1 Jehoram son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned twelve years.
2 He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as his father and mother had; he removed the sacred pillar of Baal his father had made.
3 Still he held fast to the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, by which he caused Israel to sin, and did not give them up.
4 Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder, and he had to supply the king of Israel with a hundred thousand lambs and the wool of a hundred thousand rams.
5 When Ahab died, however, the king of Moab revolted against the king of Israel.
6 At that time King Jehoram set out from Samaria and mustered all Israel.
7 He sent this message to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: "The king of Moab has revolted against me. Will you go with me to make war on Moab?" "I will go," he said. "I am with you as one; my people are your people, my horses your horses."
8 "Which route shall we take?" he asked. "The route through the wilderness of Edom," he answered.
9 So the king of Israel set out with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. After they had circled around for seven days' march, there was no water left for the army or for the animals with them.
10 "Oh no!" said the king of Israel. "The LORD has called these three kings together only to hand them over to Moab!"
11 Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there no prophet of the LORD here, so that we may consult the LORD through him?" One of the king of Israel's servants answered, "Elisha son of Shaphat is here; he used to pour water on Elijah's hands."
12 "The word of the LORD is with him," said Jehoshaphat. So the king of Israel, Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
13 Elisha said to the king of Israel, "What have you to do with me? Go to your father's prophets and your mother's prophets." The king of Israel said to him, "No, it is the LORD who has called these three kings together to hand them over to Moab."
14 Elisha said, "As the LORD of hosts lives, in whose presence I stand, if I did not respect Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not so much as look at you or notice you.
15 Now, bring me a harpist." While the harpist was playing, the hand of the LORD came upon him,
16 and he said, "This is what the LORD says: 'Dig this valley full of pits.'
17 For the LORD says this: 'You will see no wind and see no rain, yet this valley will fill with water, and you will drink, you, your cattle and your animals.'
18 And this is only a small thing in the LORD's eyes; he will hand Moab over to you as well.
19 You will strike down every fortified town and every fine town; you will cut down every good tree, block every spring of water and spoil every good field with stones."
20 The next morning, at the hour the grain offering is offered, water suddenly came flowing from the direction of Edom, and the land was filled with water.
21 All Moab had heard that the kings had come up to fight them, so everyone old enough to buckle on a belt, and older, was called up, and they took their stand on the border.
22 When they got up early in the morning and the sun was shining on the water, the Moabites saw the water across from them red like blood.
23 "It is blood!" they said. "The kings must have fought and killed each other. Now, Moab, to the plunder!"
24 But when they reached Israel's camp, the Israelites rose up and struck the Moabites, who fled before them. They advanced into the land, striking down Moab as they went.
25 They demolished the towns; every man threw a stone onto every good field until they covered it; they blocked every spring of water and cut down every good tree. Only Kir-hareseth was left with its stones, and the slingers surrounded it and attacked it.
26 The king of Moab saw that the battle was going against him, so he took seven hundred swordsmen with him to break through to the king of Edom, but they failed.
27 Then he took his firstborn son, who would have succeeded him as king, and offered him up as a burnt offering on the wall. Great wrath against Israel followed, and they pulled back from him and returned to their own land.