Book 11 : NEVIIM - II KINGS - Chapter 003
03:001
Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in
Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve
years
03:002
And he did that which was evil in the sight of HaShem; but
not like his father, and like his mother; for he put away the pillar of Baal
that his father had made
03:003
Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son
of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom
03:004
Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep-master; and he rendered
unto the king of Israel the wool of a hundred thousand lambs, and of a hundred
thousand rams
03:005
But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of
Moab rebelled against the king of Israel
03:006
And king Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time, and
mustered all Israel
03:007
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, my horses as thy horses.
03:008
And he said: 'Which way shall we go up?' And he answered:
'The way of the wilderness of Edom.
03:009
So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the
king of Edom; and they made a circuit of seven days' journey; and there was no
water for the host, nor for the beasts that followed them
03:010
And the king of Israel said: 'Alas! for HaShem hath called
these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.
03:011
But Jehoshaphat said: 'Is there not here a prophet of
HaShem, that we may inquire of HaShem by him?' And one of the king of Israel's
servants answered and said: 'Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water
on the hands of Elijah.
03:012
And Jehoshaphat said: 'The word of HaShem is with him.' So
the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him
03:013
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 HaShem hath called
these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.
03:014
And Elisha said: 'As HaShem 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
03:015
But now bring me a minstrel.' And it came to pass, when
the minstrel played, that the hand of HaShem came upon him
03:016
And he said: 'Thus saith HaShem: Make this valley full of
trenches
03:017
For thus saith HaShem: Ye shall not see wind, neither
shall ye see rain, yet that valley shall be filled with water; and ye shall
drink, both ye and your cattle and your beasts
03:018
And this is but a light thing in the sight of HaShem; He
will also deliver the Moabites into your hand
03:019
And ye shall smite every fortified city, and every choice
city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all fountains of water, and mar
every good piece of land with stones.
03:020
And it came to pass in the morning, about the time of
making the offering, that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the
country was filled with water
03:021
Now when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come
up to fight against them, they gathered themselves together, all that were able
to put on armour, and upward, and stood on the border
03:022
And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone
upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water some way off as red as blood
03:023
and they said: 'This is blood: the kings have surely
fought together, and they have smitten each man his fellow; now therefore, Moab,
to the spoil.
03:024
And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites
rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them. And they smote
the land, even Moab, mightily
03:025
And they beat down the cities; and on every good piece of
land they cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the
fountains of water, and felled all the good trees; until there was left only
Kir-hareseth with the stones of the wall thereof; so the slingers encompassed
it, and smote it
03:026
And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too sore
for him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew sword, to break through
unto the king of Edom; but they could not
03:027
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 came
great wrath upon Israel; and they departed from him, and returned to their own
land
Book 11 : NEVIIM - II KINGS - Chapter 003
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