II Kings Chapter 3

II Kings Chapter 3
1 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. 2 And
he wrought evil in the sight of the Lord,
but not like his father nor like his
mother: for he took away the image of
Baal that his father had made. 3
Nevertheless, he cleaved unto the sins of
Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, which made
Israel to sin, and departed not there
from.
4 Then Mesha king of Moab had store of
sheep, and rendered unto the king of
Israel an hundred thousand lambs, and an
hundred thousand rams with the wool.
5 But when Ahab was dead, the king of
Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.
6 Therefore king Jehoram went out of
Samaria the same season, and numbered
all Israel,
7 And went, and sent to Jehoshaphat king
of Judah, saying, The king of Moab hath
rebelled against me: wilt thou go with
me to battle against Moab? And he
answered, I will go up: for I am, as thou
art, my people, as thy people, and mine
horses as thine horses.
8 Then said he, What way shall we go
up? And he answered, The way of the
wilderness of Edom.
9 So went the king of Israel and the king
of Judah, and the king of Edom, and
when they had compassed the way seven
days, they had no water for the host, nor
for the cattle that followed them.
10 Therefore the king of Israel said,
Alas, that the Lord hath called these
three kings, to give them into the hand of
Moab.
11 But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not
here a prophet of the Lord, that we may
inquire 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.
12 Then Jehoshaphat said, The word of
the Lord is with him. Therefore the king
of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, and the king
of Edom went down to him. 13 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, to give them into the
hand of Moab.
14 Then Elisha said, As the Lord of
hosts liveth, in whose sight I stand, if it
were not, that I regard the presence of
Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would
not have looked toward thee, nor seen
thee.
15 But now bring me a minstrel. And
when the minstrel played, the hand of the
Lord came upon him.
16 And he said, Thus saith the Lord,
Make this valley full of ditches. 17 For
thus saith the Lord, Ye shall neither see
wind nor see rain, yet the valley shall be
filled with water, that ye may drink, both
ye and your cattle, and your beasts.
18 But this is a small thing in the sight of
the Lord: for he will give Moab into
your hand.
19 And ye shall smite every strong town
and every chief city, and shall fell every
fair tree, and shall stop all the fountains
of water, and mar every good field with
stones.
20 And in the morning when the meat
offering was offered, behold, there came
water by the way of Edom: and the
country was filled with water. 21 And
when all the Moabites heard that the
kings were come up to fight against
them, they gathered all that was able to
put on harness, and upward, and stood in
their border.
22 And they rose early in the morning,
when the sun arose upon the water, and
the Moabites saw the water over against
them, as red as blood. 23 And they said,
This is blood the kings are surely slain,
and one hath smitten another: now
therefore, Moab, to the spoil.
24 And when they came to the host of
Israel, the Israelites arose up, and smote
the Moabites, so that they fled before
them, but they invaded them, and smote
Moab.
25 And they destroyed the cities: and on
all the good field every man cast his
stone, and filled them and they stopped
all the fountains of water, and felled all
the good trees: only in Kir Haraseth left
they the stones thereof: howbeit they
went about it with slings, and smote it.
26 And when the king of Moab saw that
the battle was too sore for him, he took
with him seven hundred men that drew
the sword, to break through unto the king
of Edom: but they could not.
27 Then he took his eldest son, that
should have reigned in his stead, and
offered him for a burnt offering upon the
wall: so that Israel was sore grieved,
and they departed from him, and returned
to their country.