﻿2 Kings.
Chapter 3.
Jehoram son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned twelve years. 
He did evil in the sight of the LORD, though not like his father and mother, for he removed the sacred pillar of Baal that his father had made. 
Nevertheless, he clung to the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin; he did not turn away from them. 
Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder. He paid the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs and the wool of a hundred thousand rams. 
But when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. 
So King Jehoram left Samaria at that time and mustered all Israel. 
He went and sent this message to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?” He said, “I will go up. I am as you are, my people as your people, and my horses as your horses.” 
He asked, “Which route shall we take?” He answered, “The route through the wilderness of Edom.” 
So the king of Israel, the king of Judah, and the king of Edom set out. After taking a roundabout route for seven days, there was no water for the army or for the animals following them. 
The king of Israel said, “Alas! The LORD has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab!” 
But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there no prophet of the LORD here, through whom we may inquire of the LORD?” One of the king of Israel’s servants answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on Elijah’s hands.” 
Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the LORD is with him.” So the king of Israel, Jehoshaphat, and the king of Edom went down to him. 
Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.” But the king of Israel said to him, “No, for the LORD has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.” 
Elisha said, “As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, if I did not have regard for Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you or even notice you. 
But now bring me a musician.” As the musician played, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha. 
He said, “This is what the LORD says: Make this valley full of trenches. 
For this is what the LORD says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your livestock, and your animals will drink. 
This is a small thing in the sight of the LORD. He will also deliver Moab into your hand. 
You will strike every fortified city and every choice city, cut down every good tree, stop up every spring, and ruin every good field with stones.” 
In the morning, at the time of the grain offering, water suddenly came from the direction of Edom, and the land was filled with water. 
All the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them. Everyone old enough to bear arms, and all who were older, was called out, and they took their stand at the border. 
They rose early in the morning, and the sun was shining on the water. From the opposite side, the Moabites saw the water as red as blood. 
They said, “This is blood! The kings must have destroyed one another, striking each other down. Now, Moab, to the plunder!” 
But when they came to Israel’s camp, the Israelites rose up and struck the Moabites, who fled before them. They continued striking Moab in its own land. 
They demolished the cities. Each man threw a stone into every good field until they had filled it. They stopped up every spring and cut down every good tree. Only the stones of Kir-hareseth were left, but the slingers surrounded it and attacked it. 
When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too much for him, he took seven hundred swordsmen with him to break through to the king of Edom, but they could not. 
Then he took his firstborn son, who was to reign in his place, and offered him as a burnt offering on the wall. There was great wrath against Israel, so they withdrew from him and returned to their own land. 
