician played, the hand of Yahweh came upon him. 16 He said, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘Make this wadi full of cisterns,’[i] 17 for 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.’ 18 And since this is too trivial in the eyes of Yahweh, he will also give Moab into your hand, 19 and 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.” 20 It 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.

21 Now all of Moab had heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, and all who were fighting age and up[j] were called up, and they stood at the border. 22 When 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. 23 Then 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!” 24 But 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. 25 The 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. 26 When 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. 27 He 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.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 3:7 Literally “Like I am, like you are”
  2. 2 Kings 3:7 Literally “like my people, like your people”
  3. 2 Kings 3:7 Literally “like my horses, like your horses”
  4. 2 Kings 3:9 Literally “were at their feet”
  5. 2 Kings 3:11 That is, Elisha had served Elijah
  6. 2 Kings 3:13 Literally “What to me and what for you”
  7. 2 Kings 3:14 Literally “The life of Yahweh of hosts”
  8. 2 Kings 3:14 Or “lifting the face”
  9. 2 Kings 3:16 Literally “cisterns, cisterns”
  10. 2 Kings 3:21 Literally “who girded on a belt and above”
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2 Kings 2
2 Kings 4
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