2 Kings 3:11-14

3:11 Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the Lord here that we might seek the Lord’s direction?”¹ One of the servants of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shapat is here; he used to be Elijah’s servant.”² 3:12 Jehoshaphat said, “The Lord speaks through him.”³ So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to visit him.

3:13 Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Why are you here?⁴ Go to your father’s prophets or your mother’s prophets!” The king of Israel replied to him, “No, for the Lord is the one who summoned these three kings so that he can hand them over to Moab.” 3:14 Elisha said, “As certainly as the Lord who rules over all ⁵ lives (whom I serve),⁶ if I did not respect King Jehoshaphat of Judah,⁷ I would not pay attention to you or acknowledge you.⁸

¹tn Heb “that we might inquire of the Lord through him?”

²tn Heb “who poured water on the hands of Elijah.” This refers to one of the typical tasks of a servant.

³tn Heb “the word of the Lord is with him.”

⁴tn Or “What do we have in common?” The text reads literally, “What to me and to you?”

⁵tn Traditionally “the Lord of hosts.”

⁶tn Heb “before whom I stand.”

⁷tn Heb “if I did not lift up the face of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah.”

⁸tn Heb “I would not look at you or see you.”