King Joram of Israel
1 Joram son of Ahab became king of Israel in Jehoshaphat's eighteenth year as king of Judah. Joram ruled twelve years from Samaria 2 and disobeyed the Lord by doing wrong. He tore down the stone image his father had made to honor Baal, and so he wasn't as sinful as his parents. 3 But he kept doing the sinful things that Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to do.
The Country of Moab Rebels against Israel
4 For many years the country of Moab had been controlled by Israel and was forced to pay taxes to the kings of Israel. King Mesha of Moab raised sheep, so he paid the king of Israel 100,000 lambs and the wool from 100,000 rams. 5 But soon after the death of Ahab, Mesha rebelled against Israel.
6 One day, Joram left Samaria and called together Israel's army. 7 He sent this message to King Jehoshaphat of Judah, “The king of Moab has rebelled. Will you go with me to attack him?”
“Yes, I will,” Jehoshaphat answered. “I'm on your side, and my soldiers and horses are at your command. 8 But which way should we go?”
“We will march through Edom Desert,” Joram replied.
9 So Joram, Jehoshaphat, and the king of Edom led their troops out. But seven days later, there was no drinking water left for them or their animals. 10 Joram cried out, “This is terrible! The Lord must have led us out here to be captured by Moab's army.”
11 Jehoshaphat said, “Which of the Lord's prophets is with us? We can find out from him what the Lord wants us to do.”
One of Joram's officers answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He was one of Elijah's closest followers.”
12 Jehoshaphat replied, “He can give us the Lord's message.”
The three kings went over to Elisha, 13 and he asked Joram, “Why did you come to me? Go talk to the prophets of the foreign gods your parents worshiped.”
“No,” Joram answered. “It was the Lord who led us out here, so that Moab's army could capture us.”
14 Elisha said to him, “I serve the Lord All-Powerful, and as surely as he lives, I swear I wouldn't even look at you if I didn't respect King Jehoshaphat.” 15 Then Elisha said, “Send for someone who can play the harp.”
The harpist began playing, and the Lord gave Elisha this message for Joram:
16 The Lord says that this dry riverbed will be filled with water. 17 You won't feel any wind or see any rain, but there will be plenty of water for you and your animals.
18 That simple thing isn't all the Lord is going to do. He will also help you defeat Moab's army. 19 You will capture all their walled cities and important towns. You will chop down every good tree and stop up every spring of water, then ruin their fertile fields by covering them with rocks.
20 The next morning, while the sacrifice was being offered, water suddenly started flowing from the direction of Edom, and it flooded the land.
21 Meanwhile, the people of Moab had heard that the three kings were coming to attack them. They had called together all of their fighting men, from the youngest to the oldest, and these troops were now standing at their border, ready for battle. 22 When they got up that morning, the sun was shining across the water, making it look red. The Moabite troops took one look 23 and shouted, “Look at that blood! The armies of those kings must have fought and killed each other. Come on, let's go take what's left in their camp.”
24 But when they arrived at Israel's camp, the Israelite soldiers came out and attacked them, until they turned and ran away. Israel's army chased them all the way back to Moab, and even there they kept up the attack. 25 The Israelites destroyed the Moabite towns. They chopped down the good trees and stopped up the springs of water, then covered the fertile fields with rocks.
Finally, the only city left standing was Kir-Hareseth, but soldiers armed with slings surrounded and attacked it. 26 King Mesha of Moab saw that he was about to be defeated. So he took along 700 soldiers with swords and tried to break through the front line where the Edomite troops were positioned. But he failed. 27 He then grabbed his oldest son who was to be the next king and sacrificed him as an offering on the city wall. The Israelite troops were so horrified that they left the city and went back home.
Ovita pokati kOvaisrael nOvamoab
1 Mombura oitjamurongo na hambondatu youhona wa Josafat, ombara ya Juda, Joram, omuzandu wa Ahab, otja rira ombara mOisrael; neye wa honapara mOsamaria oure wozombura omurongo na mbari. 2 Eye wa tura ondjo komurungu wa Muhona; nungwari eye ka ri omuvi otja ihe poo ina Isebel; eye wa teya ongunḓe onḓere ndja ungurirwe i ihe yokukumbira po komukuru wotjisenginina Baal. 3 Otja Jerobeam, omuzandu wa Nebat, ngwa ri po komurungu we, eye wa katukisa Ovaisrael, nu ka isire okutjita ouvi.
4 Mesa, ombara ya Moab, wa ri omutumbe wozonḓu. Eye aa ṋiṋikiziwa okuyandja ozondjona omayovi esere rimwe, nomainya wozondwezu zozonḓu omayovi esere rimwe kombara ya Israel ombura aihe. 5 Nungwari Ahab, ombara ya Israel, tja koka, Mesa wa sekamena Ovaisrael. 6 Moruveze ndo Joram, ombara ya Samaria, otja woronganisa otjimbumba tje atjihe tjovita. 7 Eye wa hinda ombuze ku Josafat, ombara ya Juda, na tja: “Ombara ya Moab ye ndji sekamene; mo rikutu kuna ami okukemurwisa?”
Nombara Josafat wa zira a tja: “Ii, ami me vanga; ngatu kumuke! Ove tji we rirongere, ami wina me rirongere puna otjimbumba tjandje tjovita noukambe wandje. 8 Matu twara ondjira iṋe okuyenda kovita?”
Joram wa zira a tja: “Matu twara ondjira ndji onde yomokuti onguza kwa Edom.”
9 Nombara Joram nozombara za Juda noya Edom otji va kumuka. Nu tji va kayenda oure womayuva hambombari, omeva wawo otji ya manuka, nu kapa ri omeva kotjimbumba tjovita na kovikutirwa. 10 Nombara Joram wa ravaera na tja: “Owee! Muhona we tu twa atuyetatu momake wombara ya Moab!”
11 Ombara Josafat wa pura a tja: “Kamu nomuprofete muno ngu me tu purire Muhona are?”
Nomuhongore umwe wotjimbumba tja Joram tjovita wa zira na tja: “Elisa, omuzandu wa Safat, u ri muno; eye wa ri omuvatere wa Elia.”
12 Ombara Josafat wa tja nai: “Eye omuprofete wakatjotjiri.” Ozombara ndatu nḓa opu za ira ku Elisa.
13 Elisa wa tja nai kombara ya Israel: “Ami mbi na tjike na ove? Twende kovaprofete ooiho na nyoko kaave kapura!”
Nu Joram wa zira na tja: “Kako! Muhona ongwe tutwa momake wOvamoab eṱe ozombara atuyetatu.”
14 Elisa wa zira a tja: “Tjimbe tja Muhona Omunamasaaehe, ngu mbi karera, ami hitje kara notjiṋa okutjita na ove, andakuzu himba ri nondengero na Josafat, ombara ya Juda. 15 Nambano ndji etera omunyande wotjihumba.”
Ingwi omunyande ngunda ama nyanda otjihumba tje, omasa wa Muhona otji ye ya ku Elisa, 16 neye wa tja: “Muhona ma tja nai: ‘Hupureye oturora okukondorokisa otjana tji tja pwira hi. 17 Nandarire kutja kamu nokumuna otjivepo nombura, otjana hi matji urisiwa nomeva, neṋe novinamuinyo vyeṋu mamu kara nomeva omengi okunwa.’ ” 18 Elisa wa hungira komurungu a tja: “Nungwari ihi otjiṋa otjipupu ku Muhona okutjitjita; eye wina me mu pe outoṋi kOvamoab. 19 Eṋe mamu huura ovihuro vyawo oviwa novinamasa avihe; mamu ke omiti vyawo avihe vyovihape, namu pata otuharwi twawo atuhe, namu nyono omahi wawo aehe omahapise amamu ye vandeke nomawe.”
20 Omuhuka wependukirwa raindo, moruveze ombunguhiro yomuhuka ndu i punguhwa, omeva ya pupa okuza komukuma wa Edom naye nyandavara kombanda yehi.
21 NOvamoab tji va zuva kutja ozombara nḓa ndatu ze ya okuverwisa, ovarumendu avehe mba yenena okutjinda ovirwise, okuza komunene nga komutanda, va isanewa nave kakuramisiwa pomuruko. 22 Nu mependukirwa owo tji va penduka, eyuva otjiyari yere kombanda yomeva, nomeva aaye munika omaserandu tjimuna ombinḓu! 23 Nowo va ravaera nave tja: “Indji ombinḓu! Imbi ovimbumba vitatu vyovanavita ngahino vya ru, notji vya zepasana! Ngatu yende tu kahuure ozondanda zavyo!”
24 Nungwari owo tji va vaza ozondanda nḓa, Ovaisrael otji ve ve rwisa nave ve ramba. Ovaisrael va kara pokuveramba amave zepa Ovamoab, 25 nave nyono ovihuro vyawo. Nowo ngunda amave kapita ehi ehapise, Omuisrael auhe otjaa yumbu ewe mu ro nga omahi aehe womakunino tji ya vandekwa; wina va pata otuharwi nave ke omiti vyovihape. Korusenina otjihuro ohongora Kir-Heres porwatjo otji tja sewa po; novayumbe womawe ve tji kovera nave tji rwisa.
26 Ombara ya Moab tji ya muna kutja i ri pokuhaverwa, arire tji ya toora ovarumendu omasere hambombari ovanamangaruvyo nai kondjo okutuurunga otuteto twovanavita nokutaurira kombara ya Sirie, nungwari kai sorere. 27 Oyo otji ya toora omuzandu wayo everi ngwetje i pingena okurira ombara, nai mu punguhire korumbo rwotjihuro a rire ombunguhiro oningiririsiwa komukuru wotjisenginina wOvamoab. Ovaisrael va urumisiwa tjinene, notji va za ko kotjihuro nave yaruka kehi rawo oveni.
