2 Kings 3 Darby Translation
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 And Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah; and he reigned twelve years.
1 Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years.
2 And he wrought evil in the sight of Jehovah, but not like his father, and like his mother; and he took away the column of Baal that his father had made.
2 He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, but not like his father and like his mother, for he put away the pillar of Baal that his father had made.
3 Only, he clave to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin: he did not depart therefrom.
3 Nevertheless he held to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin. He didn’t depart from them.
4 And Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered to the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs and a hundred thousand rams, with the wool.
4 Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder; and he supplied the king of Israel with one hundred thousand lambs and the wool of one hundred thousand rams.
5 And it came to pass when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.
5 But when Ahab was dead, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.
6 And at that time king Jehoram went out of Samaria and inspected all Israel.
6 King Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time, and mustered all Israel.
7 And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah saying, The king of Moab has rebelled against me: wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle? And he said, I will go up: I am as thou, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses.
7 He went and 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.”
8 And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he said, By way of the wilderness of Edom.
8 Then he said, “Which way shall we go up?” Jehoram answered, “The way of the wilderness of Edom.”
9 And the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom, and they made a circuit of seven days' journey. And there was no water for the army, and for the cattle that followed them.
9 So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom, and they marched for seven days along a circuitous route. There was no water for the army or for the animals that followed them.
10 And the king of Israel said, Alas! that Jehovah has called these three kings together, to give them into the hand of Moab!
10 The king of Israel said, “Alas! For Yahweh has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.”
11 And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of Jehovah that we may inquire of Jehovah by him? And one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.
11 But Jehoshaphat said, “Isn’t there a prophet of Yahweh here, that we may inquire of Yahweh by him?” One of the king of Israel’s servants answered, “Elisha the son of Shaphat, who poured water on the hands of Elijah, is here.”
12 And Jehoshaphat said, The word of Jehovah is with him. And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
12 Jehoshaphat said, “Yahweh’s word 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, What have I to do with thee? go to the prophets of thy father and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said to him, Not so, for Jehovah has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab.
13 Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father, and to the prophets of your mother.” The king of Israel said to him, “No, for Yahweh has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.”
14 And Elisha said, As Jehovah of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee nor see thee.
14 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, nor see you.
15 And now fetch me a minstrel. And it came to pass when the minstrel played, that the hand of Jehovah was upon him.
15 But now bring me a musician.” When the musician played, Yahweh’s hand came on him.
16 And he said, Thus saith Jehovah: Make this valley full of ditches.
16 He said, “Yahweh says, ‘Make this valley full of trenches.’
17 For thus saith Jehovah: Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet this valley shall be filled with water, and ye shall drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts.
17 For Yahweh says, ‘You will not see wind, neither will you see rain, yet that valley will be filled with water, and you will drink, both you and your livestock and your other animals.
18 And this is a light thing in the sight of Jehovah: he will give the Moabites also into your hand.
18 This is an easy thing in Yahweh’s sight. He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand.
19 And ye shall smite every fortified city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all wells of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.
19 You shall strike every fortified city and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all springs of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.’”
20 And it came to pass in the morning, when the oblation was offered up, that behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.
20 In the morning, about the time of offering the sacrifice, behold, water came by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.
21 And all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, and they were called together, all that were able to put on armour, and upward, and stood by the border.
21 Now when all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, they gathered themselves together, all who were able to put on armor, young and old, and stood on the border.
22 And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun rose upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side red as blood.
22 They rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone on the water, and the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood.
23 And they said, This is blood: the kings are entirely destroyed, and have smitten one another; and now, Moab, to the spoil!
23 They said, “This is blood. The kings are surely destroyed, and they have struck each other. Now therefore, Moab, to the plunder!”
24 And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, and they fled before them; and they entered in and smote Moab.
24 When they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and struck the Moabites, so that they fled before them; and they went forward into the land attacking the Moabites.
25 And they beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land cast every man his stone and filled it, and they stopped every well of water, and felled every good tree, until they left [only] the stones at Kirhareseth; and the slingers went about it, and smote it.
25 They beat down the cities; and on every good piece of land each man cast his stone, and filled it. They also stopped all the springs of water and cut down all the good trees, until in Kir Hareseth all they left was its stones; however the men armed with slings went around it and attacked it.
26 And the king of Moab saw that the battle was too severe for him, and he took with him seven hundred men that drew swords, to break through to the king of Edom, but they could not.
26 When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too severe for him, he took with him seven hundred men who drew a sword, to break through to the king of Edom; but they could not.
27 And he took his eldest son, that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him up for a burnt-offering upon the wall. And there was great wrath against Israel; and they departed from him, and returned to [their own] land.
27 Then he took his oldest 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 their own land.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Jehoram
Ahab's son, who succeeded his brother Ahaziah, reigned twelve years in Samaria, removed Baal's sacred pillar yet clung to Jeroboam's sins, campaigned against Moab with…
Cited in the guide: 2 Kings 1:17; 2 Kings 3:1; 2 Kings 3:8
Mesha
A sheep breeder who paid Israel a hundred thousand lambs and the wool of a hundred thousand rams, rebelled after Ahab's death, and offered his firstborn son as a burnt offering on…
Cited in the guide: 2 Kings 3:4
Shaphat
Named as the father of the prophet Elisha, from Abel-meholah.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 19:16; 1 Kings 19:19; 2 Kings 3:11
Cross references (25)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 2 Kings 1:17; 1 Kings 22:51; 2 Kings 8:16
- 2 2 Kings 10:18; 2 Kings 10:26–28; 1 Kings 21:25; Exodus 23:24; 2 Kings 9:34
- 3 1 Kings 14:16; 1 Kings 15:26; 2 Kings 15:18; 1 Kings 15:34; 2 Kings 14:24
- 4 Genesis 26:13–14; 2 Samuel 8:2; Job 1:3; 1 Chronicles 18:2; Psalm 60:8
- 5 2 Kings 1:1; 2 Kings 8:20; 2 Chronicles 21:8–10
- 6 1 Kings 20:27; 1 Samuel 15:4; 1 Samuel 11:8; 2 Samuel 24:1–25
- 7 1 Kings 22:4; 2 Chronicles 18:3; 2 Chronicles 22:10–12; 2 Chronicles 22:3–4; 2 Chronicles 18:29–32
- 8 Malachi 1:2–3; Numbers 21:4
- 9 1 Kings 22:47; Exodus 17:1; Numbers 20:2; Numbers 33:14; 1 Kings 22:27
- 10 Genesis 4:13; Proverbs 19:3; Psalm 78:34–36; Isaiah 51:20; 2 Kings 6:33
- 11 1 Kings 22:7; 1 Kings 19:21; 2 Kings 3:3; 2 Kings 2:25–3:1; Psalm 74:9
- 12 2 Kings 2:21; Isaiah 49:23; 2 Kings 2:24–25; 2 Kings 2:14–15; 1 Samuel 3:19–21
- 13 1 Kings 22:6; 1 Kings 18:19; 2 Kings 3:10; 1 Kings 22:22–25; Deuteronomy 32:37–39
- 14 2 Kings 5:16; 1 Kings 17:1; Jeremiah 1:18; 2 Chronicles 19:3–4; 1 Kings 14:5–18
- 15 1 Samuel 16:23; Ephesians 5:18–19; 1 Samuel 10:5; Ezekiel 1:3; 1 Kings 18:46
- 17 Psalm 107:35; Isaiah 41:17–18; Isaiah 48:21; Isaiah 43:19–20; Psalm 84:6
- 18 Luke 1:37; Jeremiah 32:27; Jeremiah 32:17; 2 Kings 20:10; Ephesians 3:20
- 19 1 Samuel 15:3; Judges 6:16; 2 Kings 13:17; 2 Kings 3:25; Numbers 24:17
- 20 Exodus 29:39–40; Isaiah 35:6–7; 1 Kings 18:36; Psalm 78:20; Psalm 78:15–16
- 21 1 Kings 20:11; Ephesians 6:14
- 23 2 Chronicles 20:25; Exodus 15:9; Judges 5:30; 2 Kings 6:18–20; 2 Kings 7:6
- 24 1 Thessalonians 5:3–4; Judges 20:40–46; Joshua 8:20–22
- 25 Jeremiah 48:36; Jeremiah 48:31; Isaiah 16:7; 2 Kings 3:19; Isaiah 16:11
- 26 Amos 2:1; 2 Kings 3:9
- 27 Micah 6:7; Deuteronomy 12:31; Judges 11:31; Ezekiel 16:20; Amos 2:1
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences