2 Kings 1

Ahaziah's Sickness and Death

1 After the death of Ahab, Moab rebelled against Israel.

2 Ahaziah had fallen through the latticed window of his upper room in Samaria and was injured. So he sent messengers instructing them: "Go inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, if I will recover from this injury."
3 But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, "Go and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, 'Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?'

4 Therefore, this is what the Lord says: 'You will not get up from your sickbed-you will certainly die.'" Then Elijah left.

5 The messengers returned to the king, who asked them, "Why have you come back?"

6 They replied, "A man came to meet us and said, 'Go back to the king who sent you and declare to him: This is what the Lord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you're sending [these men] to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore, you will not get up from your sickbed-you will certainly die.'"

7 The king asked them, "What sort of man came up to meet you and spoke those words to you?"

8 They replied, "A hairy man with a leather belt around his waist."
He said, "It's Elijah the Tishbite."

9 So King Ahaziah sent a captain of 50 with his 50 [men] to Elijah. When the captain went up to him, he was sitting on top of the hill. He announced, "Man of God, the king declares, 'Come down!'"

10 Elijah responded to the captain of the 50, "If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your 50 [men]." Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his 50 [men].

11 So the king sent another captain of 50 with his 50 [men] to Elijah. He took in the situation and announced, "Man of God, this is what the king says: 'Come down immediately!'"

12 Elijah responded, "If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your 50 [men]." So a divine fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his 50 [men].
13 Then the king sent a third captain of 50 with his 50 [men]. The third captain of 50 went up and fell on his knees in front of Elijah and begged him, "Man of God, please let my life and the lives of these 50 servants of yours be precious in your sight.

14 Already fire has come down from heaven and consumed the first two captains of 50 with their fifties, but this time let my life be precious in your sight."

15 The angel of the Lord said to Elijah, "Go down with him. Don't be afraid of him." So he got up and went down with him to the king.

16 Then Elijah said to King Ahaziah, "This is what the Lord says: 'Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron-is it because there is no God in Israel for you to inquire of His will? You will not get up from your sickbed-you will certainly die.'"
17 Ahaziah died according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken. Since he had no son, Joram became king in his place. [This happened] in the second year of Judah's King Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat.

18 The rest of the events of Ahaziah's [reign], along with his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Israel's Kings.

2 Kings 1

Elijah Confronts the King and His Commanders

1 After Ahab died, Moab rebelled against Israel.s

2 Ahaziah fell through a window lattice in his upper chamber in Samarias and was injured. He sent messengers with these orders,t “Go, askt Baal Zebub,s the god of Ekron, if I will survive this injury.”
3 But the Lord’s angelic messenger told Elijah the Tishbite, “Get up, go to meet the messengers from the king of Samaria. Say this to them: ‘You must think there is no God in Israel! That explains why you are on your way to seek an oracle from Baal Zebub the god of Ekron.t

4 Therefore this is what the Lord says, “You will not leave the bed you lie on, for you will certainly die!”’” So Elijah went on his way.
5 When the messengers returned to the king,ts he asked them, “Why have you returned?”6 They replied,t “A man came up to meet us. He told us, “Go back to the king who sent you and tell him, ‘This is what the Lord says: “You must think there is no God in Israel! That explains why you are sending for an oracle from Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron.t Therefore you will not leave the bed you lie on, for you will certainly die.”’”7 The kingt asked them, “Describe the appearancet of this man who came up to meet you and told you these things.”

8 They replied,t “He was a hairy mant and had a leather beltt tied around his waist.” The kingt said, “He is Elijah the Tishbite.”
9 The kingt sent a captain and his fifty soldierst to retrieve Elijah.t The captaint went up to him, while he was sitting on the top of a hill.s He told him, “Prophet,t the king says, ‘Come down!’”

10 Elijah replied to the captain,t “If I am indeed a prophet, may fire come down from the sky and consume you and your fifty soldiers!” Fire then came downt from the sky and consumed him and his fifty soldiers.
11 The kingt sent another captain and his fifty soldiers to retrieve Elijah. He went up and told him,s “Prophet, this is what the king says, ‘Come down at once!’”s

12 Elijah replied to them,s “If I am indeed a prophet, may fire come down from the sky and consume you and your fifty soldiers!” Fire from Godt came down from the sky and consumed him and his fifty soldiers.
13 The kingt sent a third captain and his fifty soldiers. This third captain went up and fellt on his knees before Elijah. He begged for mercy, “Prophet, please have respect for my life and for the lives of these fifty servants of yours.14 Indeed,t fire came down from the sky and consumed the two captains who came before me, along with their men.t So now, please have respect for my life.”

15 The Lord’s angelic messenger said to Elijah, “Go down with him. Don’t be afraid of him.” So he got up and went downs with him to the king.

16 Elijaht said to the king,t “This is what the Lord says, ‘You sent messengers to seek an oracle from Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron. You must think there is no God in Israel from whom you can seek an oracle!t Therefore you will not leave the bed you lie on, for you will certainly die.’”s
17 He died just as the Lord had prophesied through Elijah.t In the second year of the reign of King Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat over Judah, Ahaziah’s brother Jehoram replaced him as king of Israel, because he had no son.t

18 The rest of the events of Ahaziah’s reign, including his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.t