2 Kings 3
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Israel’s King Joram
3 Joram son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria during the eighteenth year of Judah’s King Jehoshaphat and reigned 12 years.(A) 2 He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, but not like his father and mother,(B) for he removed the sacred pillar of Baal his father had made. 3 Nevertheless, Joram clung to the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.(C) He did not turn away from them.
Moab’s Rebellion against Israel
4 King Mesha of Moab(D) was a sheep breeder. He used to pay(E) the king of Israel 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams,(F) 5 but when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.(G) 6 So King Joram marched out from Samaria at that time and mobilized all Israel. 7 Then he sent a message to King Jehoshaphat(H) of Judah: “The king of Moab has rebelled against me.(I) Will you go with me to fight against Moab?”
Jehoshaphat said, “I will go. I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”(J) 8 Then he asked, “Which route should we take?”
Joram replied, “The route of the Wilderness of Edom.”
9 So the king of Israel, the king of Judah, and the king of Edom(K) set out. After they had traveled their indirect route for seven days, they had no water for the army or their animals.
10 Then the king of Israel said, “Oh no, the Lord has summoned three kings, only to hand them over to Moab.”
11 But Jehoshaphat said, “Isn’t there a prophet of the Lord here? Let’s inquire of Yahweh through him.”(L)
One of the servants of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat,(M) who used to pour water on Elijah’s hands, is here.”
12 Jehoshaphat affirmed, “The Lord’s words are with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went to him.(N)
13 However, Elisha said to King Joram of Israel, “We have nothing in common. Go to the prophets of your father and your mother!”(O)
But the king of Israel replied, “No, because it is the Lord who has summoned these three kings to hand them over to Moab.”
14 Elisha responded, “As the Lord of Hosts lives,(P) I stand before Him. If I did not have respect for King Jehoshaphat of Judah,(Q) I would not look at you; I wouldn’t take notice of you. 15 Now, bring me a musician.”(R)
While the musician played,(S) the Lord’s hand(T) came on Elisha. 16 Then he said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Dig ditch after ditch in this wadi.’ 17 For the Lord says, ‘You will not see wind or rain, but the wadi will be filled with water,(U) and you will drink—you and your cattle and your animals.’ 18 This is easy in the Lord’s sight.(V) He will also hand Moab over to you.(W) 19 Then you must attack every fortified city and every choice city. You must cut down every good tree and stop up every spring of water. You must ruin every good piece of land with stones.”
20 About the time for the grain offering(X) the next morning, water suddenly came from the direction of Edom and filled the land.
21 All Moab had heard that the kings(Y) had come up to fight against them. So all who could bear arms, from the youngest to the oldest, were summoned and took their stand at the border. 22 When they got up early in the morning, the sun was shining on the water, and the Moabites saw that the water across from them was red like blood.(Z) 23 “This is blood!” they exclaimed. “The kings(AA) have clashed swords and killed each other. So, to the spoil, Moab!”
24 However, when the Moabites came to Israel’s camp, the Israelites attacked them, and they fled from them. So Israel went into the land and struck down the Moabites. 25 They destroyed the cities, and each of them threw stones to cover every good piece of land. They stopped up every spring of water and cut down every good tree. In the end, only the buildings of Kir-hareseth(AB) were left. Then men with slings surrounded the city and attacked it.
26 When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too fierce for him, he took 700 swordsmen with him to try to break through to the king of Edom,(AC) but they could not do it. 27 So he took his firstborn son,(AD) who was to become king in his place, and offered him as a burnt offering on the city wall. Great wrath was on the Israelites, and they withdrew from him and returned to their land.
2 Reyes 3
Nueva Versión Internacional (Castilian)
Los moabitas se rebelan
3 En el año dieciocho de Josafat, rey de Judá, Jorán hijo de Acab ascendió al trono de Israel en Samaria, y reinó doce años. 2 Jorán hizo lo que ofende al Señor, aunque no tanto como su padre y su madre, pues mandó que se quitara una piedra sagrada que su padre había erigido en honor de Baal. 3 Sin embargo, Jorán se aferró a los mismos pecados con que Jeroboán hijo de Nabat había hecho pecar a los israelitas, pues no se apartó de esos pecados.
4 Ahora bien, Mesá, rey de Moab, criaba ovejas, y como tributo anual le entregaba al rey de Israel cien mil ovejas y la lana de cien mil corderos. 5 Pero, al morir Acab, el rey de Moab se rebeló contra el rey de Israel. 6 Entonces el rey Jorán salió de Samaria, movilizó a todo el ejército de Israel, 7 y le envió este mensaje a Josafat, rey de Judá:
―El rey de Moab se ha rebelado contra mí. ¿Irías conmigo a pelear contra Moab?
―Claro que sí —le respondió Josafat—. Estoy a tu disposición, lo mismo que mi ejército y mi caballería. 8 ¿Qué ruta tomaremos?
―La ruta del desierto de Edom —contestó Jorán.
9 Fue así como los reyes de Israel, Judá y Edom se pusieron en marcha. Durante siete días anduvieron por el desierto, hasta que el ejército y los animales se quedaron sin agua.
10 ―¡Ay! —exclamó el rey de Israel—. ¡El Señor ha reunido a tres reyes para entregarlos en manos de los moabitas!
11 Pero Josafat preguntó:
―¿Acaso no hay aquí un profeta del Señor, para que consultemos al Señor por medio de él?
Un oficial del rey de Israel contestó:
―Aquí cerca está Eliseo hijo de Safat, el que servía a Elías.[a]
12 ―Pues él puede darnos palabra del Señor —comentó Josafat.
Así que el rey de Israel fue a ver a Eliseo, acompañado de Josafat y del rey de Edom. 13 Pero Eliseo le dijo al rey de Israel:
―¿Qué tengo yo que ver contigo? Vete a consultar a los profetas de tu padre y de tu madre.
―No —respondió el rey de Israel—, pues el Señor nos ha reunido a los tres para entregarnos en manos de los moabitas.
14 Eliseo replicó:
―Te juro que, si no fuera por el respeto que le tengo a Josafat, rey de Judá, ni siquiera te miraría a la cara. ¡Tan cierto como que vive el Señor Todopoderoso, a quien sirvo! 15 En fin, ¡que me traigan un músico!
Mientras el músico tañía el arpa, la mano del Señor vino sobre Eliseo, 16 y este dijo:
―Así dice el Señor: “Abrid zanjas por todo este valle, 17 pues aunque no veáis viento ni lluvia —dice el Señor—, este valle se llenará de agua, de modo que podréis beber vosotros y todos vuestros animales”. 18 Esto es poca cosa para el Señor, que además entregará a Moab en vuestras manos. 19 De hecho, vosotros destruiréis todas las ciudades fortificadas y las otras ciudades principales. Cortaréis los mejores árboles, cegaréis los manantiales y sembraréis de piedras los campos fértiles.
20 A la mañana siguiente, a la hora de la ofrenda, toda el área se inundó con el agua que venía de la región de Edom. 21 Ahora bien, cuando los moabitas se enteraron de que los reyes habían salido para atacarlos, movilizaron a todos los que podían servir en el ejército y tomaron posiciones en la frontera. 22 Al levantarse ellos por la mañana, el sol se reflejaba sobre el agua, y a los moabitas les pareció que estaba teñida en sangre. 23 «¡Es sangre de batalla! —exclamaron—. Esos reyes deben de haber peleado, y se han matado unos a otros. ¡Vamos, Moab, al saqueo!»
24 Cuando los moabitas llegaron al campamento de Israel, los israelitas les hicieron frente y los derrotaron. Aquellos se dieron a la fuga, pero los israelitas los persiguieron y los aniquilaron, 25 y destruyeron sus ciudades. Cada uno tiró una piedra en los campos fértiles de Moab hasta llenarlos; además, cegaron los manantiales y cortaron los mejores árboles. Solo Quir Jaréset quedó en pie, aunque los honderos la cercaron y también lograron conquistarla.
26 El rey de Moab, al ver que perdía la batalla, se llevó consigo a setecientos guerreros con el propósito de abrirse paso hasta donde estaba el rey de Edom, pero no logró pasar. 27 Tomó entonces a su hijo primogénito, que había de sucederle en el trono, y lo ofreció en holocausto sobre la muralla. A raíz de esto, se desató contra Israel una furia incontenible, de modo que los israelitas tuvieron que retirarse y volver a su país.
Footnotes
- 3:11 servía a Elías. Lit. echaba agua en manos de Elías.
2 Kings 3
New International Version
Moab Revolts
3 Joram[a](A) son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned twelve years. 2 He did evil(B) in the eyes of the Lord, but not as his father(C) and mother had done. He got rid of the sacred stone(D) of Baal that his father had made. 3 Nevertheless he clung to the sins(E) of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them.
4 Now Mesha king of Moab(F) raised sheep, and he had to pay the king of Israel a tribute of a hundred thousand lambs(G) and the wool of a hundred thousand rams. 5 But after Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled(H) against the king of Israel. 6 So at that time King Joram set out from Samaria and mobilized all Israel. 7 He also sent this message to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight(I) against Moab?”
“I will go with you,” he replied. “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”
8 “By what route shall we attack?” he asked.
“Through the Desert of Edom,” he answered.
9 So the king of Israel set out with the king of Judah and the king of Edom.(J) After a roundabout march of seven days, the army had no more water for themselves or for the animals with them.
10 “What!” exclaimed the king of Israel. “Has the Lord called us three kings together only to deliver us into the hands of Moab?”
11 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the Lord here, through whom we may inquire(K) of the Lord?”
An officer of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha(L) son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.[b](M)”
12 Jehoshaphat said, “The word(N) of the Lord 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, “Why do you want to involve me? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.”
“No,” the king of Israel answered, “because it was the Lord who called us three kings together to deliver us into the hands of Moab.”
14 Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, if I did not have respect for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not pay any attention to you. 15 But now bring me a harpist.”(O)
While the harpist was playing, the hand(P) of the Lord came on Elisha 16 and he said, “This is what the Lord says: I will fill this valley with pools of water. 17 For this is what the Lord says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water,(Q) and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink. 18 This is an easy(R) thing in the eyes of the Lord; he will also deliver Moab into your hands. 19 You will overthrow every fortified city and every major town. You will cut down every good tree, stop up all the springs, and ruin every good field with stones.”
20 The next morning, about the time(S) for offering the sacrifice, there it was—water flowing from the direction of Edom! And the land was filled with water.(T)
21 Now all the Moabites had heard that the kings had come to fight against them; so every man, young and old, who could bear arms was called up and stationed on the border. 22 When they got up early in the morning, the sun was shining on the water. To the Moabites across the way, the water looked red—like blood. 23 “That’s blood!” they said. “Those kings must have fought and slaughtered each other. Now to the plunder, Moab!”
24 But when the Moabites came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and fought them until they fled. And the Israelites invaded the land and slaughtered the Moabites. 25 They destroyed the towns, and each man threw a stone on every good field until it was covered. They stopped up all the springs and cut down every good tree. Only Kir Hareseth(U) was left with its stones in place, but men armed with slings surrounded it and attacked it.
26 When the king of Moab saw that the battle had gone against him, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through to the king of Edom, but they failed. 27 Then he took his firstborn(V) son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him as a sacrifice on the city wall. The fury against Israel was great; they withdrew and returned to their own land.
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 3:1 Hebrew Jehoram, a variant of Joram; also in verse 6
- 2 Kings 3:11 That is, he was Elijah’s personal servant.
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
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