2 Kings 3:23

Contemporary English Version

and shouted, "Look at that blood! The armies of those kings must have fought and killed each other. Come on, let's go take what's left in their camp."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“This is blood!” they exclaimed. “The kings have crossed swords and their men have killed one another. So, to the spoil, Moab!”

Hebrew Names Version
and they said, This is blood; the kings are surely destroyed, and they have struck each man his fellow: now therefore, Mo'av, to the spoil.

King James Version
And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.

English Standard Version
And they said, "This is blood; the kings have surely fought together and struck one another down. Now then, Moab, to the spoil!"

New Century Version
Then they said, "This is blood! The kings must have fought and killed each other! Come, Moabites, let's take the valuables from the dead bodies!"

New English Translation
The Moabites said, "It's blood! The kings are totally destroyed! They have struck one another down! Now, Moab, seize the plunder!"

Amplified Bible
And they said, "This is blood! Clearly the kings have fought together, and have killed one another. Now then, Moab, to the spoil [and the plunder of the dead soldiers]!"

New American Standard Bible
So they said, "This is blood; the kings must have fought each other, and they have killed one another. Now then, Moab, to the spoils!"

Geneva Bible (1587)
And they saide, This is blood the Kings are surely slaine, and one hath smitten another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoyle.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then they said, "This is blood; the kings have surely fought together, and they have struck down one another. So now, Moab, to the spoil!"

Complete Jewish Bible
said, "That's blood! The kings must have quarreled, and their soldiers killed each other. Mo'av! To the plunder!"

Darby Translation
And they said, This is blood: the kings are entirely destroyed, and have smitten one another; and now, Moab, to the spoil!

Easy-to-Read Version
They said, "Look at the blood! The kings must have fought against each other. They must have destroyed each other. Let's go take the valuable things from the dead bodies!"

George Lamsa Translation
And they said. This is blood; the kings are surely slain, and they have killed one another; now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.

Good News Translation
"It's blood!" they exclaimed. "The three enemy armies must have fought and killed each other! Let's go and loot their camp!"

Lexham English Bible
Then they said, "This is blood! Certainly the kings have fought one another, and each has killed his neighbor. Now, to the war booty, O Moab!"

Literal Translation
And they said, This is blood. The kings fighting have fought one another, and they each man struck his neighbor. And now to the plunder, Moab!

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
& they sayde: It is bloude, ye kynges haue destroyed them selues wt the swerde, & one hath smytten another. Now Moab get the vp to the spoyles.

American Standard Version
and they said, This is blood; the kings are surely destroyed, and they have smitten each man his fellow: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.

Bible in Basic English
Then they said, This is blood: it is clear that destruction has come on the kings; they have been fighting one another: now come, Moab, let us take their goods.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And they saide, This is the blood of slaughter: The kinges are slaine, & one haue smitten another: Now therefore Moab get thee to the spoyle.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
and they said: 'This is blood: the kings have surely fought together, and they have smitten each man his fellow; now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.'

King James Version (1611)
And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slaine, and they haue smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoile.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And they said, This is the blood of the sword; and the kings have fought, and each man has smitten his neighbour; now then to the spoils, Moab.

English Revised Version
and they said, This is blood; the kings are surely destroyed, and they have smitten each man his fellow: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.

Berean Standard Bible
"This is blood!" they exclaimed. "The kings have clashed swords and slaughtered each other. Now to the plunder, Moab!"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And thei seiden, It is the blood of swerd, `that is, sched out bi swerd; kyngis fouyten ayens hem silf, and thei ben slayn togider; now go thou, Moab, to the prey.

Young's Literal Translation
and say, `Blood this [is]; the kings have been surely destroyed, and they smite each his neighbour; and now for spoil, Moab!'

Update Bible Version
and they said, This is blood; the kings are surely destroyed, and they have smitten each man his fellow: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.

Webster's Bible Translation
And they said, This [is] blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.

World English Bible
and they said, This is blood; the kings are surely destroyed, and they have struck each man his fellow: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.

New King James Version
And they said, "This is blood; the kings have surely struck swords and have killed one another; now therefore, Moab, to the spoil!"

New Living Translation
"It's blood!" the Moabites exclaimed. "The three armies must have attacked and killed each other! Let's go, men of Moab, and collect the plunder!"

New Life Bible
They said, "This is blood. For sure the kings have fought and killed one another. So now, Moab, let us take what is left!"

New Revised Standard
They said, "This is blood; the kings must have fought together, and killed one another. Now then, Moab, to the spoil!"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
They said therefore - Blood, - this! Destroyed! The kings have destroyed each other! Yea they have smitten every man his neighbour, - Now, then, to the spoil, O Moab!

Douay-Rheims Bible
And they said: It is the blood of the sword: the kings have fought among themselves, and they have killed one another: go now, Moab, to the spoils.

Revised Standard Version
And they said, "This is blood; the kings have surely fought together, and slain one another. Now then, Moab, to the spoil!"

THE MESSAGE
"Blood! Look at the blood!" they said. "The kings must have fought each other—a bloody massacre! Go for the loot, Moab!"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then they said, "This is blood; the kings have surely fought together, and they have slain one another. Now therefore, Moab, to the spoil!"

Contextual Overview

²⁰ The next morning, while the sacrifice was being offered, water suddenly started flowing from the direction of Edom, and it flooded the land. ²¹ Meanwhile, the people of Moab had heard that the three kings were coming to attack them. They had called together all of their fighting men, from the youngest to the oldest, and these troops were now standing at their border, ready for battle. ²² When they got up that morning, the sun was shining across the water, making it look red. The Moabite troops took one look ²³ and shouted, "Look at that blood! The armies of those kings must have fought and killed each other. Come on, let's go take what's left in their camp." ²⁴ But when they arrived at Israel's camp, the Israelite soldiers came out and attacked them, until they turned and ran away. Israel's army chased them all the way back to Moab, and even there they kept up the attack. ²⁵ The Israelites destroyed the Moabite towns. They chopped down the good trees and stopped up the springs of water, then covered the fertile fields with rocks. Finally, the only city left standing was Kir-Hareseth, but soldiers armed with slings surrounded and attacked it. ²⁶ King Mesha of Moab saw that he was about to be defeated. So he took along seven hundred soldiers with swords and tried to break through the front line where the Edomite troops were positioned. But he failed. ²⁷ He then grabbed his oldest son who was to be the next king and sacrificed him as an offering on the city wall. The Israelite troops were so horrified that they left the city and went back home.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

This is blood: 2 Kings 6:18-20, 2 Kings 7:6

slain: Heb. destroyed

now therefore: Exodus 15:9, Judges 5:30, 2 Chronicles 20:25, Isaiah 10:14

Reciprocal: 1 Chronicles 10:8 - to strip

Cross-References

Genesis 2:5
no grass or plants were growing anywhere. God had not yet sent any rain, and there was no one to work the land.

Genesis 3:19
You will have to sweat to earn a living; you were made out of soil, and you will once again turn into soil."

Genesis 4:2
Later she had another son and named him Abel. Abel became a sheep farmer, but Cain farmed the land.

Genesis 4:12
If you try to farm the land, it won't produce anything for you. From now on, you'll be without a home, and you'll spend the rest of your life wandering from place to place.

Genesis 9:20
Noah farmed the land and was the first to plant a vineyard.

Ecclesiastes 5:9
And since the king is the highest official, he benefits most from the taxes paid on the land.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they said, this is blood,.... They were very confident of it, having no notion of water, there having been no rain for some time; and perhaps it was not usual to see water at any time in this place:

the kings are surely slain; they and their forces:

and they have smitten one another; having quarrelled either about their religion, or about want of water, and the distress they were come into through it, laying the blame of their coming out to war, or of their coming that way, on one another; and the Moabites might rather think something of this kind had happened, from what had lately been done among themselves, and their allies, 2 Chronicles 20:23

now therefore, Moab, to the spoil; having no occasion to fight, or prepare for it; all they had to do was to march directly to the enemy's camp, and plunder it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The sun had risen with a ruddy light, as is frequently the case after a storm (compare Matthew 16:3), nearly over the Israelite camp, and the pits, deep but with small mouths, gleaming redly through the haze which would lie along the newly moistened valley, seemed to the Moabites like pools of blood. The preceding year, they and their allies had mutually destroyed each other 2 Chronicles 20:23. It seemed to them, from their knowledge of the jealousies between Judah, Israel, and Edom, not unlikely that a similar calamity had now befallen their foes.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 3:23. Therefore, Moab, to the spoil. — Thus they came on in a disorderly manner, and fell an easy prey to their enemies.