2Kings 3:14 - Prayer Tents

Jehoram Becomes King

3Ahab's son Jehoram ascended to the throne of Israel at Samaria during the eighteenth year of the reign of Judah's king Jehoshaphat. He reigned for twelve years,H3088H1121H256H4427H3478H8111H8083H6240H8141H3092H4428H3063H4427H8147H6240H8141

2practicing evil in the Lord's presence, only not to the extent that his mother and father had done - he forced abolition of the sacred pillar to Baal that his father had crafted.H6213H7451H5869H3068H1H517H5493H4676H1168H1H6213

3Even so, he kept on committing the sins that Nebat's son Jeroboam had done, which ensnared Israel in sin - he never abandoned them.1H1692H2403H3379H1121H5028H3478H2398H5493

Moab Rebels against Israel

4Meanwhile, Moab's king Mesha was a sheep breeder. He used to pay 100,000 lambs and the wool from 100,000 rams to the king of Israel as tribute.H4338H4428H4124H5349H7725H4428H3478H3967H505H3733H3967H505H352H6785

5After Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.H256H4194H4428H4124H6586H4428H3478

6So king Jehoram left Samaria at that time and mustered the entire army of Israel.H4428H3088H3318H8111H3117H6485H3478

7As he was going out, he sent this message to King Jehoshaphat of Judah: "The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight Moab?"I'm coming," Jehoshaphat replied. "I'm like you! My army will act like your army and my cavalry like your cavalry," Then Jehoshaphat added:H3212H7971H3092H4428H3063H559H4428H4124H6586H3212H4124H4421H559H5927H5971H5971H5483H5483

8"What road do we take?" Jehoram answered, "We'll go along the Edom desert road."H559H1870H5927H559H1870H4057H123

9So the king of Israel, the king of Judah, and the king of Edom made a complete circuit on the road for seven days, but there was no water for the army or for the livestock that accompanied them.H4428H3478H3212H4428H3063H4428H123H5437H7651H3117H1870H4325H4264H929H7272

10Then the king of Israel remarked, "Oh no! The Lord has summoned us three kings so he can hand us over to Moab, hasn't he?"H4428H3478H559H162H3068H7121H7969H4428H7121H5414H3027H4124

The Kings Seek Elisha’s Counsel

11Jehoshaphat asked, "Isn't there a prophet who belongs to the Lord and through whom we can ask the Lord a question?" One of the king of Israel's attendants replied, "Shaphat's son Elisha lives here. He used to be Elijah's personal attendant."H3092H559H5030H3068H1875H3068H259H4428H3478H5650H6030H559H477H1121H8202H3332H4325H3027H452

12Jehoshaphat answered, "He has the word of the Lord." So the king of Israel, Jehoshaphat, and the king of Edom went to visit Elisha.H3092H559H1697H3068H3426H4428H3478H3092H4428H123H3381

13Elisha asked the king of Israel, "What do I have in common with you?Go visit your parents' prophets." The king of Israel replied, "No! The Lord has summoned these three kings so he can hand them over to Moab!"H477H559H4428H3478H3212H5030H1H5030H517H4428H3478H559H3068H7121H7969H4428H7121H5414H3027H4124

14But Elisha responded, "As the Lord of the Heavenly Armies lives, in whose presence I stand, I would never pay attention to you or even look in your direction were it not for my continual respect for the presence of King Jehoshaphat of Judah.H477H559H3068H6635H2416H6440H5975H3884H5375H6440H3092H4428H3063H5027H7200

15Now bring me a musician." As the musician played, the hand of the Lord rested on Elisha,H3947H5059H5059H5059H3027H3068

16so he said, "This is what the Lord says: 'Fill this valley with trench after trench!' For this is what the Lord says: 'Though you won't see wind or storm, nevertheless that river will overflow with water so that you, your cattle, and your livestock may drink.'H559H559H3068H6213H5158H1356

18And this is the easy part for the Lord - he's also going to hand the Moabites over to you!H7043H5869H3068H5414H4124H3027

19Then you are to attack every fortified city and every significant city. Cut down every significant tree, fill in all of the water springs, and ruin every prime piece of land with stones."H5221H4013H5892H4004H5892H5307H2896H6086H5640H4599H4325H3510H2896H2513H68

War with Moab

20The very next day, about the time of the morning offering, water suddenly appeared, coming from the direction of Edom, and the land overflowed with water!H1242H4503H5927H935H4325H1870H123H776H4390H4325

21Meanwhile, all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to attack them, so everyone old enough to wear battle armor was mustered to stand guard at the border.H4124H8085H4428H5927H3898H6817H2296H2290H4605H5975H1366

22As the Moabites arose early that morning, the sun cast its rays on the water, and to the Moabites, the water across from them appeared to be red like blood.H7925H1242H8121H2224H4325H4124H7200H4325H5048H122H1818

23So they concluded, "This must be blood! The kings must have had one mighty big fight and each man killed the other! So let's go get the battle spoil, Moab!"H559H1818H4428H2717H2717H5221H376H7453H4124H7998

24But when the Moabites arrived at the Israelite encampment, the Israelites got up and attacked them. The Moabites ran away from the Israelites, who followed them into the land as they continued their pursuit against Moab.H935H4264H3478H3478H6965H5221H4124H5127H6440H5221H5221H4124

25They destroyed their cities, and all of them threw stones onto every piece of farm land, ruining the fields. Then they filled in all the water wells and chopped down all of the useful trees. Stone walls remained surrounding Kir-hareseth only, until the archers surrounded and attacked that city.H2040H5892H2896H2513H7993H376H68H4390H5640H4599H4325H5307H2896H6086H7025H7604H68H7051H5437H5221

26When the king of Moab realized that the battle was going strongly against him, he took 700 expert swordsmen to attempt to break through to the king of Edom, but was unable to do so.H4428H4124H7200H4421H2388H3947H7651H3967H376H8025H2719H1234H4428H123H3201

27So he took his first born son, whom he intended to reign after him, and offered him up as a burnt offering on the wall. There subsequently came great anger against Israel, so they abandoned the attack and returned to their homeland.324H3947H1060H1121H4427H5927H5930H2346H1419H7110H3478H5265H7725H776