2 Kings 3

NEW JERUSALEM	Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
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 In the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned 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 what was evil in the sight of the LORD, though not like his father and mother, for he put away 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 Nevertheless he clung to the sin of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin; he did not depart from it.
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 was a sheep breeder; and he had to deliver annually to the king of Israel 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 rebelled against the king of Israel.
6 At once King Jehoram left Samaria and mustered al Israel.	6 So King Jehoram marched out of Samaria at that time and mustered all Israel.
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 And he went and sent word to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, "The king of Moab has rebelled against me; will you go with me to battle against Moab?" And he said, "I will go; I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses."
8 and added, 'Which way are we to attack?' 'Through the desert of Edom,' the other answered.	8 Then he said, "By which way shall we march?" Jehoram answered, "By the way of the wilderness 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 went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. And when they had made a circuitous march of seven days, there was no water for the army or for the beasts which followed them.
10 'Alas!' the king of Israel exclaimed, 'Yahweh has summoned us three kings, only to put us into thepower of Moab.'	10 Then the king of Israel said, "Alas! The LORD has called these three kings to give them into the hand 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 And Jehoshaphat said, "Is there no prophet of the LORD here, through whom we may inquire of the LORD?" Then one of the king of Israel's servants answered, "Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah."
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 And 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 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 And Elisha said to the king of Israel, "What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother." But the king of Israel said to him, "No; it is the LORD who has called these three kings to give them into the hand 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 And Elisha said, "As the LORD of hosts lives, whom I serve, were it not that I have regard for Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would neither look at you, nor see you.
15 Now bring me someone who can play the lyre.' And as the musician played, the hand of Yahweh cameon him	15 But now bring me a minstrel." And when the minstrel played, the power of the LORD came upon him.
16 and he said, 'Yahweh says this, "Dig in this val ey ditch after ditch,"	16 And he said, "Thus says the LORD, 'I will make this dry stream-bed full of pools.'
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 thus says the LORD, 'You shall not see wind or rain, but that stream-bed shall be filled with water, so that you shall drink, you, your cattle, and your beasts.'
18 But this is only a trifle in Yahweh's eyes, for he wil put Moab itself into your power.	18 This is a light thing in the sight of the LORD; he will also give the Moabites into your hand,
19 You wil storm every fortified town, fell every productive tree, block every water-hole, ruin al the bestfields with stones.'	19 and you shall conquer every fortified city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop up all springs of water, and ruin every good piece of land 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 The next morning, about the time of offering the sacrifice, behold, water came from the direction of Edom, till the country was filled with water.
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 When all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, all who were able to put on armor, from the youngest to the oldest, were called out, and were drawn up at the frontier.
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 And when they rose early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, the Moabites saw the water opposite them 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 And they said, "This is blood; the kings have surely fought together, and slain one another. Now then, Moab, to the spoil!"
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 came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose and attacked the Moabites, till they fled before them; and they went forward, slaughtering the Moabites as they went.
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 And they overthrew the cities, and on every good piece of land every man threw a stone, until it was covered; they stopped every spring of water, and felled all the good trees; till only its stones were left in Kir-hareseth, and the slingers surrounded and conquered 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 the king of Moab saw that the battle was going against him, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through, opposite the king of Edom; but they could not.
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 Then he took his eldest son who was to reign in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall. And there came great wrath upon Israel; and they withdrew from him and returned to their own land.