The problem with Moab

The Moabites were supposed to pay a tribute of sheep and such to Israel, but at the time of Ahab's son Joram, they quit doing it. Joram sighed, and figured he's better go set them straight. He called for Jehoshaphat king of Israel to help him out, and they were going to march on Moab, but there was no water to be found! Jehoshaphat said, "Is there no prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of the LORD through him?" Elisha was about, and was called to the kings. But he said, What do we have to do with each other? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother."

The parents of both these kings were bad lots. "No," the king of Israel answered, "because it was the LORD who called us three kings together to hand us over to Moab."

Elisha said, "As surely as the LORD Almighty lives, whom I serve, if I did not have respect for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you or even notice you. But now bring me a harpist."

While the harpist was playing, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha and he said, "This is what the LORD says: Make this valley full of ditches. For this is what the LORD says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink. This is an easy thing in the eyes of the LORD; he will also hand Moab over to you. You will overthrow every fortified city and every major town. You will cut down every good tree, stop up all the springs, and ruin every good field with stones."

The next morning, guess what? Water flowed into the camp! Yes, just... flowed into the camp! It filled the ditches and there was water everywhere.

But there was yet another purpose for this water. When the Moabites woke up the sun was shining on the water, making it look red. "That's blood!" they all said. "Those kings must have fought and slaughtered each other! Now to the plunder Moab!" But guess who popped up while they were in the camp?

The Israelites destroyed the towns, and each mad found a stone and threw it on a good field until they all were ruined. They stopped up all the springs and cut down every good tree.

Then I guess they took all the sheep they wanted!