1 Now Jehoram the son of Ahab became king over Israel at Samaria A2 Kin 1:17in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years. 2 He did evil in the sight of the Loʀᴅ, though not like his father and his mother; for AEx 23:24; 2 Kin 10:18, 26-28he put away the sacred pillar of Baal B1 Kin 16:31, 32which his father had made. 3 Nevertheless, A1 Kin 12:28-32he clung to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, B1 Kin 14:9, 16which he made Israel sin; he did not depart from them.

4 Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder, and A2 Sam 8:2; Is 16:1, 2used to pay the king of Israel 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams. 5 But A2 Kin 1:1when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. 6 And King Jehoram went out of Samaria 1Lit in that dayat that time and mustered all Israel. 7 Then 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; A1 Kin 22:4I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” 8 He said, “Which way shall we go up?” And he 1Lit saidanswered, “The way of the wilderness of Edom.”

9 So A2 Kin 3:1the king of Israel went with B2 Kin 3:7the king of Judah and C1 Kin 22:47the 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. 10 Then the king of Israel said, “Alas! For the Loʀᴅ has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab.” 11 But Jehoshaphat said, “A1 Kin 22:7Is there not a prophet of the Loʀᴅ here, that we may inquire of the Loʀᴅ by him?” And one of the king of Israel’s servants answered and said, “B2 Kin 2:25Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, C1 Kin 19:21; John 13:4, 5, 13, 14who used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.” 12 Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the Loʀᴅ is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.

13 Now Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What do I have to do with you? A1 Kin 18:19; 22:6-11, 22-25Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother.” And the king of Israel said to him, “No, for the Loʀᴅ has called these three kings together to give them into the hand of Moab.” 14 Elisha said, “A1 Kin 17:1; 2 Kin 5:16As the Loʀᴅ 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. 15  “But now A1 Sam 16:23; 1 Chr 25:1bring me a minstrel.” And it came about, when the minstrel played, that B1 Kin 18:46; Ezek 1:3the hand of the Loʀᴅ came upon him. 16 He said, “Thus says the Loʀᴅ, ‘Make this valley full of trenches.’ 17  “For thus says the Loʀᴅ, ‘You shall not see wind nor shall you see rain; yet that valley APs 107:35shall be filled with water, so that you shall drink, both you and your cattle and your beasts. 18  ‘This is but a AJer 32:17, 27; Mark 10:27; Luke 1:37slight thing in the sight of the Loʀᴅ; He will also give the Moabites into your hand. 19  ‘A2 Kin 3:25Then 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.’ ” 20 It happened in the morning AEx 29:39, 40about the time of offering the sacrifice, that behold, water came by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.

21 Now all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them. And all who were able to 1Lit gird themselves with a beltput on armor and older were summoned and stood on the border. 22 They rose early in the morning, and the sun shone on the water, and the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood. 23 Then they said, “This is blood; the kings have surely fought together, and they have slain one another. Now therefore, Moab, to the spoil!” 24 But 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 1Lit into itinto the land, 2Lit smitingslaughtering the Moabites. 25 A2 Kin 3:19Thus 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 BIs 16:7; Jer 48:31, 36Kir-hareseth only they left its stones; however, the slingers went about it and struck it. 26 When 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. 27 Then he took his oldest son who was to reign in his place, and AAmos 2:1; Mic 6:7offered 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.