Mesha

4Mesha was the king of Moab. He raised sheep. Every year he had to give the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs. He also gave the wool from a hundred thousand rams.

And Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered unto the king of Israel an hundred thousand lambs, and an hundred thousand rams, with the wool.

NoteLong ago, a beaten king had to send gifts to the stronger king every year. Sheep and wool were like paying money.

5But when King Ahab died, the king of Moab refused to obey Israel's king anymore.

But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.

6So King Jehoram left Samaria right away. He gathered all the fighting men of Israel.

And king Jehoram went out of Samaria the same time, and numbered all Israel.

7He sent this message to Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah: "The king of Moab will not obey me. Will you come and fight Moab with me?" Jehoshaphat said, "Yes, I will come. My people and my horses are ready to help you."

And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab hath rebelled against me: wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle? And he said, I will go up: I am as thou art, my people as thy people, and my horses as thy horses.

Note"My people and my horses are yours" was a promise. It meant, my army will fight beside your army.

8Jehoshaphat asked, "Which road should we take?" Jehoram answered, "We will go through the dry desert of Edom."

And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom.

NoteEdom was the dry land south of Moab. Going that way meant a long, hot walk with little water.

9So three kings went together: the king of Israel, the king of Judah, and the king of Edom. They marched a long way around for seven days. Then they ran out of water. There was none for the soldiers or the animals.

So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom: and they fetched a compass of seven days’ journey: and there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that followed them.

10The king of Israel said, "Oh no! The LORD has brought us three kings here. Now Moab will beat us."

And the king of Israel said, Alas! that the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab!

11But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there a prophet of the LORD here? We could ask the LORD through him." One of the king of Israel's servants said, "Elisha, the son of Shaphat, is here. He was the helper of the prophet Elijah."

But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD, that we may enquire of the LORD by him? And one of the king of Israel’s servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah.

NoteThe King James says Elisha "poured water on the hands of Elijah." That was a servant's job, helping his master wash. A prophet was someone who told people what God said.

12Jehoshaphat said, "The LORD speaks through him." So the three kings went down to see Elisha.

And Jehoshaphat said, The word of the LORD is with him. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.

13Elisha said to the king of Israel, "Why come to me? Go ask the prophets your father and mother trusted." The king of Israel said, "No. The LORD brought us three kings here, and Moab will beat us."

And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay: for the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab.

NoteElisha means the prophets who spoke for Baal. King Ahab and Queen Jezebel kept many of them.

14Elisha said, "I serve the living LORD, the God of armies. I would not even look at you. But I care about Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, who is here.

And Elisha said, As the LORD 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.

NoteThe King James calls God "the LORD of hosts." A host meant a huge army, so the name means God is stronger than any army.

15"Now bring me someone who plays music." While the music played, the power of the LORD came on Elisha.

But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him.

NoteMusic helped a prophet grow quiet and listen for God. The player used a small harp.

16He said, "The LORD says this: dig this whole valley full of ditches.

And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Make this valley full of ditches.

NoteA ditch is a long hole dug in the ground. Water runs into it and stays there.

17The LORD says you will not see any wind or rain. But this valley will fill up with water. You will drink, and so will your cattle and other animals.

For thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts.

NoteIn that dry land, rain almost never fell in summer. Water would come without any storm they could see.

18This is an easy thing for the LORD to do. He will also help you win against the people of Moab.

And this is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.

19You will take every strong, walled city and every important town. You will cut down every good tree. You will block up every spring of water. You will cover every good field with stones."

And ye shall smite every fenced 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.

NoteArmies ruined farms so the land could not grow food. Stones in a field and blocked springs meant no crops and no water.

20The next morning, at the time when the grain gift was given to God, water came flowing from the direction of Edom. The land filled up with water.

And it came to pass in the morning, when the meat offering was offered, that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.

NoteEvery morning, people brought God a gift of grain at the temple. It was about the time we call breakfast.

21The people of Moab had heard that the kings were coming to fight them. So every man who could carry a weapon was called. They stood ready at the border.

And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they gathered all that were able to put on armour, and upward, and stood in the border.

22They got up early in the morning. The sun was shining on the water. Across the way, the water looked red as blood to them.

And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood:

NoteEarly sunlight can make water look orange or red. From far away it looked like blood to them.

23They said, "That is blood! The kings must have fought and killed each other. Come on, Moab, let's go take their things!"

And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.

24But when the Moabites reached Israel's camp, the men of Israel got up and attacked them. The Moabites ran away. Israel chased them and kept fighting them inside their own land.

And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them: but they went forward smiting the Moabites, even in their country.

25They tore down the cities. Each man threw stones on every good field until it was covered. They blocked up all the springs and cut down all the good trees. Only the city of Kir-haraseth still had its walls standing. Men with slings surrounded it and attacked it too.

And they beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the wells of water, and felled all the good trees: only in Kirharaseth left they the stones thereof; howbeit the slingers went about it, and smote it.

NoteKir-haraseth was Moab's strongest city, built high up with thick walls. A sling was a leather strap that threw stones very hard.

26The king of Moab saw that the fight was going badly for him. He took seven hundred men with swords to break through to the king of Edom. But they could not get through.

And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too sore for him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew swords, to break through even unto the king of Edom: but they could not.

27Then he took his oldest son, who would have been king after him. He killed him as an offering on the city wall. There was great anger against Israel. So the armies left Moab and went home to their own land.

Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall. And there was great indignation against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.

NoteA burnt offering was a gift burned up for a god. The king of Moab believed his god would help him if he gave his own son.