Moab Rebels Against Israel

1Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years.

2And he wrought evil in the sight of the Lord; but not like his father, and like his mother: for he put away the image of Baal that his father had made.   did; idol

3Nevertheless he clung to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.

4And Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered to the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs, and a hundred thousand rams, with the wool.

5But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.

6And king Jehoram went out of Samaria the same time, and numbered all Israel.   mobilized, mustered

7And 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? And he said, I will go up: I am as you are, my people as your people, and my horses as your horses.

8And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom.

9So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom: and they circled around for a seven days’ journey: and there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that followed them.   went around the Dead Sea

10And the king of Israel said, Alas! that the Lord has called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab!

11But 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.   was the personal servant

12And Jehoshaphat said, The word of the Lord is with him. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.

13And Elisha said to the king of Israel, What have I to do with you? get you to the prophets of your father, and to the prophets of your mother. And the king of Israel said to him, Nay: for the Lord has called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab.

14And Elisha said, As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward you, nor see you.   Jehovah^s.f. Tsebaoth

15But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him.

16And he said, Thus says the Lord, Make this valley full of ditches.

17For thus says the Lord, You^p shall not see wind, neither shall you^p see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that you^p may drink, both you^p, and your^p cattle, and your^p beasts.

18And this is but a light thing in the sight of the Lord: He will deliver the Moabites also into your^p hand.   easy

19And you^p shall smite every fenced city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all wells of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.   strike; fortified, walled

20And it came to pass in the morning, when the meat offering was offered, that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.   food; sacrificed

21And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they gathered all that were able to put on armor, and upward, and stood in the border.   older

22And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood:

23And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.   plunder

24And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them: but they went forward smiting the Moabites, even in their country.   attacking, destroying, killing

25And they beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the wells of water, and felled all the good trees: only in Kirharaseth left they the stones thereof; however the slingers went about it, and smote it.

26And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too sore for him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew swords, to break through even to the king of Edom: but they could not.   severe

27Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burned offering upon the wall. And there was great indignation against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.