1. Now Jehoram, Ahab’s son, became king of Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of King Jehoshaphat of Judah, and he reigned twelve years.
2. He did what was evil in Adonai’s eyes, though not like his father and his mother, for he put away the pillar of Baal that his father had made.
3. Nevertheless, he clung to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin, not turning away from them.
4. Now King Mesha of Moab was a sheep-breeder, and he used to render as tribute to the king of Israel the wool of 100,000 lambs and 100,000 rams.
5. But when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.
6. So King Jehoram marched out from Samaria at that time and mustered all Israel.
7. Then he sent word to King Jehoshaphat of Judah saying, “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you march with me against Moab to battle?” Jehoshaphat replied, “I will march. I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”
8. And he added, “By which route will we go up?” He answered, “The route of the wilderness of Edom.”
9. So the king of Israel, the king of Judah and the king of Edom marched. They kept circling roundabout for seven days, but there was no water for the army or for the animals that followed them.