Kings IV 1
1 And Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Achaab.
Then, after the death of Ahab, Moab transgressed against Israel.
2 And Ochozias fell through the lattice that was in his upper chamber in Samaria and was sick; and he sent messengers, and said to them, Go and enquire of Baal fly, the god of Accaron, whether I shall recover of this my sickness. And they went to enquire of him.
And Ahaziah fell down through the lattices of his upper room, which he had in Samaria, and he was injured. And he sent messengers, saying to them, “Go, consult Beelzebub, the god of Ekron, as to whether I may be able to survive this infirmity of mine.”
3 And an angel of the Lord called Eliu the Thesbite, saying, Arise, and go to meet the messengers of Ochozias king of Samaria, and you shall say to them, [Is it] because there is no God in Israel, [that] you go to enquire of Baal fly, the God of Accaron? but [it shall] not [be] so.
And an Angel of the Lord spoke to Elijah, the Tishbite, saying: “Rise up, and ascend to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria. And you shall say to them: ‘Is there not a God in Israel, so that you would go to consult Beelzebub, the god of Ekron?
4 For thus says the Lord, The bed on which you are gone up, you shall not come down from it, for you shall surely die. And Eliu went, and said [so] to them.
For this reason, thus says the Lord: From the bed to which you have ascended, you shall not descend. Instead, dying you shall die.’” And Elijah went away.
5 And the messengers returned to him, and he said to them, Why have you returned?
And the messengers returned to Ahaziah. And he said to them, “Why have you returned?”
6 And they said to him, A man came up to meet us, and said to us, Go, return to the king that sent you, and say to him, Thus says the Lord, [Is it] because there is no God in Israel, [that] you go to enquire of Baal fly, the God of Accaron? [it shall] not [be] so: the bed on which you are gone up, you shall not come down from it, for you shall surely die.
But they responded to him: “A man met us, and he said to us: ‘Go, and return to the king who sent you. And you shall say to him: Thus says the Lord: Is it because there was no God in Israel that you are sending to consult Beelzebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore, from the bed to which you have ascended, you shall not descend. Instead, dying you shall die.’”
7 So they returned and reported to the king as Eliu said: and he said to them, What [was] the manner of the man who went up to meet you, and spoke to you these words?
And he said to them: “What was the appearance and dress of that man, who met you and who spoke these words?”
8 And they said to him, [He was] a hairy man, and girded with a leather girdle about his loins. And he said, This is Eliu the Thesbite.
So they said, “A hairy man, with a belt of leather wrapping his waist.” And he said, “It is Elijah, the Tishbite.”
9 And he sent to him a captain of fifty and his fifty; and he went up to him: and, behold, Eliu sat on the top of a mountain. And the captain of fifty spoke to him, and said, O man of God, the king has called you, come down.
And he sent to him a leader of fifty, with the fifty who were under him. And he ascended to him, sitting at the top of a hill, and he said, “Man of God, the king commanded that you should descend.”
10 And Eliu answered and said to the captain of fifty, And if I [am] a man of God, fire shall come down out of heaven, and devour you and your fifty. And fire came down out of heaven, and devoured him and his fifty.
And responding, Elijah said to the leader of fifty, “If I am a man of God, let fire from heaven descend and devour you and your fifty.” And then fire from heaven descended and devoured him and the fifty who were with him.
11 And the king sent a second time to him another captain of fifty, and his fifty. And the captain of fifty spoke to him, and said, O man of God, thus says the king, Come down quickly.
And again, he sent to him another leader of fifty, and the fifty with him. And he said to him, “Man of God, thus says the king: Hurry, descend.”
12 And Eliu answered and spoke to him, and said, If I [am] a man of God, fire shall come down out of heaven, and devour you and your fifty. And fire came down out of heaven, and devoured him and his fifty.
Responding, Elijah said, “If I am a man of God, let fire from heaven descend and devour you and your fifty.” And fire from heaven descended and devoured him and his fifty.
13 And the king sent yet again a captain and his fifty. And the third captain of fifty came, and knelt on his knees before Eliu, and entreated him, and spoke to him and said, O man of God, let my life, and the life of these fifty your servants, be precious in your eyes.
Again, he sent a third leader of fifty men and the fifty who were with him. And when he had arrived, he bent his knees before Elijah, and he pleaded with him, and said: “Man of God, do not choose to despise my life and the lives of your servants who are with me.
14 Behold, fire came down from heaven, and devoured the two first captains of fifty: and now, I pray, let my life be precious in your eyes.
Behold, fire from heaven descended and devoured the two previous leaders of fifty and the fifties who were with them. But now I beg you to take pity on my life.”
15 And the angel of the Lord spoke to Eliu, and said, Go down with him, be not afraid of them. And Eliu rose up, and went down with him to the king.
Then the Angel of the Lord spoke to Elijah, saying, “Descend with him; fear not.” And so, he arose and descended with him to the king.
16 And Eliu spoke to him, and said, Thus says the Lord, Why have you sent messengers to enquire of Baal fly, the god of Accaron? [it shall] not [be] so: the bed on which you are gone up, you shall not come down from it, for you shall surely die.
And he said to him: “Thus says the Lord: Because you sent messengers to consult Beelzebub, the god of Ekron, as if there were no God in Israel, from whom you would be able to seek a word, therefore, from the bed to which you have ascended, you shall not descend. Instead, dying you shall die.”
17 So he died according to the word of the Lord which Eliu has spoken.
And so he died, in accord with the word of the Lord, which Elijah spoke. And Jehoram, his brother, reigned in his place, in the second year of Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah. For he had no son.
18 And the rest of the acts of Ochozias which he did, behold, [are] they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
But the rest of the words of Ahaziah that he worked, have these not been written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel?
