3:1 And Joram the son of Achaab began to
reign in Israel in the eighteenth year of Josaphat king of Juda, and he
reigned twelve years.
3:2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, only not as his
father, nor as his mother: and he removed the pillars of Baal which his
father had made.
3:3 Only he adhered to the sin of Jeroboam the son of Nabat, who made Israel
to sin; he departed not from it.
3:4 And Mosa king of Moab was a sheep-master, and he rendered to the king of
Israel in the beginning [of the year], a hundred thousand lambs, and a
hundred thousand rams, with the wool.
3:5 And it came to pass, after the death of Achaab, that the king of Moab
rebelled against the king of Israel.
3:6 And king Joram went forth in that day out of Samaria, and numbered
Israel.
3:7 And he went and sent to Josaphat king of Juda, saying, The king of Moab
has rebelled against me: wilt thou go with me against Moab to war? And he
said, I will go up: thou art as I, I am as thou; as my people, so [is] thy
people, as my horses, so [are] thy horses.
3:8 And he said, What way shall I go up? and he said, The way of the
wilderness of Edom.
3:9 And the king of Israel went, and the king of Juda, and the king of Edom:
and they fetched a compass of seven days' journey; and there was no water
for the army, and for the cattle that went with them.
3:10 And the king of Israel said, Alas! that the Lord should have called the
three kings on their way, to give them into the hand of Moab.
3:11 And Josaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may
enquire of the Lord by him? And one of the servants of the king of Israel
answered and said, [There is] here Elisaie son of Saphat, who poured water
on the hands of Eliu.
3:12 And Josaphat said, He has the word of the Lord. And the king of Israel,
and Josaphat king of Juda, and the king of Edom, went down to him.
3:13 And Elisaie said to the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? go
to the prophets of thy father, and the prophets of thy mother. And the king
of Israel said to him, Has the Lord called the three kings to deliver them
into the hands of Moab?
3:14 And Elisaie said, [As] the Lord of hosts before whom I stand lives,
unless I regarded the presence of Josaphat the king of Juda, I would not
have looked on thee, nor seen thee.
3:15 And now fetch me a harper. And it came to pass, as the harper harped,
that the hand of the Lord came upon him.
3:16 And he said, Thus saith the Lord, Make this valley full of trenches.
3:17 For thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see
rain, yet this valley shall be filled with water, and ye, and your flocks,
and your cattle shall drink.
3:18 And this [is] a light [thing] in the eyes of the Lord: I will also
deliver Moab into your hand.
3:19 And ye shall smite every strong city, and ye shall cut down every good
tree, and ye shall stop all wells of water, and spoil every good piece [of
land] with stones.
3:20 And it came to pass in the morning, when the sacrifice was offered,
that, behold! waters came from the way of Edom, and the land was filled with
water.
3:21 And all Moab heard that the three kings were come up to fight against
them; and they cried out on every [side, even] all that were girt with a
girdle, and they said, Ho! and stood upon the border.
3:22 And they rose early in the morning, and the sun rose upon the waters,
and Moab saw the waters on the opposite side red as blood.
3:23 And they said, This [is] the blood of the sword; and the kings have
fought, and each man has smitten his neighbour; now then to the spoils,
Moab.
3:24 And they entered into the camp of Israel; and Israel arose and smote
Moab, and they fled from before them; and they went on and smote Moab as
they went.
3:25 And they razed the cities, and cast every man his stone on every good
piece [of land] and filled it; and they stopped every well, and cut down
every good tree, until they left [only] the stones of the wall cast down;
and the slingers compassed [the land], and smote it.
3:26 And the king of Moab saw that the battle prevailed against him; and he
took with him seven hundred men that drew sword, to cut through to the king
of Edom: and they could not.
3:27 And he took his eldest son whom he had designed to reign in his stead,
and offered him up for a whole-burnt-offering on the walls. And there was a
great indignation against Israel; and they departed from him, and returned
to their land. |
3:1 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.
3:2 And he wrought evil in the sight of the LORD; but not like his father,
and like his mother: for he put away the image of Baal that his father had
made.
3:3 Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat,
which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.
3:4 And Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered unto the king of
Israel an hundred thousand lambs, and an hundred thousand rams, with the
wool.
3:5 But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled
against the king of Israel.
3:6 And king Jehoram went out of Samaria the same time, and numbered all
Israel.
3:7 And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, The king
of Moab hath 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.
3:8 And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through
the wilderness of Edom.
3:9 So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom:
and they fetched a compass of seven days' journey: and there was no water
for the host, and for the cattle that followed them.
3:10 And the king of Israel said, Alas! that the LORD hath called these
three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab!
3:11 But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD, that we
may enquire of the LORD by him? And one of the king of Israel's servants
answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on
the hands of Elijah.
3:12 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.
3:13 And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee?
get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother.
And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay: for the LORD hath called these
three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab.
3:14 And Elisha said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, 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.
3:15 But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel
played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him.
3:16 And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Make this valley full of ditches.
3:17 For thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see
rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both
ye, and your cattle, and your beasts.
3:18 And this is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD: he will deliver
the Moabites also into your hand.
3:19 And ye shall smite every fenced city, and every choice city, and shall
fell every good tree, and stop all wells of water, and mar every good piece
of land with stones.
3:20 And it came to pass in the morning, when the meat offering was offered,
that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was
filled with water.
3:21 And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight
against them, they gathered all that were able to put on armor, and upward,
and stood in the border.
3:22 And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the
water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood:
3:23 And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have
smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.
3:24 And 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.
3:25 And they beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land cast
every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the wells of water,
and felled all the good trees: only in Kirharaseth left they the stones
thereof; howbeit the slingers went about it, and smote it.
3:26 And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too sore for him, he
took with him seven hundred men that drew swords, to break through even unto
the king of Edom: but they could not.
3:27 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 against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to
their own land. |