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Sunday, August 3rd, 2025
the Week of Proper 13 / Ordinary 18
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Read the Bible

Myles Coverdale Bible

2 Kings 3:8

And sayde morouer: Which waye wil we go vp? He sayde: by the waye in the wyldernesse of Edom.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Edom;   Moabites;   Thompson Chain Reference - Jehoshaphat;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Deserts;   Kings;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Mesha;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Beersheba;   Moab;   Palestine;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Government;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Jehoram;   Jehoshaphat;   Moabite Stone;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Dibon;   Edom;   Judah, Kingdom of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - King, Kingship;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Kir-Hareseth;   Mesha;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Edom, Edomites;   Jehoshaphat;   Medeba;   Mesha;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Desert, Wilderness;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Joram, Jehoram;   Mesha ;   Moab, Moabites ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Kirharaseth;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Armor;   Arms;   Jehoshaphat;   Mesha;   Moab;   Samaria;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Eli'sha;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Israel;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Edox, Idumea;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
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.
King James Version
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."
New Century Version
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."
Amplified Bible
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."
Geneva Bible (1587)
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."
Contemporary English Version
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.
Darby Translation
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."
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.
Good News Translation
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."
Literal Translation
And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom.
American Standard Version
And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way of the wilderness of Edom.
Bible in Basic English
And he said, Which way are we to go? And he said in answer, By the waste land 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.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
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.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
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.
Berean Standard Bible
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.
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.'
Update Bible Version
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.
World English Bible
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."
New Living Translation
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."
New Revised Standard
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.
Douay-Rheims Bible
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."
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."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
He said, "Which way shall we go up?" And he answered, "The way of the wilderness of Edom."

Contextual Overview

6 At ye same tyme wete kynge Ioram fro Samaria, & mustered all Israel, 7 & sent vnto Iosaphat kynge of Iuda, sayenge: The kynge of the Moabites is fallen awaye fro me, come thou wt me to fighte agaynst ye Moabites. He sayde: I wil come vp, I am euen as thou, and my people as yi people, and my horses as thy horses. 8 And sayde morouer: Which waye wil we go vp? He sayde: by the waye in the wyldernesse of Edom. 9 So the kynge of Israel, the kynge of Iuda, & the kynge of Edom wente forth. And whan they had gone aboute seue dayes iourney, ye hoost & the catell yt were amonge the had no water. 10 Then sayde the kynge of Israel: Alas, the LORDE hath called these thre kynges, to delyuer the in to the hande of the Moabites. 11 But Iosaphat sayde: Is here no prophet of ye LORDE, yt we maye axe coucell at ye LORDE by him? Then answered one of ye kynge of Israels seruauntes, & saide: Here is Eliseus ye sonne of Saphat, which poured water vpon Elias handes. 12 Iosaphat sayde: The worde of ye LORDE is with him. So the kynge of Israel & Iosaphat, and ye kynge of Edom wente downe vnto him. 13 But Eliseus sayde vnto the kynge of Israel: What hast thou to do wt me? go to the prophetes of thy father & to yi mothers prophetes. The kinge of Israel saide vnto him: No, for ye LORDE hath called these thre kynges, to delyuer them in to the handes of the Moabites. 14 Eliseus sayde: As truly as the LORDE Zebaoth lyueth, before whom I stode, yf I regarded not Iosaphat the kynge of Iuda, I wolde not regarde the, ner set oughte by ye. 15 So bringe me now a mynstrell. And whan the mynstrell played vpo the instrument, the hande of the LORDE came vpo 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
Bvt the serpent was sotyller then all the beastes of the felde (which ye LORDE God had made) and sayde vnto the woman: Yee, hath God sayde indede: Ye shall not eate of all maner trees in the garden?
Genesis 3:2
Then sayde the woman vnto the serpent: We eate of the frute of the trees in the garden:
Genesis 3:3
But as for the frute of the tre that is in the myddes of the garden, God hath sayde: Eate not ye of it, and touch it not, lest ye dye.
Genesis 3:9
And ye LORDE God called Adam, and sayde vnto him: Where art thou?
Genesis 3:10
And he saide: I herde thy voyce in the garden, and was afrayed, because I am naked, and therfore I hyd my self.
Genesis 3:12
Then sayde Adam: The woman which thou gauest me (to beare me company) gaue me of the tre, and I ate.
Genesis 3:21
And the LORDE God made Adam & his wyfe garmentes of skynnes, & those he put on them.
Genesis 3:22
And the LORDE God sayde: lo, Adam is become as it were one of vs, & knoweth good & euell. But now lest he stretch his hande, and take also of the tre of life, and eate, and lyue for euer.
Deuteronomy 4:33
that a people hath herde ye voyce of God speake out of the fyre (as thou hast herde) & yet liued.
Deuteronomy 5:25
And now wherfore shulde we dye, that this fire shulde cosume vs? Yf we shulde heare the voyce of the LORDE oure God eny more, we shulde dye.

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 “way” 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.


 
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