< 2 Kings 1 >
1 And Moab transgresseth against Israel after the death of Ahab,
Then, after the death of Ahab, Moab transgressed against Israel.
2 and Ahaziah falleth through the lattice in his upper chamber that [is] in Samaria, and is sick, and sendeth messengers, and saith unto them, 'Go ye, inquire of Baal-Zebub god of Ekron if I recover from this sickness.'
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 a messenger of Jehovah hath spoken unto Elijah the Tishbite, 'Rise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and speak unto them, Is it because there is not a God in Israel — ye are going to inquire of Baal Zebub god of Ekron?
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 and therefore, thus said Jehovah, The bed whither thou hast gone up, thou dost not come down from it, for thou dost certainly die;' and Elijah goeth on.
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 turn back unto him, and he saith unto them, 'What [is] this — ye have turned back!'
And the messengers returned to Ahaziah. And he said to them, “Why have you returned?”
6 And they say unto him, 'A man hath come up to meet us, and saith unto us, Go, turn back unto the king who sent you, and ye have said unto him, Thus said Jehovah, Is it because there is not a God in Israel — thou art sending to inquire of Baal-Zebub god of Ekron? therefore, the bed whither thou hast gone up, thou dost not come down from it, for thou dost certainly 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 And he saith unto them, 'What [is] the fashion of the man who hath come up to meet you, and speaketh unto 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 say unto him, 'A man — hairy, and a girdle of skin girt about his loins;' and he saith, 'He [is] Elijah the Tishbite.'
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 sendeth unto him a head of fifty and his fifty, and he goeth up unto him (and lo, he is sitting on the top of the hill), and he speaketh unto him, 'O man of God, the king hath spoken, 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 Elijah answereth and speaketh unto the head of the fifty, 'And if I [am] a man of God, fire doth come down from the heavens, and consume thee and thy fifty;' and fire cometh down from the heavens, and consumeth 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 he turneth and sendeth unto him another head of fifty and his fifty, and he answereth and speaketh unto him, 'O man of God, thus said the king, Haste, come down.'
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 Elijah answereth and speaketh unto them, 'If I [am] a man of God, fire doth come down from the heavens, and consume thee and thy fifty;' and fire of God cometh down from the heavens, and consumeth 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 he turneth and sendeth a third head of fifty and his fifty, and the third head of fifty goeth up, and cometh in, and boweth on his knees over-against Elijah, and maketh supplication unto him, and speaketh unto him, 'O man of God, let be precious, I pray thee, my soul and the soul of thy servants — these fifty — in thine 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 Lo, come down hath fire from the heavens, and consumeth the two heads of the former fifties and their fifties; and, now, let my soul be precious in thine 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 a messenger of Jehovah speaketh unto Elijah, 'Go down with him, be not afraid of him;' and he riseth and goeth down with him unto 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 speaketh unto him, 'Thus said Jehovah, Because that thou hast sent messengers to inquire of Baal-Zebub god of Ekron — is it because there is not a God in Israel to inquire of His word? therefore, the bed whither thou hast gone up — thou dost not come down from it, for thou dost certainly 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 And he dieth, according to the word of Jehovah that Elijah spake, and Jehoram reigneth in his stead, in the second year of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, for he had no son.
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 matters of Ahaziah that he did, are they not written on 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?