Elijah and King Ahaziah

1 After Ahab died, Moab ·broke away from Israel’s rule [rebelled against Israel]. ² Ahaziah fell down through the ·wooden bars in [lattice of] his upstairs room in Samaria and was badly hurt. He sent messengers and told them, “Go, ask Baal-Zebub, god of Ekron, if I will recover from my ·injuries [illness].”

³ But the Lord’s ·angel [messenger] said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Go up and ·meet [confront; intercept] the messengers sent by the king of Samaria. Ask them, ‘Why are you going to ·ask questions of [consult with; inquire of] Baal-Zebub, god of Ekron? Is it because there is no God in Israel?’ ⁴ This is what the Lord says: ‘You will never get up from the bed you are lying on; you will surely die.’” Then Elijah ·left [set out; departed].

⁵ When the messengers returned to Ahaziah, he asked them, “Why have you returned [^Cso soon after being sent]?”

⁶ They said, “A man came to meet us. He said, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and tell him ·what the Lord says [^TThus says the Lord]: ‘Why are you going to ·ask questions of [consult with; inquire of] Baal-Zebub, god of Ekron? Is it because there is no God in Israel?’ You will never get up from the bed you are lying on; you will surely die.”’”

⁷ Ahaziah asked them, “What ·did the man look like who [kind of man] met you and told you this?”

⁸ They answered, “He ·was a hairy man [or wore a hairy cloak] and wore a leather belt around his waist.”

Ahaziah said, “It was Elijah the Tishbite.”

⁹ Then he sent a captain with his fifty men to Elijah. The captain went to Elijah, who was sitting on top of the hill, and said to him, “Man of God [^Ca prophet], the king says, ‘Come down!’”

¹⁰ Elijah answered the captain, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and ·burn up [consume; destroy] you and your fifty men.” Then fire came down from heaven and ·burned up [consumed; destroyed] the captain and his fifty men.

¹¹ Ahaziah sent another captain and fifty men to Elijah. The captain said to him, “Man of God, this is what the king says: ‘Come down ·quickly [at once]!’”

¹² Elijah answered, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and ·burn up [consume; destroy] you and your fifty men!” Then fire came down from heaven and ·burned up [consumed; destroyed] the captain and his fifty men.

¹³ Ahaziah then sent a third captain with his fifty men. The third captain came and fell down on his knees before Elijah and ·begged [pleaded], “Man of God, please ·respect [value; consider precious] my life and the lives of your fifty servants. ¹⁴ ·See [^TBehold], fire came down from heaven and ·burned up [consumed; destroyed] the first two captains of fifty with all their men. But now, ·respect [value; consider precious] my life.”

¹⁵ The Lord’s ·angel [messenger] said to Elijah, “Go down with him and don’t be afraid of him.” So Elijah got up and went down with him to see the king.

¹⁶ Elijah told Ahaziah, “This is what the Lord says: ‘You have sent messengers to ·ask questions of [consult with; inquire of] Baal-Zebub, god of Ekron. Is it because there is no God in Israel to ask? Because of this, you will never get up from your bed; you will surely die.’” ¹⁷ So Ahaziah died, ·just as the Lord, through Elijah, had said he would [^Lin accordance with the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken].

Because Ahaziah had no son to take his place, Joram^[a] became king in Ahaziah’s place during the second year Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat was king of Judah. ¹⁸ The other things Ahaziah did ·are [^Lare they not…?] written in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals] of the kings of Israel [^Ca history book now lost].