2 Kings 1
Living Bible
1 After King Ahab’s death the nation of Moab declared its independence and refused to pay tribute to Israel any longer.
2 Israel’s new king, Ahaziah, had fallen off the upstairs porch of his palace at Samaria and was seriously injured. He sent messengers to the temple of the god Baal-zebub at Ekron to ask whether he would recover.
3 But the Angel of the Lord told Elijah the prophet,[a] “Go and meet the messengers and ask them, ‘Is it true that there is no God in Israel? Is that why you are going to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether the king will get well? 4-5 Because King Ahaziah has done this, the Lord says that he will never leave the bed he is lying on; he will surely die.’”
When Elijah told the messengers this, they returned immediately to the king.
“Why have you returned so soon?” he asked them.
6 “A man came up to us,” they said, “and told us to go back to the king and tell him, ‘The Lord wants to know why you are asking questions of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron. Is it because there is no God in Israel? Now, since you have done this, you will not leave the bed you are lying on; you will surely die.’”
7 “Who was this fellow?” the king demanded. “What did he look like?”
8 “He was a hairy man,” they replied, “with a wide leather belt.”
“It was Elijah the prophet!” the king exclaimed. 9 Then he sent an army captain with fifty soldiers to arrest him. They found him sitting on top of a hill. The captain said to him, “O man of God, the king has commanded you to come along with us.”
10 But Elijah replied, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and destroy you and your fifty men!” Then lightning struck them and killed them all!
11 So the king sent another captain with fifty men to demand, “O man of God, the king says that you must come down right away.”
12 Elijah replied, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and destroy you and your fifty men.” And again the fire from God burned them up.
13 Once more the king sent fifty men, but this time the captain fell to his knees before Elijah and pleaded with him, “O man of God, please spare my life and the lives of these, your fifty servants. 14 Have mercy on us! Don’t destroy us as you did the others.”
15 Then the Angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Don’t be afraid. Go with him.” So Elijah went to the king.
16 “Why did you send messengers to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask about your sickness?” Elijah demanded. “Is it because there is no God in Israel to ask? Because you have done this, you shall not leave this bed; you will surely die.”
17 So Ahaziah died as the Lord had predicted through Elijah, and his brother Joram[b] became the new king—for Ahaziah did not have a son to succeed him. This occurred in the second year of the reign of King Jehoram (son of Jehoshaphat) of Judah. 18 The rest of the history of Ahaziah’s reign is recorded in The Annals of the Kings of Israel.
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 1:3 Elijah the prophet, literally, “Elijah the Tishbite.”
- 2 Kings 1:17 his brother Joram. “Jehoram” in Hebrew, a variant spelling of Joram.
2 Kings 1
Expanded Bible
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 [C so 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 [T Thus 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 [C a 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 [T Behold], 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 [L in 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 [L are they not…?] written in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals] of the kings of Israel [C a history book now lost].
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 1:17 Joram Hebrew copies read “Jehoram.”
2 Kings 1
King James Version
1 Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab.
2 And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease.
3 But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron?
4 Now therefore thus saith the Lord, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed.
5 And when the messengers turned back unto him, he said unto them, Why are ye now turned back?
6 And they said unto him, There came a man up to meet us, and said unto us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that thou sendest to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.
7 And he said unto them, What manner of man was he which came up to meet you, and told you these words?
8 And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.
9 Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down.
10 And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
11 Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly.
12 And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
13 And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight.
14 Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties: therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight.
15 And the angel of the Lord said unto Elijah, Go down with him: be not afraid of him. And he arose, and went down with him unto the king.
16 And he said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron, is it not because there is no God in Israel to enquire of his word? therefore thou shalt not come down off that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.
17 So he died according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken. And Jehoram reigned in his stead in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah; because he had no son.
18 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?
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