2 Kings 1
1599 Geneva Bible
The Second Book of the Kings
1 2 Ahaziah by a fall falleth sick, and consulteth with Baal-Zebub. 3 He is reproved by Elijah. 10 The captains over fifty were sent to Elijah, whereof two were burnt with fire from heaven by his prayer. 17 Ahaziah dieth, and Jehoram his brother succeedeth him.
1 Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab:
2 And [a]Ahaziah fell through the lattice window in his upper chamber which was in Samaria: so he was sick: then he sent messengers, to whom he said, Go, and inquire of [b]Baal-Zebub the god of Ekron, if I shall recover of this my disease.
3 Then the Angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, and go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, [c]Is it not because there is no God in Israel, that ye go to inquire of Baal-Zebub the god of Ekron?
4 Wherefore thus saith the Lord, Thou shalt not come down from the bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt die the death. So Elijah departed.
5 And the messengers returned unto him, to whom he said, Why are ye now returned?
6 And they answered him, There came a man and met us, and said unto us, Go, and return unto the king which sent you, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord, [d]Is it not because there is no God in Israel, that thou sendest to inquire of Baal-Zebub the God of Ekron? Therefore thou shalt not come down from the bed, on which thou art gone up, but shalt die the death.
7 And he said unto them, What manner of man was he which came and met you, and told you these words?
8 And they said unto him, He was an [e]hairy man, and girded with a girdle of leather about his loins. Then said he, It is Elijah the Tishbite.
9 Therefore the King sent unto him a captain over fifty with his fifty men, who went up unto him: for behold, he sat on the top [f]of a mountain, and he said unto him, O man of God, the king hath commanded that thou come down.
10 But Elijah answered, and said to the captain over the fifty, If that I be a man of God, let fire come down from the heaven, and devour thee and thy fifty. [g]So fire came down from the heaven and devoured him and his fifty.
11 Again also he sent unto him another captain over fifty with his fifty. Who spake, and said unto him, [h]O man of God, thus the King commandeth, Come down quickly.
12 But Elijah answered, and said unto them, [i]If I be a man of God, let fire come down from the heaven and devour thee and thy fifty. So fire came down from the heaven, and devoured him and his fifty.
13 ¶ Yet again he sent the third captain over fifty with his fifty. And the third captain over 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 [j]life and the life of these thy fifty servants be [k]precious in thy sight.
14 Behold, there came fire down from the heaven, and devoured the two former captains over fifty 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 [l]not afraid of his presence. So he arose, and went down with him unto the king.
16 And he said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Because thou hast sent messengers to inquire of Baal-Zebub the god of Ekron, (was it not because there was no God in Israel to inquire of his word?) therefore thou shalt not come down off the bed, on which thou art gone up, but shalt die the death.
17 So he died according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken. And Jehoram began to reign in his stead in the second year of [m]Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, because he had no son.
18 Concerning the rest of the acts of Ahaziah, that he did, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel?
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 1:2 So that he was punished for his idolatry after two sorts: for the Moabites which were wont to pay him tribute, rebelled, and he fell down at a grate which was upon his house to give light beneath.
- 2 Kings 1:2 The Philistines which dwelt at Ekron, worshipped this idol, which figureth the god of flies, thinking that he could preserve them from the biting of flies: or else he was so called, because flies were engendered in great abundance of the blood of the sacrifices that were offered to that idol.
- 2 Kings 1:3 He showeth that idolaters have not the true God, for else they would seek to none but to him alone.
- 2 Kings 1:6 Ignorance is the mother of error and idolatry.
- 2 Kings 1:8 Some think that this is meant of his garments, which were rough and made of hair.
- 2 Kings 1:9 To wit, Carmel.
- 2 Kings 1:10 He declareth what power God’s word hath in the mouth of his servants, when they threaten God’s judgments against the wicked.
- 2 Kings 1:11 He spake this in mockery, and therefore provoked God’s wrath so much the more.
- 2 Kings 1:12 Meaning, that God would show by effect whether he was a true Prophet or not.
- 2 Kings 1:13 Which humble myself before God and his servant.
- 2 Kings 1:13 That is, spare my life, and let me not die as the other two.
- 2 Kings 1:15 Thus the Lord giveth boldness to his, that they fear not the threatenings of tyrants, which otherwise of themselves are afraid to do God’s message.
- 2 Kings 1:17 Jehoshaphat going to battle against the Syrians, made his son Jehoram king in the 17th year of his reign: and in the 18th year which was the second year of his son, Jehoram the son of Ahab reigned in Israel: and in the fifth year of this Jehoram Jehoshaphat died, and the kingdom of Judah was confirmed to his son.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
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