ELISHA. 267

that the valley they were in would be full of them.
There would be no rain, he said, yet these ditches would
be filled with water ; ‘and not only were their wants to
be supplied, but they would without doubt be victori-
ous. The Lord was to deliver the Moabites into their
hands, that they might lay waste the country of Moab.
As the prophet had said, so it came to pass ; abundance
of water was provided. The Moabites, in the mean-
time, having heard that these three kings were coming
against them, assembled a numerous army, and stood in
the border of their country. arly in the morning,
when the sun rose, it shone red upon the water, and
made it look like blood. ‘ This is blood,” the Moabites
cried ; “ the kings are surely slain; they have smitten
one another, now therefore Moab to the spoil.” Eagerly
they rushed against the Israelites, and found that people
prepared for them. They rose up and smote the chil-
dren of Moab, who fled before them. It was a com-
plete victory. They destroyed the cities as they had
been directed to do by Elisha. The capital of Moab
was called Kirharaseth. The king of Moab took refuge
there ; and the armies of Israel and Edom laid siege to
it. The king of Moab, seeing himself in great danger,
attempted to break through at the side where the
Kdomites were, but failed. Then he fell upon a fearful
plan. His eldest son, the heir of his throne, he offered
up for a burnt-offering, to obtain the favour of his
demon-god. On the wall of the city this was done,—

full in the view of the Moabites within, and of their ene-
mies without.