רַבִּי נְחוּנְיָה בֶּן הַקָּנָה אוֹמֵר: צְדָקָה תְּרוֹמֵם גּוֹי, אֵלּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְחֶסֶד לְאֻמִּים חַטָּאת, חֶסֶד שֶׁאֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם עוֹשִׂין, חַטָּאת הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל. מִמִּי אַתְּ לָמֵד? מִן מֵישַׁע מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וּמֵישַׁע מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב הָיָה נֹקֵד (מלכים ב ג, ד). מַהוּ נֹקֵד? רוֹעֶה. וְהֵשִׁיב לְמֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאָה אֶלֶף כָּרִים וּמֵאָה אֶלֶף אֵילִים צָמֶר (מלכים ב ג, ד). מַהוּ אֵילִים צָמֶר? רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא אָמַר פְּרוֹבַטְיָא. מֶה עָשָׂה? כִּנֵּס כָּל אַסְטְרוֹלוֹגִין שֶׁלּוֹ, אָמַר לוֹ: לֵית אַתּוּן אָמְרִין לִי מַה דֵּין. אֲנָא עָבֵד קְרָבָא עִם כָּל אֻמָּה וְגָלֶה לְהוֹן. וְכַד אֲנָא עָבֵד קְרָבָא עִם יְהוּדָאֵי, נַצְחִין לִי. אֲמַרוּ לֵהּ: חַד סָב הֲוָה לְהוֹן וּשְׁמֵהּ אַבְרָהָם, וְאִתְיְהִיב לֵהּ לְמֵאָה שְׁנִין בַּר יְחִידָאִי וְקָרְבֵהּ. אֲמַר לְהוֹן: וְקָרְבֵהּ לְגַמְרֵהּ. אֲמַרוּ לֵהּ: לָא. אֲמַר לְהוּ: וְהָא קָרְבֵהּ וְלָא גַּמְרֵהּ וּמִתְעֲבֵד לְהוֹן נִסִּין. אִלּוּ קָרְבֵהּ וְגַמְרֵהּ, עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה. וּכְדוֹן בְּרָא בּוּכְרָא אִית לִי דְּעָתִיד לְמִמְלִיךְ תְּחוֹתַי, אֶלָּא אֲנָא מַקְרִיב לֵהּ, דִּלְמָא מִתְעֲבֵד לָן נִסִּין. הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב: וַיִּקַּח אֶת בְּנוֹ הַבְּכוֹר אֲשֶׁר יִמְלֹךְ תַּחְתָּיו וַיַּעֲלֵהוּ עֹלָה עַל הַחֹמָה וַיְהִי קֶצֶף גָּדוֹל עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל (מלכים ב ג, כז). חַמָּה כְּתִיב, מִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לַחַמָּה. מִיָּד וַיְהִי קֶצֶף גָּדוֹל עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל (מלכים ב ג, כז). אָמַר לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל: עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה אֵין מַכִּירִין כְּבוֹדִי, לְפִיכָךְ הֵם מוֹרְדִין בִּי. וְאַתֶּם מַכִּירִין כְּבוֹדִי וּמוֹרְדִין אַתֶּם בִּי.
R. Nahuniah the son of Hakanah maintained that righteousness exalteth a nation alludes to Israel, while sin is a reproach to any people is applicable to the idolatrous nations that sinned against Israel. From whom do you learn this? You learn it from Mesha, king of Moab, for it is said: Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep-master (II Kings 3:4). What is meant by a noked (“sheep-master”)? He was shepherd, for it is said: And he rendered unto the king of Israel the wool of a hundred thousand lambs and a hundred thousand rams (ibid.). What is meant by the wool of rams? R. Abba the son of Kahana said: Sheep. What did he do? He assembled all his astrologers and said to them: “I have a problem, tell me what to do. Should I wage war together with all the nations against Israel and exile them, or should I wage war alone against Israel so that the victory might be mine alone?’ They replied: “Israel had a patriarch called Abraham who was given a child when he was one hundred years old, and he offered him as a sacrifice.” He asked them: “Was the sacrifice completed?” “No,” they answered. He replied: “He offered a sacrifice that was not completed and yet He performed miracles for them, how many more miracles would He have performed if the sacrifice had been completed. Now, since I have a firstborn son who will rule in my stead, I shall offer him as a sacrifice, and perhaps a miracle will be performed in my behalf.” Hence it is written: Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt-offering upon the wall, and there came a great wrath upon Israel (II Kings 3:27–28). Homah (“wall”) is written here, since he prostrated himself toward the hamah (“sun”) (in performing the sacrifice). Forthwith there came a great wrath upon Israel. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: The idolaters do not acknowledge My glory, and so they rebel against Me, but you, who acknowledged My glory, rebel against Me as well.