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1 And Joram the son of Achaab *began to reign in Israel in the eighteenth year of Josaphat king of Juda, and he reigned twelve years. 2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, only not as his father, nor as his mother: and he removed the pillars of Baal which his father had made. 3 Only he adhered to the sin of Jeroboam the son of Nabat, who made Israel to sin; he departed not from it.
4 And Mosa king of Moab was a sheep-master, and he rendered to the king of Israel †in the beginning of the year, a hundred thousand lambs, and a hundred thousand rams, with the wool. 5 And it came to pass, after the death of Achaab, that the king of Moab ‡rebelled against the king of Israel.
6 And king Joram went forth in that day out of Samaria, and numbered Israel. 7 And he went and sent to Josaphat king of Juda, saying, The king of Moab has rebelled against me: wilt thou go with me against Moab to war? And he said, I will go up: thou art as I, I am as thou; as my people, so is thy people, as my horses, so are thy horses. 8 And he said, What way shall I go up? and he said, The way of the wilderness of Edom. 9 And the king of Israel went, and the king of Juda, and the king of Edom: and §they fetched a compass of seven days' journey; and there was no water for the army, and for the cattle **that went with them.
10 And the king of Israel said, Alas! that the Lord should have called the three kings on their way, to give them into the hand of Moab. 11 And Josaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, ††that we may enquire of the Lord by him? And one of the servants of the king of Israel answered and said, There is here Elisaie son of Saphat, who poured water on the hands of Eliu. 12 And Josaphat said, He has the word of the Lord. And the king of Israel, and Josaphat king of Juda, and the king of Edom, went down to him.
13 And Elisaie said to the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? go to the prophets of thy father, and the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said to him, ‡‡Has the Lord called the three kings to deliver them into the hands of Moab? 14 And Elisaie said, As the Lord of hosts before whom I §§stand lives, unless I ***regarded the presence of Josaphat the king of Juda, I would not have looked on thee, nor seen thee. 15 And now fetch me a harper. And it came to pass, as the harper harped, that the hand of the Lord came upon him. 16 And he said, Thus saith the Lord, Make this †††valley full of trenches. 17 For thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain, yet this valley shall be filled with water, and ye, and your ‡‡‡flocks, and your cattle shall drink. 18 And this is a light thing in the eyes of the Lord: I will also deliver Moab §§§into your hand. 19 And ye shall smite every strong city, and ye shall *cut down every good tree, and ye shall stop all wells of water, and spoil every good piece of land with stones.
20 And it came to pass in the morning, when the sacrifice was †offered, that, behold! waters came from the way of Edom, and the land was filled with water.
21 And all Moab heard that the three kings were come up to fight against them; and they cried out ‡on every side, even all that were girt with a girdle, §and they said, Ho! and stood upon the border. 22 And they rose early in the morning, and the sun rose upon the waters, and Moab saw the waters on the opposite side red as blood. 23 And they said, This is the blood of the sword; and the kings have fought, and each man has smitten his neighbour; now then to the spoils, Moab. 24 And they entered into the camp of Israel; and Israel arose and smote Moab, and they fled from before them; and they **went on and smote Moab as they went. 25 And they razed the cities, and cast every man his stone on every good piece of land and filled it; and they stopped every well, and ††cut down every good tree, until they left only the stones of the wall cast down; and the slingers compassed the land, and smote it. 26 And the king of Moab saw that the battle prevailed against him; and he took with him seven hundred men that drew sword, to cut through to the king of Edom: and they could not. 27 And he took his eldest son whom he had designed to reign in his stead, and offered him up for a whole-burnt-offering on the walls. And there was a great ‡‡indignation against Israel; and they departed from him, and returned to their land.
* 3:1 Gr. reigned. † 3:4 Lit. in the rising up. ‡ 3:5 Gr. despised. § 3:9 Gr. compassed a journey of seven days. ** 3:9 Gr. at their feet. †† 3:11 Gr. and we will. ‡‡ 3:13 Gr. is it that. §§ 3:14 Gr. stood. *** 3:14 Gr. regard. ††† 3:16 Lit. brook. ‡‡‡ 3:17 Lit. posessions. §§§ 3:18 Gr. in. * 3:19 Gr. throw down. † 3:20 Gr. going up. ‡ 3:21 Gr. from. § 3:21 Alex. καὶ ἐπάνα, 'and above.' ** 3:24 Gr. went in, going in and smiting. †† 3:25 Gr. threw down. ‡‡ 3:27 Gr. repentance.