1. Joram son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria during the eighteenth year of Judah’s King Jehoshaphat and reigned 12 years.
2. He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, but not like his father and mother, for he removed the sacred pillar of Baal his father had made.
3. Nevertheless, Joram clung to the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit. He did not turn away from them.
4. King Mesha of Moab was a sheep breeder. He used to pay the king of Israel 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams,
5. but when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.
6. So King Joram marched out from Samaria at that time and mobilized all Israel.
7. Then he sent a message to King Jehoshaphat of Judah: “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab? ”Jehoshaphat said, “I will go. I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”
8. Then he asked, “Which route should we take? ”Joram replied, “The route of the Wilderness of Edom.”
9. So the king of Israel, the king of Judah, and the king of Edom set out. After they had traveled their indirect route for seven days, they had no water for the army or their animals.