2 Kings 3

Moab Rebels Against Israel

1 Now a Jehoram the son of Ahab became king over Israel at Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years. 2 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not like his father and mother; for he put away the sacred pillar of Baal b that his father had made. 3 Nevertheless he persisted in c the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin; he did not depart from them.

4 Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheepbreeder, and he d regularly paid the king of Israel one hundred thousand e lambs and the wool of one hundred thousand rams. 5 But it happened, when f Ahab died, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. 6 So King Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time and mustered all Israel. 7 Then he went and sent to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, saying, "The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?" And he said, "I will go up; g 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?" And he answered, "By 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 on that roundabout route seven days; and there was no water for the army, nor for the animals that followed them. 10 And the king of Israel said, "Alas! For the LORD has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab." 11 But h Jehoshaphat said, "Is there no prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of the LORD by him?" So one of the servants of the king of Israel answered and said, "Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who i poured 1 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 j went down to him.

13 Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, k "What have I to do with you? l Go to m the prophets of your father and the n prophets of your mother." But the king of Israel said to him, "No, for the LORD has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab." 14 And Elisha said, o "As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you, nor see you. 15 "But now bring me p a musician." Then it happened, when the musician q played, that r the hand of the LORD came upon him. 16 And he said, "Thus says the LORD: s 'Make this valley full of 2 ditches.' 17 "For thus says the LORD: 'You shall not see wind, nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you, your cattle, and your animals may drink.' 18 "And this is a simple matter in the sight of the LORD; He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand. 19 "Also you shall attack every fortified city and every choice city, and shall cut down every good tree, and stop up every spring of water, and ruin every good piece of land with stones." 20 Now it happened in the morning, when t the grain offering was offered, that suddenly water came by way of Edom, and the land was filled with water.

21 And when all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, all who were able to bear arms and older were 3 gathered; and they stood at the border. 22 Then they rose up early in the morning, and the sun was shining on the water; and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood. 23 And they said, "This is blood; the kings have surely struck swords and have killed one another; now therefore, Moab, to the spoil!" 24 So when they came to the camp of Israel, Israel rose up and attacked the Moabites, so that they fled before them; and they entered their land, killing the Moabites. 25 Then they destroyed the cities, and each man threw a stone on every good piece of land and filled it; and they stopped up all the springs of water and cut down all the good trees. But they left the stones of u Kir Haraseth intact. However the slingers surrounded and attacked it. 26 And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too fierce for him, he took with him seven hundred men who drew swords, to break through to the king of Edom, but they could not. 27 Then v he took his eldest son who would have reigned in his place, and offered him as a burnt offering upon the wall; and there was great 4 indignation against Israel. w So they departed from him and returned to their own land.

  1. Cross References
    2 Kings 1:17
    So Ahaziah died according to the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken. Because he had no son, Jehoram became king in his place, in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah.
  2. Cross References
    1 Kings 16:31
    And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshiped him.
    1 Kings 16:32
    Then he set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.
  3. Cross References
    1 Kings 12:28 - 32
    Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, and said to the people, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!
  4. Cross References
    2 Samuel 8:2
    Then he defeated Moab. Forcing them down to the ground, he measured them off with a line. With two lines he measured off those to be put to death, and with one full line those to be kept alive. So the Moabites became David's servants, and brought tribute.
  5. Cross References
    Isaiah 16:1
    Send the lamb to the ruler of the land, From Sela to the wilderness, To the mount of the daughter of Zion.
    Isaiah 16:2
    For it shall be as a wandering bird thrown out of the nest; So shall be the daughters of Moab at the fords of the Arnon.
  6. Cross References
    2 Kings 1:1
    Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab.
  7. Cross References
    1 Kings 22:4
    So he said to Jehoshaphat, "Will you go with me to fight at Ramoth Gilead?" Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.
  8. Cross References
    1 Kings 22:7
    And Jehoshaphat said, " Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of Him?
  9. Cross References
    1 Kings 19:21
    So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh, using the oxen's equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant.
    John 13:4
    Rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself.
    John 13:5
    After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.
    John 13:13
    You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am.
    John 13:14
    If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.
  10. Cross References
    2 Kings 2:25
    Then he went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.
  11. Cross References
    Ezekiel 14:3
    Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity. Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them?
  12. Cross References
    Judges 10:14
    "Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in your time of distress."
    Ruth 1:15
    And she said, "Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.
  13. Cross References
    1 Kings 22:6 - 11
    Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, "Shall I go against Ramoth Gilead to fight, or shall I refrain?" So they said, "Go up, for the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king.
  14. Cross References
    1 Kings 18:19
    "Now therefore, send and gather all Israel to me on Mount Carmel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table."
  15. Cross References
    1 Kings 17:1
    And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, " As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.
    2 Kings 5:16
    But he said, " As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will receive nothing." And he urged him to take it, but he refused.
  16. Cross References
    1 Samuel 10:5
    After that you shall come to the hill of God where the Philistine garrison is. And it will happen, when you have come there to the city, that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with a stringed instrument, a tambourine, a flute, and a harp before them; and they will be prophesying.
  17. Cross References
    1 Samuel 16:16
    "Let our master now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. And it shall be that he will play it with his hand when the distressing spirit from God is upon you, and you shall be well."
    1 Samuel 16:23
    And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him.
    1 Chronicles 25:1
    Moreover David and the captains of the army separated for the service some of the sons of Asaph, of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, stringed instruments, and cymbals. And the number of the skilled men performing their service was:
  18. Cross References
    Ezekiel 1:3
    The word of the LORD came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was upon him there.
    Ezekiel 3:14
    So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me.
    Ezekiel 3:22
    Then the hand of the LORD was upon me there, and He said to me, "Arise, go out into the plain, and there I shall talk with you.
    Ezekiel 8:1
    And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house with the elders of Judah sitting before me, that the hand of the Lord GOD fell upon me there.
  19. Cross References
    Jeremiah 14:3
    Their nobles have sent their lads for water; They went to the cisterns and found no water. They returned with their vessels empty; They were ashamed and confounded And covered their heads.
  20. Cross References
    Exodus 29:39
    One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight.
    Exodus 29:40
    With the one lamb shall be one-tenth of an ephah of flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of pressed oil, and one-fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering.
  21. Cross References
    Isaiah 16:7
    Therefore Moab shall wail for Moab; Everyone shall wail. For the foundations of Kir Hareseth you shall mourn; Surely they are stricken.
    Isaiah 16:11
    Therefore my heart shall resound like a harp for Moab, And my inner being for Kir Heres.
    Jeremiah 48:31
    Therefore I will wail for Moab, And I will cry out for all Moab; I will mourn for the men of Kir Heres.
    Jeremiah 48:36
    Therefore My heart shall wail like flutes for Moab, And like flutes My heart shall wail For the men of Kir Heres. Therefore the riches they have acquired have perished.
  22. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 18:10
    There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer.
    Amos 2:1
    Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because he burned the bones of the king of Edom to lime.
    Micah 6:7
    Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, Ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
  23. Cross References
    2 Kings 8:20
    In his days Edom revolted against Judah's authority, and made a king over themselves.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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