Bible, King James Version
2_Kings
2Kgs.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.
[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] Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the
son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not
therefrom.
[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.
[5] But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king
of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.
[6] And king Jehoram went out of Samaria the same time,
and numbered all Israel.
[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.
[8] And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he
answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom.
[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.
[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!
[11] But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of
the LORD, that we may inquire 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.
[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.
[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.
[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.
[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.
[16] And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Make this valley
full of ditches.
[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.
[18] And this is but a light thing in the sight of the
LORD: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.
[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.
[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.
[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 armour, and upward, and stood in the border.
[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:
[23] And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely
slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to
the spoil.
[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.
[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 Kir-haraseth left they the stones thereof; howbeit the
slingers went about it, and smote it.
[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.
[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.
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