Now aMoab rebelled
against Israel
after
the death
of Ahab
.
And Ahaziah fell
through
the lattice
in his upper
chamber
which
was in Samaria
, and became
ill
. So he sent
messengers
and said
to them, "Go
, ainquire
of Baal-zebub
, the god
of Ekron
, bwhether
I will recover
from this
sickness
."
But the angel of the LORD
said
to aElijah
the Tishbite
, "Arise
, go
up to meet
the messengers
of the king
of Samaria
and say
to them, `Is it because
there
is no
God
in Israel
that you are going
to inquire
of bBaal-zebub
, the god
of Ekron
?'
"Now therefore thus
says
the LORD
, ` 1 aYou shall not come
down
from the bed
where
you have gone
up, but you shall surely
die
.' " Then Elijah
departed
.
When the messengers returned
to him he said
to them, " 1Why
have you returned
?"
They said to him, "A man
came
up to meet
us and said
to us, `Go
, return
to the king
who
sent
you and say
to him, "Thus
says
the LORD
, `Is it because
there
is no
God
in Israel
that you are sending
ato inquire
of Baal-zebub
, the god
of Ekron
? Therefore
1you shall not come
down
from the bed
where
you have gone
up, but shall surely
die
.' ""'
He said to them, "What
kind
of man
was he who
came
up to meet
you and spoke
these
words
to you?"
They 1answered him, " aHe was a hairy
man
with a leather
girdle
2bound
about his loins
." And he said
, "It is Elijah
the Tishbite
."
Then the king asent to him a captain
of fifty
with his fifty
. And he went
up to him, and behold
, he was sitting
on the top
of the hill
. And he said
to him, "O man
of God
, the king
says
, `Come
down
.' "
Elijah replied
to the captain
of fifty
, "If
I am a man
of God
, alet fire
come
down
from heaven
and consume
you and your fifty
." bThen fire
came
down
from heaven
and consumed
him and his fifty
.
So he again sent
to him another
captain
of fifty
with his fifty
. And he said
to him, "O man
of God
, thus
says
the king
, `Come
down
quickly
.' "
Elijah replied
to them, "If
I am a man
of God
, let fire
come
down
from heaven
and consume
you and your fifty
." Then the fire
of God
came
down
from heaven
and consumed
him and his fifty
.
So he aagain sent
the captain
of a third
fifty
with his fifty
. When the third
captain
of fifty
went
up, he came
and bowed
down
on his knees
before
Elijah
, and begged
him and said
to him, "O man
of God
, please
let my life
and the lives
of these
fifty
servants
of yours be precious
in your sight
.
"Behold fire
came
down
from heaven
and consumed
the first
two
captains
of fifty
with their fifties
; but now
let my 1life
be precious
in your sight
."
aThe angel of the LORD
said
to Elijah
, "Go
down
with him; bdo not be afraid
of him." So he arose
and went
down
with him to the king
.
Then he said to him, "Thus
says
the LORD
, `Because
you have sent
messengers
ato inquire
of Baal-zebub
, the god
of Ekron
--is it because
there
is no
God
in Israel
to inquire
of His word
?--therefore
1you shall not come
down
from the bed
where
you have gone
up, but shall surely
die
.' "
So Ahaziah died according to the word
of the LORD
which
Elijah
had spoken
. And because
he had
no
son
, Jehoram
became
king
in his place
ain the second
year
of Jehoram
the son
of Jehoshaphat
, king
of Judah
.
Now the rest of the acts
of Ahaziah
which
he did
, are they not written
in the Book
of the Chronicles
of the Kings
of Israel
?