1 Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years. 2 He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, but not like his father and like his mother, for he put away the pillar of Baal that his father had made. 3 Nevertheless he held to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin. He didn’t depart from them.

4 Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder; and he supplied the king of Israel with one hundred thousand lambs and the wool of one hundred thousand rams. 5 But when Ahab was dead, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. 6 King Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time, and mustered all Israel. 7 He went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, "The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me against Moab to battle?"

He said, "I will go up. I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses." 8 Then he said, "Which way shall we go up?"

Jehoram answered, "The way of the wilderness of Edom."

9 So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom, and they marched for seven days along a circuitous route. There was no water for the army or for the animals that followed them. 10 The king of Israel said, "Alas! For Yahweh has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab."

11 But Jehoshaphat said, "Isn’t there a prophet of Yahweh here, that we may inquire of Yahweh by him?"

One of the king of Israel’s servants answered, "Elisha the son of Shaphat, who poured water on the hands of Elijah, is here."

12 Jehoshaphat said, "Yahweh’s word is with him." So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.

13 Elisha said to the king of Israel, "What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father, and to the prophets of your mother."

The king of Israel said to him, "No, for Yahweh has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab."

14 Elisha said, "As Yahweh of Armies lives, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I respect the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward you, nor see you. 15 But now bring me a musician." When the musician played, Yahweh’s hand came on him. 16 He said, "Yahweh says, ‘Make this valley full of trenches.’ 17 For Yahweh says, ‘You will not see wind, neither will you see rain, yet that valley will be filled with water, and you will drink, both you and your livestock and your other animals. 18 This is an easy thing in Yahweh’s sight. He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand. 19 You shall strike every fortified city and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all springs of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.’"

20 In the morning, about the time of offering the sacrifice, behold, water came by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.

21 Now when all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, they gathered themselves together, all who were able to put on armor, young and old, and stood on the border. 22 They rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone on the water, and the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood. 23 They said, "This is blood. The kings are surely destroyed, and they have struck each other. Now therefore, Moab, to the plunder!"

24 When they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and struck the Moabites, so that they fled before them; and they went forward into the land attacking the Moabites. 25 They beat down the cities; and on every good piece of land each man cast his stone, and filled it. They also stopped all the springs of water and cut down all the good trees, until in Kir Hareseth all they left was its stones; however the men armed with slings went around it and attacked it. 26 When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too severe for him, he took with him seven hundred men who drew a sword, to break through to the king of Edom; but they could not. 27 Then he took his oldest son who would have reigned in his place, and offered him for a burnt offering on the wall. There was great wrath against Israel; and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.

1 En Joram, die seun van Agab, het koning geword oor Israel in Samar¡a in die agttiende jaar van Josafat, die koning van Juda, en hy het twaalf jaar geregeer.

2 En hy het gedoen wat verkeerd was in die oë van die HERE, maar nie soos sy vader en sy moeder nie, want hy het die klippilaar van Ba„l verwyder wat sy vader gemaak het.

3 Maar hy het die sondes van Jerobeam, die seun van Nebat, wat Israel laat sondig het, aangekleef sonder om daarvan af te wyk.

4 En Mesa, die koning van Moab, was 'n skaapboer, en hy het aan die koning van Israel gelewer honderd duisend lammers en honderd duisend ramme se wol.

5 Maar n die dood van Agab het die koning van Moab van die koning van Israel afvallig geword.

6 En in dieselfde tyd het koning Joram uit Samar¡a uitgetrek en die hele Israel gemonster.

7 Ook het hy Josafat, die koning van Juda, laat weet: Die koning van Moab het van my afvallig geword; sal u saam met my trek om teen die Moabiete te veg? En hy antwoord: Ek sal optrek; ek sal wees soos u, my volk soos u volk, my perde soos u perde.

8 En hy vra: Met watter pad sal ons optrek? Toe antwoord hy: Met die pad deur die woestyn van Edom.

9 So het die koning van Israel dan getrek en die koning van Juda en die koning van Edom; maar nadat hulle 'n pad van sewe dae omgetrek het, was daar geen water vir die leër en die vee wat in hulle voetspore gevolg het nie.

10 Toe sê die koning van Israel: Ag, die HERE het hierdie drie konings geroep om hulle in die hand van die Moabiete te gee!

11 En Josafat vra: Is hier nie 'n profeet van die HERE, dat ons deur hom die HERE kan raadpleeg nie? Toe antwoord een van die koning van Israel se dienaars en sê: Hier is El¡sa, die seun van Safat, wat water op die hande van El¡a gegiet het.

12 Daarop sê Josafat: By hom is die woord van die HERE. So het die koning van Israel en Josafat en die koning van Edom dan na hom afgegaan.

13 Maar El¡sa het aan die koning van Israel gesê: Wat het ek met u te doen? Gaan na die profete van u vader en die profete van u moeder! Maar die koning van Israel antwoord hom: Ag nee, want die HERE het hierdie drie konings geroep om hulle in die hand van die Moabiete te gee.

14 En El¡sa sê: So waar as die HERE van die leërskare leef voor wie se aangesig ek staan, as ek nie agting gehad het vir die persoon van Josafat, die koning van Juda, nie, ek sou na u nie kyk en u nie aansien nie.

15 Maar bring nou vir my 'n siterspeler. En toe die siterspeler op die snare speel, het die hand van die HERE op hom gekom,

16 en hy het gesê: So spreek die HERE: Maak hierdie dal vol gate.

17 Want so spreek die HERE: Julle sal geen wind sien nie, en julle sal geen reën sien nie, en tog sal hierdie dal vol water word, sodat julle self en julle vee en julle ander diere kan drink.

18 Ja, dit is nog te gering in die oë van die HERE: Hy sal ook die Moabiete in julle hand gee.

19 En julle sal elke versterkte stad en elke uitgesoekte stad oorweldig en elke goeie boom omkap en al die waterfonteine toestop, en elke goeie stuk grond sal julle met klippe bederwe.

20 En die volgende môre , omtrent die tyd dat hulle die spysoffer bring, kom daar meteens water van die kant van Edom af, sodat die land vol water geword het.

21 En toe al die Moabiete hoor dat die konings optrek om teen hulle te veg, is hulle opgeroep, almal wat die gord vasgespe en wat ouer was, en hulle het by die grens gaan staan.

22 Terwyl hulle die môre vroeg hul gereedmaak en die son oor die water opgaan, sien die Moabiete op 'n afstand die water rooi soos bloed.

23 En hulle sê: Dit is bloed; die konings het sekerlik mekaar aangeval en die een die ander verslaan; en nou op die buit af, julle Moabiete!

24 Maar toe hulle by die laer van Israel kom, het die Israeliete hulle gereedgemaak en die Moabiete verslaan, sodat hulle voor hul uit gevlug het; en hulle het dieper ingetrek en die Moabiete verslaan.

25 Daarna het hulle die stede verwoes en op elke goeie stuk grond elkeen sy klip gegooi, sodat dit daarvan vol was, en elke waterfontein toegestop en elke goeie boom omgekap, totdat hulle net in Kir-Har,set die klipmure daarvan laat oorbly het. Maar toe die slingeraars dit omsingel en beskiet,

26 en die koning van Moab sien dat die geveg vir hom te swaar word, het hy sewe honderd man wat die swaard uittrek, met hom saamgeneem om na die koning van Edom deur te breek; maar hulle kon nie.

27 Daarop neem hy sy eersgebore seun, wat in sy plek koning sou word, en offer hom as brandoffer op die muur. Toe het 'n groot toorn oor Israel gekom, sodat hulle van hom weggetrek en na hulle land teruggegaan het.