2 Kings 3

Jehoram becomes Israel’s king

In the eighteenth year of King Jehoshaphat’s reign over Judah, Ahab’s son Jehoram became Israel’s king, reigning from Samaria, and reigning for twelve years. He did evil in the Existing One’s sight, but not as bad as his parents, since he at least removed the Baal that his father had established. Nevertheless, he continued in the offenses Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) committed, thus leading Israel in those same ways.

Israel and Judah confront Moab

Now Moab’s king Mesha was a sheep breeder, and Israel placed an order for 100,000 lambs and their wool. But when Ahab died, Moab’s king neglected to deliver the order. So King Jehoram drafted an army from the entire country of Israel and marched them out of Samaria. He told Judah’s King Jehoshaphat,

“Moab’s king disrespected me. Will you join me in battle against him?”

Jehoshaphat replied,

“I’ll be by your side. We are one: my people are your people, and my horses are your horses.”

Then he added,

“Which direction will we attack from?”

Jehoram answered,

“We’ll attack from the wilderness of Edom.”

Israel and Judah run out of supplies, ask Elisha

So Israel, Judah, and Edom got together, and when they had marched for seven days, they ran out of water for their armies and animals. Israel’s king said,

“Dang! The Existing One must have gathered the three of us just to hand us over to Moab.”

And Jehoshaphat said,

“Don’t we have a prophet of the Existing One here who can ask the Existing One for us?”

One of Israel’s King’s servants answered,

“We have Shaphat’s son Elisha here, who was Elijah’s apprentice.”

So the three kings went to find him.

Elisha listens to music, foretells provision and victory

Elisha asked Israel’s king,

“What do I have to do with you? Go to the prophets your parents used.”

But Israel’s king replied,

“No, we think the Existing One brought us together just to hand us over the Moab.”

Elisha said,

“As surely as the Existing One lives, if it weren’t for Judah’s King Jehoshaphat, I wouldn’t even look at you. But fine: bring me a musician.”

And when the musician played, the Existing One’s laid his hand on him. He said,

“Here’s what the Existing One says: ‘I will take this dried up river bed and fill it with pools.’ And he says, 'You won’t see any wind or rain, but that river bed will be filled with water so you and your animals can drink.’ This is a small thing to the Existing One. He will also hand the Moabites over to you. You will attack their best cities, cut down their best trees, clog their springs, and ruin their best lands." 

Moabites see blood, Israel and Judah attack, Moab’s king sacrifices son unleashing “major fury,” Israel and Judah retreat

Sure enough, the next morning around the time for the sacrifices, water came from the direction of Edom until the entire countryside was filled with water. When all the Moabites heard that the kings had come to fight them, everyone who could put on armor, from the youngest to the oldest were stationed at the border. When they got up early and saw the water with the sun reflecting off it, it looked red like blood. The Moabites said to themselves,

“See all that blood? Conflict must have broken out among the kings. Now’s our chance to attack!”

But when they reached Israel’s campsite, the Israelites slaughtered the Moabites until they retreated. Israel advanced, slaughtering the Moabites as they went. And they overthrew the cities and ruined their lands by filling it with rubble. They stopped up all the springs, and knocked down all the best trees. Kir-hareseth was the only fortified area left, but men with slings surrounded it and attacked it. When Moab’s king saw the devastation, he took 700 swordsmen and tried to counterattack Edom’s soldiers, but they were unsuccessful. Then he took his oldest son who was destined to inherit the throne and sacrificed him as a burnt offering on the wall. Then Israel experienced some major fury, and retreated back to their own country.