CHAPTER 3
1 Forsooth Joram*, [the] son of Ahab, reigned on Israel, in Samaria, in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. And he reigned twelve years, (Now Joram, Ahab’s son, began to reign upon Israel, in Samaria, in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah. And he reigned for twelve years,)
2 and he did evil before the Lord, but not as his father and his mother (had done); for he took away the images of Baal, which his father had made,
3 nevertheless he cleaved to the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, that made Israel to do sin (or who made Israel to do sin); and he went not away from them.
4 Forsooth Mesha, king of Moab, nourished many beasts, and paid to the king of Israel an hundred thousand of lambs, and an hundred thousand wethers, with their fleeces.
5 And when Ahab was dead, he brake the bond of peace, which he had with the king of Israel. (But when Ahab died, he broke the covenant which he had with the king of Israel.)
6 Therefore king Joram went out of Samaria in that day, and numbered all Israel. (And King Joram went out of Samaria that day, and gathered together Israel’s army.)
7 And he sent to Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and said, The king of Moab hath gone away from me; come thou with me against him to battle. And Jehoshaphat answered, I shall go up with thee; he that is mine, is thine (or all that is mine, is thine); my people is thy people; and mine horses be thine horses.
8 And he said, By what way shall we ascend? And Joram answered, By the desert of Idumea, (or And Joram answered, Through the wilderness of Edom).
9 Therefore the king of Israel, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom, went forth, and compassed by the way of seven days; and (then) there was not water to the host, and to the beasts, that followed them. (And so the king of Israel, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom, went forth, and travelled on the way for seven days; and then there was no more water for the army, and for the beasts, that followed them.)
10 And the king of Israel said, Alas! alas! alas! the Lord hath gathered together us three kings to betake us in(to) the hand of Moab. (And the king of Israel said, Alas! alas! alas! the Lord hath gathered us three kings together to deliver (us) into the hands of the Moabites.)
11 And Jehoshaphat said, Whether any prophet of the Lord is here, (so) that we (can) beseech the Lord by him? And one of the servants of the king of Israel answered, Elisha, the son of Shaphat, is here, that poured water upon the hands of Elijah, (or Elisha, the son of Shaphat, is here, who poured water upon Elijah’s hands).
12 And Jehoshaphat said, Is the word of the Lord at him? Which said, Yea/It is, (or And Jehoshaphat said, And the word of the Lord is with him). And (so) the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and the king of Edom, went down to him.
13 And Elisha said to the king of Israel, What is to me and to thee, an idolater? Go thou to the prophets of thy father and of thy mother. And the king of Israel said to him, Why hath the Lord gathered together these three kings, to betake them into the hands of Moab? (or But the king of Israel said to him, No! for the Lord hath gathered these three kings together, to deliver them into the hands of the Moabites).
14 And Elisha said to him, The Lord of hosts liveth, in whose sight I stand, if I were not ashamed† of the cheer of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, truly I had not perceived, neither I had beheld thee. (And Elisha said to him, As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, if I did not have such great respect for Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, truly I would not have bothered to look upon thee, nor receive thee into my presence.)
15 Now forsooth bring ye to me a psalterer (or But now bring ye to me a singer of psalms, or of songs). And when the psalterer sang, the hand of the Lord was made upon Elisha,
16 and he said, The Lord saith these things, Make ye the womb, either the depth, of this strand, ditches and ditches. (and he said, The Lord saith these things, Make ye the trough of this dry stream, or this dry riverbed, into ditches and ditches.)
17 For the Lord saith these things, Ye shall not see wind, neither rain, and this depth shall be filled with waters, and ye shall drink, and your families, and your beasts. (For the Lord saith these things, Though ye shall not see wind, or rain, yet this depth shall be filled with water, so that ye, and your families, and your beasts, shall have water to drink.)
18 And this is (but a) little thing in the sight of the Lord. Furthermore also he shall betake Moab into your hands (or And furthermore he shall deliver the Moabites into your hands);
19 and ye shall smite each strengthened city, and each chosen city, and ye shall cut down each tree bearing fruit, and ye shall stop all the wells of waters, and ye shall cover with stones each noble field. (and ye shall strike down each fortified city, and each chosen city, and ye shall cut down each fruit-bearing tree, and ye shall stop, or close up, all the water wells, or all the springs, and ye shall cover each fertile field with stones.)
20 Therefore it was done early, when (the) sacrifice is wont to be offered, and, lo! waters came by the way of Edom, and the land was filled with waters.
21 Soothly all the men of Moab heard, that these kings had gone up to fight against them; and they called together all men, that were gird with a knight’s girdle above, and they stood in the terms. (And all the Moabites heard, that (these) kings had gone up to fight against them; (and they) called together all the men who were girded with a horseman’s girdle, and who were stationed at the border.)
22 And men of Moab rose full early, and when the sun was risen then even against the waters, they saw the waters (as) red as blood even against them. (And the men of Moab rose up very early, and when the sun rose up over the water, they saw that the water before them was as red as blood or was red like blood.)
23 And they said, It is the blood of (the) sword, that is, shed out by (the) sword; [the] kings have fought against themselves, and they be slain together (or and they have killed one another); now go thou, Moab, to the prey.
24 And they went into the castles of Israel; forsooth Israel rose, and smote Moab, and they fled before the men of Israel. Then they that had over-come, came, and smote Moab, (And they went to the tents, or to the camp, of the Israelites; but Israel rose up, and struck down the Moabites, and they fled before the men of Israel. Then the Israelites came forth, and entered, and struck down the Moabites in their own land,)
25 and destroyed their cities; and all men sending stones filled each best field, and stopped all the wells of waters, and cut down all the trees bearing fruit, so that only [the] earthen walls were left; and the city was compassed of men setting engines, and it was smitten by great part thereof. (and destroyed their cities; and all the men threw stones, and filled up each best field, and they stopped, or closed up, all the water wells, or all the springs, and cut down all the fruit-bearing trees, so that only the walls in Kirhareseth were left; and the city was encompassed, or surrounded, with men setting up engines, or bulwarks, and a great part of it was struck down.)
26 And when the king of Moab had seen this, that is, that the enemies had the mastery, he took with him seven hundred men drawing out swords, that they should break (through) into the king of Edom; and they might not. (And when the king of Moab had seen this, that is, that the enemies had the mastery, he took with him seven hundred men drawing out swords, to try to break through to the king of Edom; but they could not do so.)
27 And he took his first engendered son, that should reign for him, and offered him(as) a burnt sacrifice on the wall; and great indignation was made in Israel; and anon they went away from him, and turned again into their land. (And so he took his first-born son, who would reign for him, and offered him as a burnt sacrifice on the wall; and great indignation was felt by all the Israelites; and at once they went away from him, and returned to their own land.)
* CHAPTER 3:1 Also known as Jehoram. † CHAPTER 3:14 ‘ashamed’; in denying his asking to him (or in denying his request), since he is faithful and devout.