2 Kings 1:9-18

Complete Jewish Bible

⁹ Then the king sent a commander of fifty to Eliyahu, together with his fifty men. Eliyahu was sitting at the top of a hill. The commander climbed up to him and said, “Man of God, the king says to come down.” ¹⁰ Eliyahu answered the commander of fifty, “If I am in fact a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and burn you up, along with your fifty men.” Fire came down from heaven, and it burned up him and his fifty men. ¹¹ The king sent him another commander of fifty, together with his fifty men. He said to him, “Man of God, the king says, ‘Come down immediately!’” ¹² Eliyahu answered them, “If I am in fact a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and burn you up, along with your fifty men.” Fire came down from heaven, and it burned up him and his fifty men. ¹³ The king sent a third commander of fifty, with his fifty men. The third commander of fifty climbed up, approached Eliyahu and fell on his knees before him. He pleaded with him: “Man of God, please! Have some regard for my life and the lives of these fifty servants of yours! ¹⁴ I know that fire came down from heaven and burned up the two other commanders with their fifty men; but now, have some regard for my life.” ¹⁵ The angel of Adonai said to Eliyahu, “Go down with him; don’t be afraid of him.” So he got up and went down with him to the king.

¹⁶ Eliyahu said to the king, “Here is what Adonai says: ‘You sent messengers to consult Ba‘al-Z’vuv the god of ‘Ekron. Is it because there’s no God in Isra’el you can consult? Therefore, you will never leave the bed you are lying on; you will certainly die.’” ¹⁷ So he died, in keeping with the word of Adonai spoken through Eliyahu.

Y’horam began to rule in place of him during the second year of Y’horam the son of Y’hoshafat king of Y’hudah, because he had no son. ¹⁸ Other activities of Achazyah are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra’el.