2 Kings 3
Open in the reader1In the eighteenth year of He-Who-Is-Has-Judged’s reign over Praised, He-Who-Is-Exalted son of Father's-Brother became king of Strives-with-God, and he reigned in Watch-Mountain twelve years.
2And he did evil in the sight of He-Who-Is, but not as his father and mother had done. He removed the sacred pillar of The-Ruler that his father had made.
3Nevertheless, he clung to the sins that The-People-Increase son of Regard had caused Strives-with-God to commit; he did not turn away from them.
4Now Mesha king of From-the-Father was a sheep breeder, and he would render to the king of Strives-with-God a hundred thousand lambs and the wool of a hundred thousand rams.
5But after the death of Father's-Brother, the king of From-the-Father rebelled against the king of Strives-with-God.
6So at that time King He-Who-Is-Exalted set out from Watch-Mountain and mobilized all Strives-with-God.
7And he sent a message to He-Who-Is-Has-Judged king of Praised: “The king of From-the-Father has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against From-the-Father?” “I will go,” replied He-Who-Is-Has-Judged. “I am as you are, my people are your people, and my horses are your horses.”
8Then he asked, “Which way shall we go up?” “By way of the Desert of Red,” replied He-Who-Is-Exalted.
9So the king of Strives-with-God, the king of Praised, and the king of Red set out, and after they had traveled a roundabout route for seven days, they had no water for their army or for their animals.
10“Alas,” said the king of Strives-with-God, “for He-Who-Is has summoned these three kings to deliver them into the hand of From-the-Father!”
11But He-Who-Is-Has-Judged asked, “Is there no prophet of He-Who-Is here? Let us inquire of He-Who-Is through him.” And one of the servants of the king of Strives-with-God answered, “My-God-Is-Salvation son of He-Has-Judged is here. He used to pour water on the hands of My-God-Is-He-Who-Is.”
12He-Who-Is-Has-Judged affirmed, “The word of He-Who-Is is with him.” So the king of Strives-with-God and He-Who-Is-Has-Judged and the king of Red went down to him.
13My-God-Is-Salvation, however, said to the king of Strives-with-God, “What have we to do with each other? Go to the prophets of your father and of your mother!” “No,” replied the king of Strives-with-God, “for it is He-Who-Is who has summoned these three kings to deliver them into the hand of From-the-Father.”
14Then My-God-Is-Salvation said, “As surely as He-Who-Is of Hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not for my regard for the presence of He-Who-Is-Has-Judged king of Praised, I would not look at you or acknowledge you.
15But now, bring me a harpist.” And while the harpist played, the hand of He-Who-Is came upon My-God-Is-Salvation
16and he said, “This is what He-Who-Is says: ‘Dig this valley full of ditches.’
17For He-Who-Is says, ‘You will not see wind or rain, but the valley will be filled with water, and you will drink—you and your cattle and your animals.’
18This is a simple matter in the sight of He-Who-Is, and He will also deliver the children of From-the-Father into your hand.
19And you shall attack every fortified city and every city of importance. You shall cut down every good tree, stop up every spring, and ruin every good field with stones.”
20The next morning, at the time of the morning sacrifice, water suddenly flowed from the direction of Red and filled the land.
21Now all the children of From-the-Father had heard that the kings had come up to fight against them. So all who could bear arms, young and old, were summoned and stationed at the border.
22When they got up early in the morning, the sun was shining on the water, and it looked as red as blood to the children of From-the-Father across the way.
23“This is blood!” they exclaimed. “The kings have clashed swords and slaughtered one another. Now to the plunder, From-the-Father!”
24But when the children of From-the-Father came to the camp of Strives-with-God, the children of Strives-with-God rose up and attacked them, and they fled before them. So the children of Strives-with-God invaded their land and struck down the children of From-the-Father.
25They destroyed the cities, and each man threw stones on every good field until it was covered. They stopped up every spring and cut down every good tree. Only Wall-of-Potsherd was left with stones in place, but men with slings surrounded it and attacked it as well.
26When the king of From-the-Father saw that the battle was too fierce for him, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through to the king of Red, but they could not prevail.
27So he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him, and offered him as a burnt offering on the city wall. And there was great fury against the children of Strives-with-God, so they withdrew and returned to their own land.