2 Kings 3 - Introduction

1 Iehorams reigne.

4 Mesha rebelleth.

6 Iehoram, with Iehoshaphat, and the king of Edom, being distressed for want of water, by Elisha obtaineth water, and promise of victory.

21 The Moabites deceiued by the colour of the water, comming to spoile, are ouercome.

26 The king of Moab, by sacrificing the king of Edoms sonne, raiseth the siege.

[Iehoram King.]

1 Now Iehoram the sonne of Ahab began to reigne ouer Israel in Samaria, the eighteenth yere of Iehoshaphat king of Iudah, and reigned twelue yeeres.

2 And he wrought euill in the sight of the Lord, but not like his father and like his mother; for hee put away the [Note: Hebrew: statue.] image of Baal that his father had made.

3 Neuerthelesse, hee cleaued vnto the sinnes of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat, which made Israel to sinne; he departed not therefrom.

4 And Mesha king of Moab was a sheepe-master, and rendred vnto the king of Israel an hundred thousand lambes, and an hundred thousand rammes, with the wooll.

5 But it came to passe when [Note: 2 Kings 1:1.] Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.

6 And king Iehoram went out of Samaria the same time, and numbred all Israel.

7 And he went, and sent to Iehoshaphat the King of Iudah, saying, The king of Moab hath rebelled against mee: Wilt thou goe with mee against Moab to battell? and he said, I will goe vp: [Note: 1 Kings 22:4.] I am as thou art, my people as thy people, and my horses as thy horses.

8 And he said, Which way shall we goe vp? And he answered, The way through the wildernesse of Edom.

9 So the king of Israel went, and the king of Iudah, and the king of Edom: and they fetcht a compasse of seuen dayes iourney: and there was no water for the hoste, and for the cattell [Note: Hebrew: at their feet.] that followed them.

10 And the king of Israel said, Alas, that the Lord hath called these three kings together, to deliuer them into the hand of Moab.

11 But Iehoshaphat 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 Israels seruants answered, and said, Here is Elisha the sonne of Shaphat, which powred water on the hands of Eliiah.

12 And Iehoshaphat saide, The word of the Lord is with him. So the king of Israel, & Iehoshaphat, and the king of Edom went downe to him.

13 And Elisha saide vnto the king of

[The Moabites are ouercome.]

Israel, What haue I to doe with thee? Get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said vnto him, Nay: for the Lord hath called these three kings together, to deliuer them into the hand of Moab.

14 And Elisha said, As the Lord of hostes liueth, before whom I stand, Surely were it not that I regard the presence of Iehoshaphat the King of Iudah, I would not looke toward thee, nor see thee.

15 But now bring me a minstrell. And it came to passe when the minstrell played, that the hand of the Lord came vpon him.

16 And hee sayde, Thus sayth the Lord, Make this valley full of ditches.

17 For thus sayth the Lord, Yee shall not see winde, neither shall ye see raine, yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drinke, both ye, and your cattell, and your beasts.

18 And this is but a light thing in the sight of the Lord, he will deliuer the Moabites also into your hand.

19 And ye shall smite euery fenced citie, and euery choice citie, and shall fell euery good tree, and stop all welles of water, and [Note: Hebrew: grieue.] marre euery good piece of land with stones.

20 And it came to passe in the morning when the meate offering was offered, that behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the countrey was filled with water.

21 And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come vp to fight against them, they [Note: Hebrew: were cryed together.] gathered all that were able to [Note: Hebrew: gird himselfe with a girdle.] put on armour, and vpward, and stood in the border.

22 And they rose vp early in the morning, and the Sunne shone vpon the water, and the Moabites sawe the water on the other side as red as blood.

23 And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely [Note: Hebrew: destroyed.] slaine, and they haue smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoile.

24 And when they came to the campe of Israel, the Israelites rose vp and smote the Moabites, so that they fledde before them: but [Note: Or, they smote in it, euen smiting.] they went forward smiting the Moabites, euen in their countrey.

25 And they beat downe the cities, and on euery good piece of land cast

[The Moabites are ouercome.]

euery man his stone, and filled it, and they stopped all the welles of water, and felled all the good trees: [Note: Hebrew: vntill he left the stones thereof in Kirharaseth.] onely in Kirharaseth left they the stones thereof: howbeit the slingers went about it, and smote it.

26 And when the king of Moab sawe that the battell was too sore for him, he tooke with him seuen hundred men that drewe swordes, to breake thorow euen vnto the king of Edom: but they could not.

27 Then hee tooke his eldest sonne that should haue reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering vpon the wall: and there was great indignation against Israel, and they departed from him, and returned to their owne land.