Water in the Valley during the Moab Campaign

King Jehoram of Israel ruled after Ahab. He did evil in Yahweh’s sight, though not in exactly the same way as his father and mother. Mesha king of Moab had been supplying Israel with many lambs and much wool, but after Ahab died he rebelled. So Jehoram gathered Israel, asked Jehoshaphat king of Judah for help, and they went by the wilderness route of Edom with the king of Edom.

After seven days on the march, there was no water for the soldiers or the animals. Jehoram feared that Yahweh had brought the three kings together only to hand them over to Moab. But Jehoshaphat asked whether there was a prophet of Yahweh nearby. A servant said Elisha was there, and the three kings went down to him.

Elisha rebuked the king of Israel and said he would only speak because of his respect for Jehoshaphat. Then, as music was played, Yahweh’s hand came on him. Elisha said the valley should be made full of trenches. They would see no wind or rain, yet the valley would fill with water for people and animals. Yahweh would also give Moab into their hand.

In the morning, at the time of the offering, water came from the direction of Edom and filled the land. Early that same morning, the Moabites saw the sun shining on the water, and it looked red to them. They thought the kings had destroyed one another, so they hurried in to take plunder.

Instead, Israel rose up and struck the Moabites, and the Moabites fled. The attackers beat down cities, ruined fields with stones, stopped springs, and cut down good trees, just as Elisha had said. At Kir Hareseth the fighting continued. Then the king of Moab, unable to break through with seven hundred men, took his oldest son and offered him on the wall. Great wrath came against Israel, and they withdrew and returned home.