< 2 Kings 1 >

1 After Ahab died, Moab rebelled against Israel.
Then did Moab rebel against Israel after the death of Achab.
2 Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice-work of his upper room in Samaria and had hurt himself badly. So he sent out messengers, telling them: “Go and ask Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will get better from this injury.”
And Achazyah fell down through the lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and became sick; and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, inquire of Ba'al-zebub the god of 'Ekron whether I shall recover from this sickness.
3 But the angel of the Lord told Elijah the Tishbite, “Go and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is it because there's no God in Israel that you're going to ask advice from Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?’
But an angel of the Lord spoke to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to inquire of Ba'al-zebub the god of 'Ekron?
4 So this is the Lord's answer: ‘You will not leave the bed on which you are lying. You're definitely going to die.’” And Elijah left.
Now therefore, thus hath said the Lord, From the bed on which thou art gone up shalt thou not come down; for thou shalt surely die. And Elijah departed.
5 The messengers returned to the king, and he asked them, “Why have you come back?”
And the messengers returned unto him, and he said unto them, Why is this that ye are already returned?
6 “A man came and met us,” they replied. “He told us, ‘Go back to the king who sent you, and tell him, This is what the Lord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to ask advice from Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? As a result you will not leave the bed on which you are lying. You're definitely going to die.’”
And they said unto him, There came up a man to meet us, and he said unto us, Go, return unto the king that hath sent you, and speak unto him, Thus hath said the Lord, Is it because there is not a God in Israel, that thou sendest to inquire of Ba'al-zebub the god of 'Ekron? therefore from the bed on which thou art gone up shalt thou not come down; for thou shalt surely die.
7 “What was he like, this man who met you and told you all this?” the king asked.
And he spoke unto them, What is the manner of the man who came up to meet you, and spoke unto you these words?
8 “He was a hairy man wearing a leather belt around his waist,” they replied. “It's Elijah the Tishbite,” said the king.
And they said unto him, He is a hairy man, with a girdle of leather girded about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.
9 Then the king sent an army captain with fifty men to Elijah. The captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and told him, “Man of God, the king orders you, ‘Come down!’”
Then did he send unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty: and he went up to him, and, behold, he was sitting on the top of the mount; and he spoke unto him, O man of God, the king hath commanded, Come down.
10 Elijah replied to the captain, “If I am a man of God, then let fire fall from heaven and burn up you and your fifty men.” Fire fell from heaven and burned up the captain and his men.
And Elijah answered and spoke to the captain of the fifty, And if I be a man of God, let a fire come down from heaven and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down a fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
11 So the king sent another captain with his fifty men to Elijah. The captain said to Elijah, “Man of God, the king orders you, Come down immediately!”
And he sent again unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he commenced and spoke unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly.
12 Elijah replied to the captain, “If I am a man of God, then let fire fall from heaven and burn up you and your fifty men.” Fire fell from heaven and burned up the captain and his men.
And Elijah answered and spoke unto them, If I be a man of God, let a fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.
13 So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. The third captain went up, kneeled before Elijah, and pleaded with him, “Man of God, please value my life and the lives of these fifty men.
And he sent again a captain of fifty the third time with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and bent down on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and spoke unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life and the life of these fifty thy servants be precious in thy eyes.
14 Yes, fire has fallen from heaven and burned up the first two captains of fifty, along with all their men. But now please value my life!”
Behold, there came down a fire from heaven, and consumed the two captains of the first fifties with their fifties; and now let my life be precious in thy eyes.
15 Then the angel of the Lord told Elijah, “Go down with him. You don't have to be afraid of him.” So Elijah got up and went down with him to the king.
And the angel of the Lord spoke unto Elijah, Go down with him: be not afraid of him, and he arose, and went down with him unto the king.
16 Elijah told the king, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Is it because there's no God in Israel for you to consult that you have sent messengers to ask advice of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? As a result you will not leave the bed on which you are lying. You're definitely going to die.”
And he spoke unto him, Thus hath said the Lord, Forasmuch as thou didst send messengers to inquire of Ba'al-zebub the God of 'Ekron, as though there were no God in Israel to inquire of his word: therefore from the bed on which thou art gone up shalt thou not come down; for thou shalt surely die.
17 Ahaziah died just as the Lord had said through Elijah. Because he had no son, Joram succeeded him as king in the second year of the reign of Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah.
And he died, according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken; and Jehoram became king in his stead in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah; because he had no son.
18 The rest of what happened in Ahaziah's reign and what he did are recorded in the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.
Now the rest of the acts of Achazyahu which he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

< 2 Kings 1 >