1 A hab’s son Jehoram became the king of Israel at Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. He ruled for 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 J ehoram did what was bad in the eyes of the Lord, but not like his father and mother. For he put away the object 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 B ut he held on to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel sin. He did not leave 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 raised sheep. He had to pay the king of Israel 100, 000 lambs and the wool of 100, 000 rams each year.

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 turned 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 S o King Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time and called all Israel together.

¶ 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 turned against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?” And Jehoshaphat said, “I will go. I am as you are. My people are as your people. My horses are 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 T hen he said, “Which way should we go?” And he answered, “By the way of the desert 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. They traveled around for seven days, but there was no water for the army or 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 he king of Israel said, “It is bad! 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 man who speaks for God here? Is there no one we can ask to learn what the Lord would have us do?” One of the servants of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha the son of Shaphat is here. He poured 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 A nd 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.

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 E lisha said to the king of Israel, “What have I to do with you? Go to the men who tell what will happen in the future that your father and mother have gone to.” And the king of Israel said to him, “No. It is the Lord Who 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 all lives, before Whom I stand, if I did not care for Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look at you or 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 man who plays music.” And when the man played music, the power of the Lord came upon Elisha.

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

16 H e said, “This is what the Lord says, ‘Make this valley full of ditches.’

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

17 F or the Lord says, ‘You will not see wind or rain. But that valley will be filled with water so that you and your cattle and your animals will drink.’

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 only a small thing in the eyes of the Lord. He will give you the Moabites also.

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 will destroy every strong city and cut down every good tree. You will close all the wells of water, and destroy 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 T he next morning, about the time when the gift is given on the altar, water came by the way of Edom. 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. All who were able to wear battle-clothes, young and old, were called together. And they stood at the side of the land of Moab.

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 got up early in the morning. The sun was shining on the water. And the Moabites saw that the water beside them was 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 hey said, “This is blood. For sure the kings have fought and killed one another. So now, Moab, let us take what is left!”

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 tents of Israel, the Israelites came and fought against the Moabites. The Moabites ran from them. And Israel went on into the land, killing 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 S o they destroyed the cities. Each man threw a stone on every piece of good land until it was covered. They closed all the wells of water and cut down all the good trees. Only the stones of Kir-hareseth were left standing. But the stone-throwers went around it and fought against 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 T he king of Moab saw that the battle was too hard for him. So he took with him 700 men who used the sword, 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 rule in his place, and gave him as a burnt gift on the wall. And many became very angry toward Israel. They left 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.