1. Joram, son of Ahab, became king over Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and he reigned twelve years.
2. He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, though not like his father and mother. He did away with the pillar of Baal that his father had made,
3. but he still held fast unceasingly to the sins which Jeroboam, son of Nebat, caused Israel to commit.
4. Now Mesha, king of Moab, who raised sheep, used to pay the king of Israel as tribute a hundred thousand lambs and the wool of a hundred thousand rams.
5. But when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.
6. King Joram set out from Samaria and mustered all Israel.
7. Then he sent Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, the message: “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you come with me to Moab to fight?” He replied, “I will. You and I are as one, your people and my people, and your horses and my horses as well.”
8. He said, “By what route shall we attack?” and the other said, “By way of the wilderness of Edom.”
9. So the king of Israel set out, accompanied by the king of Judah and the king of Edom. After a roundabout journey of seven days the water gave out for the army and for the animals with them.
10. The king of Israel exclaimed, “Alas! The Lord has called three kings together only to deliver us into the power of Moab.”
11. But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the Lord here through whom we may inquire of the Lord?” One of the servants of the king of Israel replied, “Elisha, son of Shaphat, who poured water on the hands of Elijah, is here.”
12. Jehoshaphat agreed, “He has the word of the Lord.” So the king of Israel, along with Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom, went down to Elisha.
13. Elisha asked the king of Israel, “What do you want with me? Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother.” The king of Israel replied, “No, the Lord has called these three kings together only to deliver us into the power of Moab.”