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
- 2 Kings 3:7 Literally “Like I am, like you are”
- 2 Kings 3:7 Literally “like my people, like your people”
- 2 Kings 3:7 Literally “like my horses, like your horses”
- 2 Kings 3:9 Literally “were at their feet”
- 2 Kings 3:11 That is, Elisha had served Elijah
- 2 Kings 3:13 Literally “What to me and what for you”
- 2 Kings 3:14 Literally “The life of Yahweh of hosts”
- 2 Kings 3:14 Or “lifting the face”
- 2 Kings 3:16 Literally “cisterns, cisterns”
- 2 Kings 3:21 Literally “who girded on a belt and above”
2 Kings 3
World English Bible
3 Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years. 2 He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, but not like his father, and like his mother, for he put away the pillar of Baal that his father had made. 3 Nevertheless he held to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin. He didn’t depart from them. 4 Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder; and he supplied the king of Israel with the wool of one hundred thousand lambs, and of one hundred thousand rams. 5 But when Ahab was dead, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. 6 King Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time, and mustered all Israel. 7 He went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me against Moab to battle?”
He said, “I will go up. I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” 8 He said, “Which way shall we go up?”
He answered, “The 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 for seven days along a circuitous route. There was no water for the army or for the animals that followed them. 10 The king of Israel said, “Alas! For Yahweh has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.”
11 But Jehoshaphat said, “Isn’t there a prophet of Yahweh here, that we may inquire of Yahweh by him?”
One of the king of Israel’s servants answered, “Elisha the son of Shaphat, who poured water on the hands of Elijah, is here.”
12 Jehoshaphat said, “Yahweh’s word is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
13 Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father, and to the prophets of your mother.”
The king of Israel said to him, “No, for Yahweh has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.” 14 Elisha said, “As Yahweh of Armies lives, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I respect the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward you, nor see you. 15 But now bring me a musician.” When the musician played, Yahweh’s hand came on him. 16 He said, “Yahweh says, ‘Make this valley full of trenches.’ 17 For Yahweh says, ‘You will not see wind, neither will you see rain, yet that valley will be filled with water, and you will drink, both you and your livestock and your other animals. 18 This is an easy thing in Yahweh’s sight. He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand. 19 You shall strike every fortified city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all springs of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.’”
20 In the morning, about the time of offering the sacrifice, behold, water came by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.
21 Now when all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, they gathered themselves together, all who were able to put on armor, young and old, and stood on the border. 22 They rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone on the water, and the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood. 23 They said, “This is blood. The kings are surely destroyed, and they have struck each other. Now therefore, Moab, to the plunder!”
24 When they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and struck the Moabites, so that they fled before them; and they went forward into the land attacking the Moabites. 25 They beat down the cities; and on every good piece of land each man cast his stone, and filled it. They also stopped all the springs of water, and cut down all the good trees, until in Kir Hareseth all they left was its stones; however the men armed with slings went around it, and attacked it. 26 When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too severe for him, he took with him seven hundred men who drew a sword, to break through to the king of Edom; but they could not. 27 Then he took his oldest son who would have reigned in his place, and offered him for a burnt offering on the wall. There was great wrath against Israel; and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.
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