is volume. Joram was a fighting king, but he
was not always successful. The battle in which he received his wounds
previous to his death was an attempt to take Ramoth-gilead in company
with Ahaziah of Judah, but the Syrian archers wounded him so severely
that he was forced to retire. The story given below is of an attack
made upon Mesha, "sheep-master" king of Moab, who, it seems, refused
two years previously the tribute of wool which he had paid to Israel.
Joram called the kings of Judah and Edom together, and the three made
an expedition to punish the Moabites. The armies would have perished
miserably had it not been for a miracle performed by Elisha. The
expedition, while momentarily successful, ended in the retreat of the
allies without having fully accomplished their purpose.)

Now 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.
And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, but not like
his father, and like his mother; for he put away the pillar of Baal that
his father had made. Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam
the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin; he departed not
therefrom.

{388}

Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep-master; and he rendered unto the
king of Israel the wool of a hundred thousand lambs, and of a hundred
thousand rams. But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king
of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. And King Jehoram went out
of Samaria at that time, and mustered all Israel. And he went and sent
to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, "The king of Moab hath
rebelled against me: wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle?"

And he said, "I will go up: I am as thou art, my people as thy people,
my horses as thy horses."

And he said, "Which way shall we go up?"

And he answered, "The way of the wilderness of Edom."

So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of
Edom: and they made a circuit of seven days' journey: and there was no
water for the host, nor for the beasts that followed them.

And the king of Israel said, "Alas! for the Lord hath called these
three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab."

But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that
we may inquire of the Lord by him?"

And one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said, "Elisha
the son of Shaphat is here, who