The Scriptures (ISR 1998) 1And Yehoram son of Aḥaḇ began to reign over Yisra’ĕl at Shomeron in the eighteenth year of Yehoshaphat sovereign of Yehuḏah, and reigned twelve years. 2And he did evil in the eyes of יהוה, but not like his father and mother; for he removed the statue of Ba‛al which his father had made. 3But he clung to the sins of Yaroḇ‛am son of Neḇat, who had made Yisra’ĕl sin. He did not turn away from them. 4And Mĕysha sovereign of Mo’aḇ was a sheep-breeder, and he paid the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl one hundred thousand lambs and the wool of one hundred thousand rams. 5And it came to be, when Aḥaḇ died, that the sovereign of Mo’aḇ revolted against the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl. 6And Sovereign Yehoram went out of Shomeron at that time and mustered all Yisra’ĕl. 7And he went and sent to Yehoshaphat sovereign of Yehuḏah, saying, “The sovereign of Mo’aḇ has revolted against me. Do you go with me to fight against Mo’aḇ?” And he said, “I go up. I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” 8And he said, “Which way do we go up?” And he said, “By way of the Wilderness of Eḏom.” 9And the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl went, and the sovereign of Yehuḏah and the sovereign of Eḏom, and went round a journey of seven days. And there was no water for the army, nor for the cattle that followed them. 10And the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl said, “What? Has יהוה called these three sovereigns to give them into the hand of Mo’aḇ.” 11And Yehoshaphat said, “Is there no prophet of יהוה here? Then let us inquire of יהוה through him.” One of the servants of the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl then answered and said, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here, who poured water out on the hands of Ěliyahu.” 12And Yehoshaphat said, “The word of יהוה is with him.” And the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl and Yehoshaphat and the sovereign of Eḏom went down to him. 13And Elisha said to the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl, “What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.” And the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl said to him, “No, for יהוה has called these three sovereigns to give them into the hand of Mo’aḇ.” 14And Elisha said, “As יהוה of hosts lives, before whom I stand, if it were not that I regard the presence of Yehoshaphat sovereign of Yehuḏah, I would not look at you nor see you. 15“And now, bring me a harpist.” And it came to be, when the harpist played, that the hand of יהוה came upon him. 16And he said, “Thus said יהוה, ‘Make this wadi ditches – ditches.’ 17“For thus said יהוה, ‘You are not going to see wind, nor rain. Yet that wadi is to be filled with water, so that you, your cattle, and your beasts shall drink.’ 18“And this shall be but a light matter in the eyes of יהוה. And He shall give Mo’aḇ into your hand. 19“And you shall smite every walled city and every choice city, and shall cut down every good tree, and stop up every fountain of water, and ruin every good piece of land with stones.” 20And it came to be in the morning, when the grain offering was offered, that see, water came by way of Eḏom, and the land was filled with water. 21And when all Mo’aḇ heard that the sovereigns had come up to fight against them, all who were able to bear arms and older were gathered, and they stood at the border. 22And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun was shining on the water. And the Mo’aḇites saw the water on the other side as red as blood. 23And they said, “This is blood. The sovereigns have indeed struck swords and have killed one another. And now, Mo’aḇ, to the spoil!” 24And they came to the camp of Yisra’ĕl, and Yisra’ĕl rose up and smote the Mo’aḇites, so that they fled before them. And they entered their land, and smote the Mo’aḇites. 25And they broke down the cities, and each man threw a stone on every good piece of land and filled it. And they stopped up all the fountains of water and cut down all the good trees, until only the stones of Qir Ḥaraseth was left. And the slingers went round and smote it. 26And when the sovereign of Mo’aḇ saw that the battle was too strong for him, he took with him seven hundred men who drew swords, to break through to the sovereign of Eḏom, but they could not, 27then 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 wrath against Yisra’ĕl. And they left him and returned to the land. |