17. for this is what the Lord says, ‘You will not feel any wind or see any rain, but this valley will be full of water and you and your cattle and animals will drink.’
18. This is an easy task for the Lord; he will also hand Moab over to you.
19. You will defeat every fortified city and every important city. You must chop down every productive tree, stop up all the springs, and cover all the cultivated land with stones.”
20. Sure enough, the next morning, at the time of the morning sacrifice, water came flowing down from Edom and filled the land.
21. Now all Moab had heard that the kings were attacking, so everyone old enough to fight was mustered and placed at the border.
22. When they got up early the next morning, the sun was shining on the water. To the Moabites, who were some distance away, the water looked red like blood.
23. The Moabites said, “It’s blood! The kings are totally destroyed! They have struck one another down! Now, Moab, seize the plunder!”
24. When they approached the Israelite camp, the Israelites rose up and struck down the Moabites, who then ran from them. The Israelites thoroughly defeated Moab.
25. They tore down the cities and each man threw a stone into every cultivated field until they were covered. They stopped up every spring and chopped down every productive tree. Only Kir Hareseth was left intact, but the slingers surrounded it and attacked it.
26. When the king of Moab realized he was losing the battle, he and 700 swordsmen tried to break through and attack the king of Edom, but they failed.
27. So he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him up as a burnt sacrifice on the wall. There was an outburst of divine anger against Israel, so they broke off the attack and returned to their homeland.