以色列与摩押争战
1犹大王约沙法执政第十八年，亚哈的儿子约兰在撒玛利亚登基做以色列王，执政十二年。 2他做耶和华视为恶的事，不过没有他父母那么败坏，因为他除掉了他父亲立的巴力神柱。 3可是他沉溺于尼八的儿子耶罗波安所犯的罪恶，使以色列人陷入罪中。
4摩押王米沙以牧羊为业，每年向以色列王进贡十万只公绵羊的羊毛和十万只羊羔。 5亚哈死后，米沙背叛了以色列王。 6那时，约兰从撒玛利亚出发，召集以色列全军。 7他还派人去对犹大王约沙法说：“摩押王背叛了我，你肯和我一起去攻打摩押吗？”约沙法回复说：“我肯去。你我不分彼此，我的军队就是你的军队，我的战马就是你的战马。 8我们从哪一条路进攻呢？”约兰答道：“从以东的旷野。”
9于是，以色列王跟犹大王和以东王联合出兵。他们绕道行了七天，军队和随行的牲畜都没有水喝了。 10以色列王叫道：“唉！怎么办呢？耶和华招聚我们三王，是要把我们交给摩押王！” 11约沙法说：“这里有没有耶和华的先知？我们可以托他求问耶和华。”以色列王的一个臣仆答道：“沙法的儿子以利沙在这里，以前他是以利亚的助手。” 12约沙法说：“耶和华会借他说话。”于是以色列王、犹大王和以东王一起去见以利沙。
13以利沙对以色列王说：“我与你有什么关系？你去问你父母的先知吧！”以色列王说：“不要这样说，耶和华招聚我们三王，是要把我们交给摩押王！” 14以利沙说：“我事奉的是永活的万军之耶和华，我凭祂起誓，若不是看犹大王约沙法的情面，我决不理你，也不会见你。 15现在你们给我找一个琴师来。”琴师弹琴的时候，耶和华的灵降在以利沙身上， 16他说：“耶和华吩咐你们要在这山谷中到处挖沟， 17因为耶和华说，‘你们虽不见风，也不见雨，但这谷中必到处有水，人畜都会有水喝。’ 18这对耶和华来说是微不足道的事，祂还要把摩押人交在你们手中。 19你们必攻陷所有的坚城重镇，砍倒各种佳美的树木，堵塞所有水泉，用石头毁坏一切良田。” 20次日早晨，约在献祭的时候，水从以东流来，遍地都是水。
21摩押人听说三王联军进攻他们，于是把凡能打仗的，不论老少都聚集起来，把守在边界上。 22第二天早晨，日光照在水面上，摩押人起来后，看见对面的水像血一样红， 23便说：“那是血啊！一定是三王内讧，自相残杀。弟兄们，我们去抢财物吧！” 24他们到了以色列营，以色列人奋起迎战，杀得他们转身逃跑。以色列人乘胜追击，杀入摩押境内，击杀摩押人， 25摧毁城邑，人人抛掷石头填满所有良田，堵塞一切水泉，砍倒各种佳美树木。摩押境内仅剩的吉珥·哈列设城也遭到甩石的士兵围攻。 26摩押王见战事不利，就率领七百名刀兵，企图从以东王那边突围，但没有成功。 27于是，他在城上将本应继承自己王位的长子杀掉，献为燔祭。以色列人感到非常恐惧3:27 “非常恐惧”希伯来文是“大怒”，含“恶心、恐惧”之意。，便退兵回国了。
Moab Revolts
1Joram3:1 Hebrew Jehoram, a variant of Joram; also in verse 6 son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned twelve years. 2He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, but not as his father and mother had done. He got rid of the sacred stone of Baal that his father had made. 3Nevertheless he clung to the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them.
4Now Mesha king of Moab raised sheep, and he had to pay the king of Israel a tribute of a hundred thousand lambs and the wool of a hundred thousand rams. 5But after Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. 6So at that time King Joram set out from Samaria and mobilized all Israel. 7He also sent this message to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?”
“I will go with you,” he replied. “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”
8“By what route shall we attack?” he asked.
“Through the Desert of Edom,” he answered.
9So the king of Israel set out with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. After a roundabout march of seven days, the army had no more water for themselves or for the animals with them.
10“What!” exclaimed the king of Israel. “Has the Lord called us three kings together only to deliver us into the hands of Moab?”
11But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the Lord here, through whom we may inquire of the Lord?”
An officer of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.3:11 That is, he was Elijah’s personal servant.”
12Jehoshaphat 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 do you want to involve me? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.”
“No,” the king of Israel answered, “because it was the Lord who called us three kings together to deliver us into the hands of Moab.”
14Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, if I did not have respect for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not pay any attention to you. 15But now bring me a harpist.”
While the harpist was playing, the hand of the Lord came on Elisha 16and he said, “This is what the Lord says: I will fill this valley with pools of water. 17For this is what the Lord says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink. 18This is an easy thing in the eyes of the Lord; he will also deliver Moab into your hands. 19You will overthrow every fortified city and every major town. You will cut down every good tree, stop up all the springs, and ruin every good field with stones.”
20The next morning, about the time for offering the sacrifice, there it was—water flowing from the direction of Edom! And the land was filled with water.
21Now all the Moabites had heard that the kings had come to fight against them; so every man, young and old, who could bear arms was called up and stationed on the border. 22When they got up early in the morning, the sun was shining on the water. To the Moabites across the way, the water looked red—like blood. 23“That’s blood!” they said. “Those kings must have fought and slaughtered each other. Now to the plunder, Moab!”
24But when the Moabites came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and fought them until they fled. And the Israelites invaded the land and slaughtered the Moabites. 25They destroyed the towns, and each man threw a stone on every good field until it was covered. They stopped up all the springs and cut down every good tree. Only Kir Hareseth was left with its stones in place, but men armed with slings surrounded it and attacked it.
26When the king of Moab saw that the battle had gone against him, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through to the king of Edom, but they failed. 27Then he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him as a sacrifice on the city wall. The fury against Israel was great; they withdrew and returned to their own land.
