1 Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria theRead the annotation in (2Ki_1:17).eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years.
2 And he wrought euill in the sight of the Lorde, but not like his father nor like his mother: for he tooke away the image of Baal that his father had made.
3 Nevertheless he cleaved unto theHe sacrificed to the golden calves that Jeroboam had made.sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.
4 AndThis was done after David had made the Moabites tributaries to his successors.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 when Ahab was dead, the king of Moab rebelled against the King of Israel.
6 Therefore King Iehoram went out of Samaria the same season, and nombred 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:Read (1Ki_22:4).I [am] as thou [art], my people as thy people, [and] my horses as thy horses.
8 Then said he, What way shall we goe vp? And he answered, The way of the wildernesse of Edom.
9 So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and theMeaning the viceroy, or lieutenant of the king of Judah, (1Ki_22:47).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 Therefore the King of Israel sayde, Alas, that the Lord hath called these three Kings, to giue 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, whichThat is, who was his servant.poured water on the hands of Elijah.
12 And Jehoshaphat said,He is able to instruct us what God's will is in this point.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,He knew that this wicked king would have but used his counsel to serve his turn, and therefore, he disdained to answer him.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,The wicked do not esteem the servants of God unless they are driven by every necessity and fear of the present danger.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 wouldGod suffers his word to be declared to the wicked because of the godly that are among them.not look toward thee, nor see thee.
15 But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrelHe sang songs to God's glory, and so stirred up the prophets heart to prophecy.played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him.
16 And he saide, Thus saith the Lorde, Make this valley full of ditches.
17 For thus saith the Lorde, Ye shall neither see winde nor see raine, yet the valley shalbe filled with water, that ye may drinke, both ye and your cattel, and your beastes.
18 And this is [but] aHe will not only miraculously give you waters, but your enemies also into your hand.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, andThough God bestows his benefits for a time on the enemies, yet he has his seasons, when he will take them away to the intent they might see his vengeance which is prepared for them.mar every good piece of land with stones.
20 And in the morning whe the meat offring was offred, beholde, there came water by the way of Edom: and the countrey was filled with water.
21 And when al the Moabites heard that the Kings were come vp to fight against them, they gathered all that was able to put on harnesse, & vpwarde, and stood in their border.
22 And they rose earely in the morning, when the sunne arose vpon the water, and the Moabites saw the water ouer against them, as red as blood.
23 And they said,The sudden joy of the wicked is but a preparation for their destruction, which is at hand.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 theyMeaning, they followed them into the towns.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 inWhich was one of the principle cities of the Moabites, in which they left nothing but the walls.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 battel was too sore for him, he tooke with him seuen hudreth men that drew the sword, to break through vnto the King of Edom: but they could not.
27 Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, andSome refer it to the king of Edom's son, whom they say he had taken in that skirmish: but rather it seemed to be his own son, whom he offered to his gods to pacify them: which barbarous cruelty moved the Israelites hearts of pity to depart.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.
