1 N ow Jehoram the son of Ahab became king over Israel at Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years.

¶ 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 H e did evil in the sight of the Lord, though not like his father and his mother; for he put away the sacred pillar of Baal which his father had made.

And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not like his father and like his mother, for he put away the images of Baal that his father had made.

3 N evertheless, he clung to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel sin; he did not depart from them.

Nevertheless, he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin; he did not depart from them.

4 N ow Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder, and used to pay the king of Israel 100, 000 lambs and the wool of 100, 000 rams.

And Mesha, king of Moab, was a pastor and rendered unto the king of Israel one hundred thousand lambs and one hundred thousand rams, with the wool.

5 B ut when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.

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

6 A nd King Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time and mustered all Israel.

¶ And King Jehoram went out of Samaria the same time and numbered all Israel.

7 T hen he went and sent word to Jehoshaphat the 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; I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”

And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab has rebelled against me; wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle? And he said, I will go up; I am as thou art, my people as thy people and my horses as thy horses.

8 H e said, “Which way shall we go up?” And he answered, “The way of the wilderness of Edom.”

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

9 S o the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom; and they made a circuit of seven days’ journey, and there was no water for the army or for the cattle that followed them.

So the king of Israel went and the king of Judah and the king of Edom, and as they walked round about seven days’ journey through the desert, there was no water for the host or for the beasts that followed them.

10 T hen the king of Israel said, “Alas! For the Lord has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab.”

Then the king of Israel said, Alas! The LORD has called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab!

11 B ut Jehoshaphat said, “ Is there not a prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of the Lord by him?” And one of the king of Israel’s servants answered and said, “ Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.”

But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not a prophet of the LORD here, that we may enquire of the LORD by him? And one of the king of Israel’s slaves answered and said, Here is Elisha, the son of Shaphat, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.

12 J ehoshaphat 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.

And 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.

13 N ow Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What do I have to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother.” And the king of Israel said to him, “No, for the Lord has called these three kings together to give them into the hand of Moab.”

Then Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? Go to the prophets of thy father and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, No, for the LORD has called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab.

14 E lisha said, “ As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look at you nor see you.

And Elisha said, As the LORD of the 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 thee nor see thee.

15 B ut now bring me a minstrel.” And it came about, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him.

But now bring me a minstrel. And when the minstrel played, the hand of the LORD came upon him;

16 H e said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Make this valley full of trenches.’

and he said, Thus hath the LORD said, Make this valley full of ditches.

17 F or 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 shall drink, both you and your cattle and your beasts.

For thus hath the LORD said, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet this valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye and your livestock and your beasts.

18 T his is but a slight thing in the sight of the Lord; He will also give the Moabites into your hand.

And this is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD; he will also deliver the Moabites into your hands.

19 T hen you shall strike every fortified city and every choice city, and fell every good tree and stop all springs of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.’”

And ye shall smite every fenced city and every choice city and shall fell every good tree and stop every fountain of water and mar every good piece of land with stones.

20 I t happened in the morning about the time of offering the sacrifice, that behold, water came by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.

¶ And it came to pass in the morning, when the present was offered, that water came by the way of Edom, and the land was filled with water.

21 N ow all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them. And all who were able to put on armor and older were summoned and stood on the border.

And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they gathered all that were able to gird on a girdle and upward and stood in the border.

22 T hey rose early in the morning, and the sun shone on the water, and the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood.

And when they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water before them as red as blood;

23 T hen they said, “This is blood; the kings have surely fought together, and they have slain one another. Now therefore, Moab, to the spoil!”

and they said, This is blood; the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another. Now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.

24 B ut when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites arose and struck the Moabites, so that they fled before them; and they went forward into the land, slaughtering the Moabites.

But 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.

25 T hus they destroyed the cities; and each one threw a stone on every piece of good land and filled it. So they stopped all the springs of water and felled all the good trees, until in Kir-hareseth only they left its stones; however, the slingers went about it and struck it.

And they beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land each man cast his stone and filled it, and they stopped all the fountains of water and felled all the good trees until they left their stones only in Kirharaseth, for the slingers went about it and smote it.

26 W hen the king of Moab saw that the battle was too fierce for him, he took with him 700 men who drew swords, to break through to the king of Edom; but they could not.

And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was overcoming him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew swords to break through unto the king of Edom, but they could not.

27 T hen he took his oldest son who was to reign in his place, and offered him as a burnt offering on the wall. And there came great wrath against Israel, and they departed from him and returned to their own land.

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