1Now 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.
1以色列王約蘭猶大王約沙法第十八年，亞哈的兒子約蘭在撒瑪利亞作王，統治以色列；他作王共有十二年。
2He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, but not like his father, and like his mother; for he put away the pillar of Baal that his father had made.
2他行耶和華看為惡的事，只是還不至於像他的父親和母親一樣，因為他除去了他父親所做的巴力神柱。
3Nevertheless he held to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin; he didn’t depart from it.
3只是尼八的兒子耶羅波安使以色列人陷在罪中的那些罪，他卻堅持不捨，不肯脫離。
4Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder; and he rendered to the king of Israel the wool of one hundred thousand lambs, and of one hundred thousand rams.
4摩押背叛摩押王米沙是個以畜牧為生的人。他每年進貢十萬頭綿羊羔和十萬頭公羊羔給以色列王。
5But it happened, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.
5亞哈死後，摩押王背叛以色列王。
6King Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time, and mustered all Israel.
6那時約蘭王從撒瑪利亞出來點閱以色列眾人。
7He 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.”
7他一面起行，一面派人到猶大王約沙法那裡，說：“摩押王背叛了我，你肯不肯和我同去攻打摩押呢？”約沙法說：“我願意去；我和你不分彼此，我的人民就像是你的人民，我的馬就像是你的馬。”
8He said, “Which way shall we go up?” He answered, “The way of the wilderness of Edom.”
8約沙法問：“我們從哪條路上去呢？”約蘭回答：“從以東曠野的路上去。”
9So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom; and they made a circuit of seven days’ journey. There was no water for the army, nor for the animals that followed them.
9三王聯軍合攻摩押於是以色列王、猶大王和以東王，繞道行了七日的路程。軍隊和隨行的牲畜都沒有水喝。
10The king of Israel said, “Alas! For Yahweh has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.”
10以色列王說：“哎喲，耶和華招聚這三位君王，是要把他們交在摩押人的手中。”
11But Jehoshaphat said, “Isn’t there here a prophet of Yahweh, that we may inquire of Yahweh by him?” One of the king of Israel’s servants answered, “Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.”
11約沙法說：“這裡不是有一位耶和華的先知嗎？我們可以託他求問耶和華。”以色列王的一位臣僕說：“這裡有沙法的兒子以利沙，他從前是服事以利亞的（“他從前是服事以利亞的”原文作“他從前倒水在以利亞手上”）。”
12Jehoshaphat said, “The word of Yahweh is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
12約沙法說：“他必有耶和華的話。”於是以色列王、約沙法和以東王都下到他那裡。
13Elisha 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.”
13以利沙的教訓與預言以利沙對以色列王說：“我和你有甚麼關係呢？去問你父親和你母親的先知吧！”以色列王對他說：“不要這樣說，耶和華招聚這三位君王，是要把他們交在摩押人手中。”
14Elisha 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.
14以利沙說：“我指著我所事奉永活的萬軍耶和華起誓，若不是看猶大王約沙法的情面，我根本不會理你，看也不看你。
15But now bring me a minstrel.” It happened, when the minstrel played, that the hand of Yahweh came on him.
15現在，給我找一個琴師來。”當琴師彈琴的時候，耶和華的能力就臨到他身上。
16He said, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘Make this valley full of trenches.’
16以利沙說：“耶和華這樣說：‘要在這山谷到處挖濠溝。’
17For thus says Yahweh, ‘You will not see wind, neither will you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, and you will drink, both you and your livestock and your animals.
17因為耶和華這樣說：‘你們雖然沒有看見風，也沒有看見雨，但這山谷必充滿了水，你們和你們的牲畜都可以有水喝。
18This is but a light thing in the sight of Yahweh. He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand.
18這事在耶和華眼中算是小事，他還要把摩押交在你們手中。
19You 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.’”
19你們要攻破所有堅固的城和一切繁華的都市；砍下各種佳美的樹木，堵塞所有水泉，用石頭堆滿一切肥沃的田地。’”
20It happened in the morning, about the time of offering the offering, that behold, water came by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.
20到了早上，約在獻祭的時候，忽然有水從以東來，遍地就滿了水。
21Now 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, and upward, and stood on the border.
21摩押人戰敗摩押全國聽見這幾位君王上來要攻打他們，就召集所有能夠穿上武裝的，不論老幼，到邊界上防守。
22They rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone on the water, and the Moabites saw the water over against them as red as blood.
22第二天早上，他們起來的時候，太陽照在水上，摩押人從那邊看見水紅得像血一樣。
23They said, “This is blood. The kings are surely destroyed, and they have struck each other. Now therefore, Moab, to the spoil!”
23他們說：“這是血啊！一定是那些王互相攻擊，自相殘殺；現在，摩押人哪，去搶掠吧！”
24When 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 smiting the Moabites.
24他們來到以色列營，以色列人起來，擊殺摩押人，摩押人就在以色列人面前逃跑；以色列人就攻進摩押，擊殺他們。
25They beat down the cities; and on every good piece of land they cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the springs of water, and felled all the good trees, until in Kir Hareseth only they left its stones; however the men armed with slings went about it, and struck it.
25他們毀壞城市，各人向一切肥沃的田地拋擲石頭，把田地填滿了，又堵塞一切水泉，砍下各種佳美的樹木，直到吉珥．哈列設只剩下石頭，甩石的兵把它包圍，攻擊它。
26When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too severe for him, he took with him seven hundred men who drew sword, to break through to the king of Edom; but they could not.
26摩押王見戰事激烈，無法抵抗，於是帶領七百持刀的兵，想要突圍到以東王那裡，可是不成功，
27Then he took his eldest 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.
27於是他把那要接續他作王的長子，在城牆上獻為燔祭。以色列人就遭遇極大的忿怒，於是離開他，回到自己的地方去了。