2 Kings 3

Moab Rebels Against Israel

1 f In the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned twelve years. 2 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, though not like his father and mother, for he put away the g pillar of Baal h that his father had made. 3 Nevertheless, he clung to i the sin of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, j which he made Israel to sin; he did not depart from it.

4 Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder, k and he had to deliver to the king of Israel 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams. 5 But l when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. 6 So King Jehoram marched out of Samaria at that time and mustered all Israel. 7 And he went and sent word to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, "The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to battle against Moab?" And he said, "I will go. m I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses." 8 Then he said, "By which way shall we march?" Jehoram answered, "By the way of the wilderness of Edom."

9 So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and n the king of Edom. And when they had made a circuitous march of seven days, there was no water for the army or for the animals that followed them. 10 Then the king of Israel said, "Alas! o The Lord has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab." 11 p And Jehoshaphat said, "Is there no prophet of the Lord here, through whom we may inquire of the Lord?" Then one of the king of Israel's servants answered, q "Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, r who poured water on the hands of 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 And Elisha said to the king of Israel, s "What have I to do with you? Go to t the prophets of your father and to u the prophets of your mother." But the king of Israel said to him, "No; it is o the Lord who has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab." 14 And Elisha said, v "As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I have regard for Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would neither look at you nor see you. 15 But now w bring me a musician." And when the musician played, x the hand of the Lord came upon him. 16 And he said, "Thus says the Lord, 'I will make this dry streambed full of pools.' 17 For thus says the Lord, 'You shall not see wind or rain, but that streambed shall be filled with water, so that you shall drink, you, your livestock, and your animals.' 18 This is a light thing in the sight of the Lord. He will also give the Moabites into your hand, 19 and you shall attack every fortified city and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree and stop up all springs of water y and ruin every good piece of land with stones." 20 The next morning, about the time of z offering the sacrifice, behold, water came from the direction of Edom, till the country was filled with water.

21 When all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, all who were able to put on armor, from the youngest to the oldest, were called out and were drawn up at the border. 22 And when they rose early in the morning and the sun shone on the water, the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood. 23 And they said, "This is blood; the kings have surely fought together and struck one another down. Now then, Moab, to the spoil!" 24 But when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose and struck the Moabites, till they fled before them. And they went forward, striking the Moabites as they went. 1 25 And they overthrew the cities, and a on every good piece of land every man threw a stone until it was covered. They stopped every spring of water and felled all the good trees, till only its stones were left in b Kir-hareseth, and the slingers surrounded and attacked it. 26 When the king of Moab saw that the battle was going against him, he took with him 700 c swordsmen to break through, opposite the king of Edom, but they could not. 27 Then he took his oldest son who was to reign in his place d and offered him for a burnt offering on the wall. And there came great wrath against Israel. And they withdrew from him and returned to their own land.

  1. Cross References
    2 Kings 1:17
    So he died according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken. Jehoram became king in his place in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, because Ahaziah had no son.
  2. Cross References
    2 Kings 10:26 - 27
    And they brought out the pillar that was in the house of Baal and burned it.
    Exodus 23:24
    You shall not bow down to their gods nor serve them, nor do as they do, but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their pillars in pieces.
  3. Cross References
    1 Kings 16:31 - 32
    And as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took for his wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal and worshiped him.
  4. Cross References
    1 Kings 12:28
    So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, "You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
    1 Kings 12:31 - 32
    He also made temples on high places and appointed priests from among all the people, who were not of the Levites.
  5. Cross References
    1 Kings 14:16
    And he will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he sinned and made Israel to sin.
  6. Cross References
    Isaiah 16:1 - 2
    Send the lamb to the ruler of the land, from Sela, by way of the desert, to the mount of the daughter of Zion.
  7. Cross References
    2 Kings 1:1
    After the death of Ahab, Moab rebelled against Israel.
  8. Cross References
    1 Kings 22:4
    And he said to Jehoshaphat, "Will you go with me to battle at Ramoth-gilead?" And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.
  9. Cross References
    1 Kings 22:47
    There was no king in Edom; a deputy was king.
  10. Cross References
    Joshua 7:7
    And Joshua said, "Alas, O Lord God, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan!
  11. Cross References
    1 Kings 22:7
    But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not here another prophet of the Lord of whom we may inquire?
  12. Cross References
    2 Kings 2:25
    From there he went on to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.
  13. Cross References
    1 Kings 19:21
    And he returned from following him and took the yoke of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah and assisted him.
    John 13:4 - 5
    Rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist.
  14. Cross References
    Ezekiel 14:3
    Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their hearts, and set the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces. Should I indeed let myself be consulted by them?
  15. Cross References
    1 Kings 22:6
    Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, "Shall I go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or shall I refrain?" And they said, "Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.
  16. Cross References
    1 Kings 18:19
    Now therefore send and gather all Israel to me at Mount Carmel, and the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table.
  17. Cross References
    2 Kings 3:10
    Then the king of Israel said, "Alas! The Lord has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab.
  18. Cross References
    2 Kings 5:16
    But he said, "As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none." And he urged him to take it, but he refused.
    1 Kings 17:1
    Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.
  19. Cross References
    1 Samuel 10:5
    After that you shall come to Gibeath-elohim, where there is a garrison of the Philistines. And there, as soon as you come to the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre before them, prophesying.
    1 Chronicles 25:1
    David and the chiefs of the service also set apart for the service the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who prophesied with lyres, with harps, and with cymbals. The list of those who did the work and of their duties was:
  20. Cross References
    1 Kings 18:46
    And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he ...
    Ezekiel 1:3
    The word of the Lord came to Ezekiel the priest...
    Ezekiel 3:14
    The Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I...
    Ezekiel 3:22
    And the hand of the Lord was upon me there. And...
    Ezekiel 8:1
    In the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the f...
    Ezekiel 37:1
    The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brough...
    Ezekiel 40:1
    In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the b...
  21. Cross References
    2 Kings 3:25
    And they overthrew the cities, and on every good piece of land every man threw a stone until it was covered. They stopped every spring of water and felled all the good trees, till only its stones were left in Kir-hareseth, and the slingers surrounded and attacked it.
    Isaiah 25:2
    For you have made the city a heap, the fortified city a ruin; the foreigners' palace is a city no more; it will never be rebuilt.
  22. Cross References
    Exodus 29:39 - 40
    One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight.
  23. Cross References
    2 Kings 3:19
    And you shall attack every fortified city and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree and stop up all springs of water and ruin every good piece of land with stones.
  24. Cross References
    Isaiah 16:7
    Therefore let Moab wail for Moab, let everyone wail. Mourn, utterly stricken, for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth.
    Isaiah 15:1
    An oracle concerning Moab. Because Ar of Moab is laid waste in a night, Moab is undone; because Kir of Moab is laid waste in a night, Moab is undone.
    Isaiah 16:11
    Therefore my inner parts moan like a lyre for Moab, and my inmost self for Kir-hareseth.
    Jeremiah 48:31
    Therefore I wail for Moab; I cry out for all Moab; for the men of Kir-hareseth I mourn.
    Jeremiah 48:36
    Therefore my heart moans for Moab like a flute, and my heart moans like a flute for the men of Kir-hareseth. Therefore the riches they gained have perished.
  25. Cross References
    Judges 20:2
    And the chiefs of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, 400,000 men on foot that drew the sword.
  26. Cross References
    Amos 2:1
    Thus says the Lord : "For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because he burned to lime the bones of the king of Edom.
    Micah 6:7
    Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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