2 Kings 3

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Jehoram son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king ofJudah, and reigned for twelve years.	1 Joram, son of Ahab, became king of Israel in Samaria (in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and he reigned for twelve years).
2 He did what is displeasing to Yahweh, though not like his father and mother, for he did away with thepil ar to Baal which his father had made.	2 He did evil in the LORD'S sight, though not as much as his father and mother. He did away with the pillar of Baal, which his father had made,
3 Nonetheless, he continued to practise the sins into which Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel and didnot give them up.	3 but he still clung to the sin to which Jeroboam, son of Nebat, had lured Israel; this he did not give up.
4 Mesha king of Moab was a sheep-breeder and used to pay the king of Israel in tribute a hundredthousand lambs and a hundred thousand rams with their wool.	4 Now Mesha, king of Moab, who raised sheep, used to pay the king of Israel as tribute a hundred thousand lambs and the wool of a hundred thousand rams.
5 But when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebel ed against the king of Israel.	5 But when Ahab died, the king of Moab had rebelled against the king of Israel.
6 At once King Jehoram left Samaria and mustered al Israel.	6 Joram as king mustered all Israel, and when he set out on a campaign from Samaria,
7 After this he sent word to the king of Judah, 'The king of Moab has rebel ed against me. Wil you go towar with me against Moab?' 'I wil ,' he replied. 'I wil be as you, my men as yours, my horses as yours,'	7 he sent the king of Judah the message: "The king of Moab is in rebellion against me. Will you join me in battle against Moab?" "I will," he replied. "You and I shall be as one, your people and mine, and your horses and mine as well."
8 and added, 'Which way are we to attack?' 'Through the desert of Edom,' the other answered.	8 They discussed the route for their attack, and settled upon the route through the desert of Edom.
9 So they set out, the king of Israel, the king of Judah and the king of Edom. They carried out a flankingmovement for seven days, until there was no water left for the troops or for the beasts of their baggage train.	9 So the king of Israel set out, accompanied by the king of Judah and the king of Edom. After their roundabout journey of seven days the water gave out for the army and for the animals with them.
10 'Alas!' the king of Israel exclaimed, 'Yahweh has summoned us three kings, only to put us into thepower of Moab.'	10 "Alas!" exclaimed the king of Israel. "The LORD has called together these three kings to put them in the grasp of Moab."
11 But the king of Judah said, 'Is there no prophet of Yahweh here for us to consult Yahweh through him?'One of the king of Israel's servants answered, 'Elisha son of Shaphat is here, who used to pour water on thehands of Elijah.'	11 But the king of Judah asked, "Is there no prophet of the LORD here through whom we may inquire of the LORD?" One of the officers of the king of Israel replied, "Elisha, son of Shaphat, who poured water on the hands of Elijah, is here."
12 'The word of Yahweh is with him,' the king of Judah said. So the king of Israel, the king of Judah andthe king of Edom went to consult him.	12 "He has the word of the LORD," the king of Judah agreed. So the kings of Israel, Judah, and Edom went down to Elisha.
13 But Elisha said to the king of Israel, 'What business have you with me? Go to your father's and yourmother's prophets.' 'No,' the king of Israel answered, 'Yahweh is the one who has summoned us three kings,only to put us into the power of Moab.' Elisha replied,	13 "What do you want with me?" Elisha asked the king of Israel. "Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother." "No," the king of Israel replied. "The LORD has called these three kings together to put them in the grasp of Moab."
14 'By the life of Yahweh Sabaoth whom I serve, if I did not respect the king of Judah, I would take nonotice of you, nor so much as look at you.	14 Then Elisha said, "As the LORD of hosts lives, whom I serve, were it not that I respect the king of Judah, I should neither look at you nor notice you at all.
15 Now bring me someone who can play the lyre.' And as the musician played, the hand of Yahweh cameon him	15 Now get me a minstrel." When the minstrel played, the power of the LORD came upon Elisha
16 and he said, 'Yahweh says this, "Dig in this val ey ditch after ditch,"	16 and he announced: "Thus says the LORD, 'Provide many catch basins in this wadi.'
17 for Yahweh says, "You wil see no wind, you will see no rain, but this val ey wil become ful of water,and you and your troops and your baggage animals will drink."	17 For the LORD says, 'Though you will see neither wind nor rain, yet this wadi will be filled with water for you, your livestock, and your pack animals to drink.'
18 But this is only a trifle in Yahweh's eyes, for he wil put Moab itself into your power.	18 And since the LORD does not consider this enough, he will also deliver Moab into your grasp.
19 You wil storm every fortified town, fell every productive tree, block every water-hole, ruin al the bestfields with stones.'	19 You shall destroy every fortified city, fell every fruit tree, stop up all the springs, and ruin every fertile field with stones."
20 Next morning at the time when the oblation was being offered, water came from the direction of Edom,and the whole terrain was flooded.	20 In the morning, at the time of the sacrifice, water came from the direction of Edom and filled the land.
21 When the Moabites learned that the kings were advancing to fight them, al those of an age to beararms were mobilised; they took up position on the frontier.	21 Meanwhile, all Moab heard that the kings had come to give them battle; every man capable of bearing arms was called up and stationed at the border.
22 In the morning when they got up, the sun was shining on the water; and in the distance the Moabitessaw the water as red as blood.	22 Early that morning, when the sun shone on the water, the Moabites saw the water at a distance as red as blood.
23 'This is blood!' they said. 'The kings must have fought among themselves and killed one another. Sonow for the booty, Moab!'	23 "This is blood!" they exclaimed. "The kings have fought among themselves and killed one another. Quick! To the spoils, Moabites!"
24 But when they reached the Israelite camp, the Israelites launched their attack and the Moabites fledbefore them, and as they advanced they cut the Moabites to pieces.	24 But when they reached the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and attacked the Moabites, who fled from them. They ranged through the countryside striking down the Moabites, and
25 They laid the towns in ruins, and each man threw a stone into al the best fields to fil them up, and theyblocked every water-hole and felled every productive tree. In the end, there was only Kir-Hareseth left, which theslingers surrounded and bombarded.	25 destroying the cities; each of them cast stones onto every fertile field till they had loaded it down; all the springs they stopped up and every useful tree they felled. Finally only Kir-hareseth was left behind its stone walls, and the slingers had surrounded it and were attacking it.
26 When the king of Moab saw that the battle had turned against him, he mustered seven hundredswordsmen in the hope of breaking a way out and going to the king of Aram, but he failed.	26 When he saw that he was losing the battle, the king of Moab took seven hundred swordsmen to break through to the king of Aram, but he failed.
27 Then he took his eldest son who was to succeed him and offered him as a sacrifice on the city wal .Alarmed at this, the Israelites withdrew and retired to their own territory.	27 So he took his first-born, his heir apparent, and offered him as a holocaust upon the wall. The wrath against Israel was so great that they gave up the siege and returned to their own land.