2 Kings 3:1-19

The Reign of Jehoram of Israel

3¹ Now Jehoram the son of Ahab became king over Israel at Samaria in the eighteenth e year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah , and reigned twelve e years . ² He did evil in the sight of the Lord , though not like his father and his mother ; for he put away the sacred pillar of Baal which his father had made . ³ Nevertheless , he clung to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat , which he made Israel sin ; he did not depart from them.

Elisha Predicts Victory over Moab

⁴ Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder , and used to pay the king of Israel 100,000 e lambs and the wool of 100,000 e rams . ⁵ But when Ahab died , the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel .

⁶ And King Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time and mustered all Israel . ⁷ Then he went and sent word to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah , saying , "The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab ?" And he said , "I will go up; I am as you are, my people as your people , my horses as your horses ." ⁸ He said , "Which e way shall we go up?" And he answered , "The way of the wilderness of Edom ." ⁹ So the king of Israel went with 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 army or for the cattle that followed them. ¹⁰ Then the king of Israel said , "Alas ! For the Lord has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab ." ¹¹ But Jehoshaphat said , " Is there not a prophet of the Lord here , that we may inquire of the Lord by him?" And one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said , " Elisha the son of Shaphat is here , who used to pour water on the hands of Elijah ." ¹² 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. ¹³ Now Elisha said to the king of Israel , "What do I have to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother ." And the king of Israel said to him, "No , for the Lord has called these three kings together to give them into the hand of Moab ." ¹⁴ Elisha said , " As the Lord of hosts lives , before whom I stand , were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah , I would not look at you nor see you. ¹⁵ "But now bring me a minstrel ." And it came about, when the minstrel played , that the hand of the Lord came upon him. ¹⁶ He said , "Thus says the Lord , 'Make this valley full of trenches .' ¹⁷ "For thus says the Lord , 'You shall not see wind nor shall you see rain ; yet that valley shall be filled with water , so that you shall drink , both you and your cattle and your beasts . ¹⁸ 'This is but a slight thing in the sight of the Lord ; He will also give the Moabites into your hand . ¹⁹ ' Then you shall strike every fortified city and every choice city , and fell every good tree and stop all springs of water , and mar every good piece of land with stones .' "