A reading from the book of Second Kings.

In the 18th year of Jehoffat, King of Judah, Jehoram, the son of Ahab, became king over Israel and Samaria, and he reigned 12 years. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, though not like his father and mother, for he put away the pillar of bail that his father had made. Nevertheless, he clung to the sin of

Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. He did not depart from it. Now Misha,

king of Moab, was a sheep breeder, and he had to deliver to the king of Israel 100,000 lambs

and the wool of 100,000 rams. But when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of

Israel. So King Jehoram marched out of Samaria at that time and mustered all Israel. And he went and

sent word to Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go

with me to battle against Moab? And he said, I will go. I am as you are, my people as your

people, my horses as your horses. Then he said, by which way shall we march? Jehoram answered,

by the way of the wilderness of Edom. So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king

of Edom, and when they had made a circuitous march of seven days,

there was no water for the army or for the animals that followed them. Then the king of Israel said,

Alas, the Lord has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab. And Jehoshaph had said,

Is there no prophet of the Lord here, through whom we may inquire of the Lord?

Then one of the King of Israel's servants answered,

Elisha, the son of Shefat, is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.

And Jehoshaphat said, The word of the Lord is with him.

So the King of Israel and Jehoshaphat, and the King of Edom went down to him.

And Elijah said to the King of Israel, what have I to do with youat, and the king of Edom went down to him. And Elisha said to the king of Israel,

What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother.

But the king of Israel said to him, no, it is the Lord who has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab. And Elisha said, as the Lord of Host lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I have

regard for Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would neither look at you nor see you, but now bring me a

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