Study Desk

Now, Mesha king of Moab, was a sheep-master, - and used to render to the king of Israel, the wool of hundred thousand fat sheep, and of a hundred thousand rams.

And it came to pass, when Ahab died, that the king of Moab revolted against the king of Israel.

So King Jehoram went forth, on that day, out of Samaria, and numbered all Israel.

And he departed, and sent unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, saying - The king of Moab, hath revolted against me, wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle? And he said - I will go up, I am as thou art, my people are as thy people, my horses as thy horses.

And he said - Which way, then, shall we go up? And he said - The way of the wilderness of Edom.

Then departed the king of Israel, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom, and went round, a journey of seven days, - and there was no water for the host, nor for the cattle that went with them.

Then said the king of Israel - Alas! for Yahweh hath called these three kings, to deliver them into the hand of Moab.

So Jehoshaphat said - Is there not, here, a prophet of Yahweh, that we may enquire of Yahweh, from him? Then answered one of the servants of the king of Israel, and said, Here, is Elisha son of Shaphat, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.

Then said Jehoshaphat, The word of Yahweh, is with him. So the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, and the king of Edom, went down unto him.

And Elisha said unto the king of Israel - What have I and thou in common? get thee unto the prophets of thy father, and unto the prophets of thy mother. But the king of Israel said to him - Nay! for Yahweh hath called together these three kings, to deliver them into the hand of Moab.

Then said Elisha - By the life of Yahweh of hosts, before whom I stand, were it not that, the countenance of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would lift up, I would neither look at thee, nor see thee.

But, now, bring me one that can touch the strings. For it used to be, when the player touched the strings, then would, the hand of Yahweh, be upon him.

Then said he, Thus, saith Yahweh, Make, in this torrent-bed, pits, pits!

For, thus, saith Yahweh - Ye shall not see wind, and ye shall not see rain, yet, that torrent-bed, shall be filled with water, - And ye shall drink, ye, and your cattle, and your beasts;

And, this being a small thing in the eyes of Yahweh, he will deliver Moab into your hand;

And ye shall smite every strong city, and every choice city, and, every goodly tree, shall ye fell, and, all fountains water, shall ye close up, - and, every goodly heritage, shall ye mar with stones.

And it came to pass, in the morning, when the offering ascended, that lo! waters, were coming in from the way of Edom, - and the land was filled with the water.

Now, all Moab, had heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, - so they came together, from all who could gird on a girdle and upwards, and took their stand at the border.

And, when they rose early in the morning, the sun, shone forth upon the waters, - and so the Moabites beheld over against them, the waters, red as blood.

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!

And, when they came into the camp of Israel, Israel arose and smote Moab, and they fled from before them, - so they entered thereinto, yea still farther entered Moab;

And, the cities, they pulled down, and, on every goodly heritage, they cast every man his stone, and filled it, and, all fountains of waters, they closed up, and, every goodly tree, they felled, and, though they left the stones thereof in Kir-haraseth, yet the slingers surrounded and smote it.

And, when the king of Moab saw that, the battle, prevailed against him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew swords, to break through against the king of Edom, but they could not.

So he took his firstborn son who was to have reigned in his stead, and offered him up as an ascending-sacrifice upon the wall. And so it came to pass that there was great indignation against Israel. And they brake up from against him, and returned to their own land.