2 Kings, 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.

1. Jehoram, son of Ahab, began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and he reigned for 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.

2. He did what was displeasing to Yahweh, but not as his father or mother had done, for he removed the statue of Baal which 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.

3. Nonetheless he clung to the sin of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, which had become the sin of Israel, and did not depart from it.

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.

4. Mesha, the king of Moab, had flocks of sheep. He paid the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs and a hundred thousand rams with their wool annually.

5. But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.

5. But when Ahab died, 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.

6. At that time, King Jehoram set out from Samaria to mobilize the whole of 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.

7. He also sent word to Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, "The king of Moab has rebelled against me; will you come with me to fight against Moab?" Jehoshaphat answered him, "I will go with you, for you and I are one; my men and my horses are at your disposal."

8. And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom.

8. Jehoram asked, "By which way shall we go up?" And he answered, "By the way of the desert 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.

9. The kings of Israel, of Judah and of Edom had been going around for seven days, and there was no water for the soldiers and for the animals 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!

10. Then the king of Israel said, "Yahweh has called us three kings to give us into the hands 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.

11. Then Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there no prophet of Yahweh here, through whom we may consult Yahweh?" One of the servants of the king of Israel said, "Elisha, son of Shaphat, is here. It was he who 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.

12. And Jehoshaphat agreed, "Indeed, God's word comes to him." So the king of Israel, the king of Edom and Jehoshaphat went down to Elisha.

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.

13. Elisha said to the king of Israel, "What have I to do with you? Go see the prophets of your father or those of your mother." But the king of Israel asked him, "Has Yahweh perhaps called us three together to deliver us into the hands 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.

14. Elisha replied, "Had not Jehoshaphat the king of Judah been before me, I swear by Yahweh God of Hosts whom I serve, that I would not attend to you nor look at you.

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.

15. Now, bring me someone who plays the harp." As the musician played, the hand of Yahweh came upon Elisha

16. And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Make this valley full of ditches.

16. and he said, "This is the word of Yahweh: Dig trenches and more trenches in this valley,

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.

17. for Yahweh says: You shall not see wind or rain, but the valley shall be filled with water, and you, your troops and your livestock will drink.

18. And this is [but] a light thing in the sight of the LORD: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.

18. This is an easy thing for Yahweh, for he shall give Moab into your hands.

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.

19. You shall conquer all the fortified cities, cut down all fruit-bearing trees, close up all the springs of water, and scatter stones in all the plowed fields."

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.

20. In the morning, at the time of the offering, water came from the direction of Edom, and the whole country was flooded.

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.

21. The Moabites had learned that the kings had come to attack them, so they gathered together all the men able to bear arms and positioned them at 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:

22. When they woke up in the morning, they saw the sun shining upon the water, and this appeared to them as if it were 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.

23. So the Moabites said, "Look at the blood; the kings have surely turned against one another and killed each other. Let us now go and gather the booty!"

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.

24. But when they came to the camp the Israelites confronted, defeated and routed them. The Israelites pursued and entered Moab.

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.

25. They destroyed the cities of Moab, and each man threw stones on the fertile land, until it was covered. They closed up the springs of water and cut down fruit trees. Only Kir-hareseth was left with stones, but men armed with slings, surrounded the city and began harassing 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.

26. When the king of Moab saw that his enemies were winning, he gathered seven hundred warriors to break through the blockade, opposite the king of Edom. But they did not succeed.

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.

27. So he took his firstborn son who was to succeed him as king, and sacrificed him in the fire upon the wall. The fury that came upon the Israelites was great, so they withdrew from there and returned to their own land.