Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, August 9th, 2025
the Week of Proper 13 / Ordinary 18
the Week of Proper 13 / Ordinary 18
video advertismenet
advertisement
advertisement
advertisement
Attention!
For 10¢ a day you can enjoy StudyLight.org ads
free while helping to build churches and support pastors in Uganda.
Click here to learn more!
free while helping to build churches and support pastors in Uganda.
Click here to learn more!
Read the Bible
Bible in Basic English
2 Kings 3:8
And he said, Which way are we to go? And he said in answer, By the waste land of Edom.
Jump to:Bible Study Tools • Parallel Bible Verse • Bible Contextual Overview • Bible Cross-References • Gill's Bible Notes • Clarke's Bible Notes • Barnes' Bible Notes
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- AmericanEncyclopedias:
- CondensedParallel Translations
Christian Standard Bible®
He asked, “Which route should we take?”
He asked, “Which route should we take?”
Hebrew Names Version
He said, Which way shall we go up? He answered, The way of the wilderness of Edom.
He said, Which way shall we go up? He answered, The way of the wilderness of Edom.
King James Version
And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom.
And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom.
English Standard Version
Then he said, "By which way shall we march?" Jehoram answered, "By the way of the wilderness of Edom."
Then he said, "By which way shall we march?" Jehoram answered, "By the way of the wilderness of Edom."
New Century Version
Jehoshaphat asked, "Which way should we attack?" Joram answered, "Through the Desert of Edom."
Jehoshaphat asked, "Which way should we attack?" Joram answered, "Through the Desert of Edom."
New English Translation
He then asked, "Which invasion route are we going to take?" Jehoram answered, "By the road through the Desert of Edom."
He then asked, "Which invasion route are we going to take?" Jehoram answered, "By the road through the Desert of Edom."
Amplified Bible
Jehoram said, "Which way shall we go up?" Jehoshaphat answered, "The way through the Wilderness of Edom."
Jehoram said, "Which way shall we go up?" Jehoshaphat answered, "The way through the Wilderness of Edom."
New American Standard Bible
Then he said, "Which way shall we go up?" And he answered, "The way of the wilderness of Edom."
Then he said, "Which way shall we go up?" And he answered, "The way of the wilderness of Edom."
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then said he, What way shall we goe vp? And he answered, The way of the wildernesse of Edom.
Then said he, What way shall we goe vp? And he answered, The way of the wildernesse of Edom.
Legacy Standard Bible
And he said, "Which way shall we go up?" And he answered, "The way of the wilderness of Edom."
And he said, "Which way shall we go up?" And he answered, "The way of the wilderness of Edom."
Contemporary English Version
But which way should we go?" "We will march through Edom Desert," Joram replied.
But which way should we go?" "We will march through Edom Desert," Joram replied.
Complete Jewish Bible
Which route should we take?" he added. "The road through the desert of Edom," answered Y'horam.
Which route should we take?" he added. "The road through the desert of Edom," answered Y'horam.
Darby Translation
And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he said, By way of the wilderness of Edom.
And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he said, By way of the wilderness of Edom.
Easy-to-Read Version
Jehoshaphat asked Joram, "Which way should we go?" Joram answered, "We should go through the desert of Edom."
Jehoshaphat asked Joram, "Which way should we go?" Joram answered, "We should go through the desert of Edom."
George Lamsa Translation
And he said to him, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, By the way of the wilderness of Edom.
And he said to him, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, By the way of the wilderness of Edom.
Good News Translation
What route shall we take for the attack?" "We will go the long way through the wilderness of Edom," Joram answered.
What route shall we take for the attack?" "We will go the long way through the wilderness of Edom," Joram answered.
Lexham English Bible
Then he said, "Which way shall we go up?" And he answered, "By way of the wilderness of Edom."
Then he said, "Which way shall we go up?" And he answered, "By way of the wilderness of Edom."
Literal Translation
And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom.
And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And sayde morouer: Which waye wil we go vp? He sayde: by the waye in the wyldernesse of Edom.
And sayde morouer: Which waye wil we go vp? He sayde: by the waye in the wyldernesse of Edom.
American Standard Version
And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way of the wilderness of Edom.
And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way of the wilderness of Edom.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he saide: What way shall we go vp? And he aunswered: The way through the wildernesse of Edom.
And he saide: What way shall we go vp? And he aunswered: The way through the wildernesse of Edom.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he said: 'Which way shall we go up?' And he answered: 'The way of the wilderness of Edom.'
And he said: 'Which way shall we go up?' And he answered: 'The way of the wilderness of Edom.'
King James Version (1611)
And he said, Which way shall we goe vp? And he answered, The way through the wildernesse of Edom.
And he said, Which way shall we goe vp? And he answered, The way through the wildernesse of Edom.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he said, What way shall I go up? and he said, The way of the wilderness of Edom.
And he said, What way shall I go up? and he said, The way of the wilderness of Edom.
English Revised Version
And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way of the wilderness of Edom.
And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way of the wilderness of Edom.
Berean Standard Bible
Then he asked, "Which way shall we go up?" "By way of the Desert of Edom," replied Joram.
Then he asked, "Which way shall we go up?" "By way of the Desert of Edom," replied Joram.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he seide, Bi what weie schulen we stie? And he answeride, Bi the deseert of Ydumee.
And he seide, Bi what weie schulen we stie? And he answeride, Bi the deseert of Ydumee.
Young's Literal Translation
And he saith, `Where [is] this -- the way we go up?' and he saith, `The way of the wilderness of Edom.'
And he saith, `Where [is] this -- the way we go up?' and he saith, `The way of the wilderness of Edom.'
Update Bible Version
And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way of the wilderness of Edom.
And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way of the wilderness of Edom.
Webster's Bible Translation
And he said, which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom.
And he said, which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom.
World English Bible
He said, Which way shall we go up? He answered, The way of the wilderness of Edom.
He said, Which way shall we go up? He answered, The way of the wilderness of Edom.
New King James Version
Then he said, "Which way shall we go up?" And he answered, "By way of the Wilderness of Edom."
Then he said, "Which way shall we go up?" And he answered, "By way of the Wilderness of Edom."
New Living Translation
Then Jehoshaphat asked, "What route will we take?" "We will attack from the wilderness of Edom," Joram replied.
Then Jehoshaphat asked, "What route will we take?" "We will attack from the wilderness of Edom," Joram replied.
New Life Bible
Then he said, "Which way should we go?" And he answered, "By the way of the desert of Edom."
Then he said, "Which way should we go?" And he answered, "By the way of the desert of Edom."
New Revised Standard
Then he asked, "By which way shall we march?" Jehoram answered, "By the way of the wilderness of Edom."
Then he asked, "By which way shall we march?" Jehoram answered, "By the way of the wilderness of Edom."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And he said - Which way, then, shall we go up? And he said - The way of the wilderness of Edom.
And he said - Which way, then, shall we go up? And he said - The way of the wilderness of Edom.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said: Which way shall we go up? But he answered: By the desert of Edom.
And he said: Which way shall we go up? But he answered: By the desert of Edom.
Revised Standard Version
Then he said, "By which way shall we march?" Jeho'ram answered, "By the way of the wilderness of Edom."
Then he said, "By which way shall we march?" Jeho'ram answered, "By the way of the wilderness of Edom."
THE MESSAGE
Joram of Israel Joram son of Ahab began his rule over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. He was king for twelve years. In God 's sight he was a bad king. But he wasn't as bad as his father and mother—to his credit he destroyed the obscene Baal stone that his father had made. But he hung on to the sinful practices of Jeroboam son of Nebat, the ones that had corrupted Israel for so long. He wasn't about to give them up. King Mesha of Moab raised sheep. He was forced to give the king of Israel 100,000 lambs and another 100,000 rams. When Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. So King Joram set out from Samaria and prepared Israel for war. His first move was to send a message to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: "The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Would you join me and fight him?" "I'm with you all the way," said Jehoshaphat. "My troops are your troops, my horses are your horses. Which route shall we take?" "Through the badlands of Edom."
Joram of Israel Joram son of Ahab began his rule over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. He was king for twelve years. In God 's sight he was a bad king. But he wasn't as bad as his father and mother—to his credit he destroyed the obscene Baal stone that his father had made. But he hung on to the sinful practices of Jeroboam son of Nebat, the ones that had corrupted Israel for so long. He wasn't about to give them up. King Mesha of Moab raised sheep. He was forced to give the king of Israel 100,000 lambs and another 100,000 rams. When Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. So King Joram set out from Samaria and prepared Israel for war. His first move was to send a message to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: "The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Would you join me and fight him?" "I'm with you all the way," said Jehoshaphat. "My troops are your troops, my horses are your horses. Which route shall we take?" "Through the badlands of Edom."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
He said, "Which way shall we go up?" And he answered, "The way of the wilderness of Edom."
He said, "Which way shall we go up?" And he answered, "The way of the wilderness of Edom."
Contextual Overview
6 At that time, King Jehoram went out from Samaria and got all Israel together in fighting order. 7 And he sent to Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab has got free from my authority: will you go with me to make war on Moab? And he said, I will go with you: I am as you are, my people as your people, and my horses as your horses. 8 And he said, Which way are we to go? And he said in answer, By the waste land of Edom. 9 So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom by a roundabout way for seven days: and there was no water for the army or for the beasts they had with them. 10 And the king of Israel said, Here is trouble: for the Lord has got these three kings together to give them into the hands of Moab. 11 But Jehoshaphat said, Is there no prophet of the Lord here, through whom we may get directions from the Lord? And one of the king of Israel's men said in answer, Elisha, the son of Shaphat, is here, who was servant to Elijah. 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 have I to do with you? go to the prophets of your father and your mother. And the king of Israel said, No; for the Lord has got these three kings together to give them up into the hands of Moab. 14 Then Elisha said, By the life of the Lord of armies whose servant I am, if it was not for the respect I have for Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, I would not give a look at you, or see you. 15 But now, get me a player of music, and it will come about that while the man is playing, the hand of the Lord will come on me and I will give you the word of the Lord: and they got a player of music, and while the man was playing, the hand of the Lord was on him.
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
the wilderness of Edom: The wilderness of Edom was probably the same as that of Zin or Kadesh, through which the children of Israel passed; extending southward from the Dead Sea, to the eastern branch of the Red Sea. See note on Numbers 13:21. Numbers 21:4, Malachi 1:2, Malachi 1:3
Cross-References
Genesis 3:1
Now the snake was wiser than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, Has God truly said that you may not take of the fruit of any tree in the garden?
Now the snake was wiser than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, Has God truly said that you may not take of the fruit of any tree in the garden?
Genesis 3:2
And the woman said, We may take of the fruit of the trees in the garden:
And the woman said, We may take of the fruit of the trees in the garden:
Genesis 3:3
But of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God has said, If you take of it or put your hands on it, death will come to you.
But of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God has said, If you take of it or put your hands on it, death will come to you.
Genesis 3:9
And the voice of the Lord God came to the man, saying, Where are you?
And the voice of the Lord God came to the man, saying, Where are you?
Genesis 3:10
And he said, Hearing your voice in the garden I was full of fear, because I was without clothing: and I kept myself from your eyes.
And he said, Hearing your voice in the garden I was full of fear, because I was without clothing: and I kept myself from your eyes.
Genesis 3:12
And the man said, The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me the fruit of the tree and I took it.
And the man said, The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me the fruit of the tree and I took it.
Genesis 3:21
And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife coats of skins for their clothing.
And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife coats of skins for their clothing.
Genesis 3:22
And the Lord God said, Now the man has become like one of us, having knowledge of good and evil; and now if he puts out his hand and takes of the fruit of the tree of life, he will go on living for ever.
And the Lord God said, Now the man has become like one of us, having knowledge of good and evil; and now if he puts out his hand and takes of the fruit of the tree of life, he will go on living for ever.
Deuteronomy 4:33
Has any people ever gone on living after hearing the voice of God out of the heart of the fire as you did?
Has any people ever gone on living after hearing the voice of God out of the heart of the fire as you did?
Deuteronomy 5:25
Why then is death to be our fate? For if the voice of the Lord our God comes to us any more, death will overtake us, and we will be burned up in this great fire.
Why then is death to be our fate? For if the voice of the Lord our God comes to us any more, death will overtake us, and we will be burned up in this great fire.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
And he said, which way shall we go up.... That is, Jehoram said so to Jehoshaphat, consulting with him which was the best way to take to the land of Moab, whether the shortest way, over Jordan; or some other:
and he answered, the way through the wilderness of Edom; which bordered upon it, and the same through which the Israelites passed; for Kadesh was on the extreme border of Edom, whither they came, Numbers 20:1 and this Jehoshaphat proposed, partly that they might come upon Moab unawares, and attack them where they were weakest, and not on their guard; and partly, to take the king of Edom with them, who was no other than Jehoshaphat's deputy, and so be assisting to them, and prevent him from revolting, which otherwise he might take this opportunity of doing.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
The readiest and most natural âwayâ was across the Jordan near Jericho into the Arboth-Moab, and then along the eastern shore of the Dead Sea to Moab proper, the tract south of the Arnon. But the way chosen was that which led to the Edomite country, namely, round the southern extremity of the Dead Sea, and across the Arabah, or continuation of the Jordan and Dead Sea valley. Thus would be effected a junction with the forces of Edom, which had resumed its dependence on Judah, though the year before it had been in alliance with Moab 2 Chronicles 20:22; and they would come upon the Moabites unprepared.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 2 Kings 3:8. Through the wilderness of Edom. — Because he expected the king of Edom to join them, as we find he did; for, being tributary to Judah, he was obliged to do it.
