-
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.
02 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.
03 Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of
Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to
sin; he departed not therefrom.
04 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.
05 But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that
the king of Moab rebelled against the king of
Israel.
06 And king Jehoram went out of Samaria the same
time, and numbered all Israel.
07 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.
08 And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he
answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom.
09 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 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.
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
Kirharaseth 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.
__________________________________ |
