Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned 12 years.
And he did what was evil in the eyes of Yahweh, but not like his father and like his mother; for he removed the standing-stone of Baal that his father had made.
Nevertheless, he clung to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat with which he made Israel sin; he did not depart from them.
Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder, and he had to supply to the king of Israel 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams.
But when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.
Then King Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time and counted all Israel for war.
He went ahead and he 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.”
And he said, “Which way should we go up?” And he answered, “The Road of the Wilderness of Edom.”
So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom; and they made a flanking movement of seven days’ journey. Now there was no water for the army or for the animals that followed them.
And the king of Israel said, “Alas! For Yahweh has called these three kings together to give them into the hand of Moab.”
But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not a prophet of Yahweh here that we may inquire of Yahweh by him?” One of the servants of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.”
Jehoshaphat said, “The word of Yahweh is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What do you and I have in common? Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother.” But the king of Israel said to him, “Do not say that, because Yahweh has called these three kings together to give them into the hand of Moab.”
Then 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 or see you.
But now bring me a musician.” And when the musician played, the hand of Yahweh came on him.
And he said, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘This valley will be full of pools, many pools.”
For this is what Yahweh says, ‘You will not see wind, nor will you see rain; yet that valley will be filled with water and you will drink, both you and your livestock and your animals.
This is but a light thing in the eyes of Yahweh. He will also give the Moabites into your hand.
You will strike every fortified city and every choice city and fell every good tree and stop up all springs of water, and spoil with stones every good piece of land.’”
And in the morning, about the time of offering the grain offering, behold, water came from the direction of Edom, and the land was filled with water.
Now when all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, they gathered themselves together, all who were now able to belt on a sword belt and older, and stood on the border.
They rose up early in the morning and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water across from them as red as blood.
So they said, “This is blood! The kings are slain, yes, slain, and they have struck down each other. So now, Moab, to the spoil!”
But when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and struck down the Moabites so that they fled before them, and they came forward against the land, striking down the Moabites.
They wrecked the cities, and on every good piece of land each man cast stones and filled it, and they stopped all the springs of water and felled all the good trees. Only in Kir-hareseth did they leave its stones, however, the men armed with slings went about it and struck it.
When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too severe for him, he took with him 700 men who drew sword to break through to the king of Edom, but they could not.
Then he took his firstborn 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 the land.