Ahaziah’s Sickness and Death

1 After Ahab’s death, Moab^(A) rebelled against Israel.^{(B) 2} Ahaziah^(C) had fallen through the latticed window of his upstairs room in Samaria^(D) and was injured. So he sent messengers, instructing them, “Go inquire of Baal-zebub,^[a](E) the god of Ekron,^(F) whether I will recover from this injury.”^(G)

³ But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite,^(H) “Go and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria^(I) and say to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? ⁴ Therefore, this is what the Lord says: You will not get up from your sickbed; you will certainly die.’” Then Elijah left.

⁵ The messengers returned to the king, who asked them, “Why have you come back?”

⁶ They replied, “A man came to meet us and said, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and declare to him, “This is what the Lord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you’re sending these men to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore, you will not get up from your sickbed; you will certainly die.”’”

⁷ The king asked them, “What sort of man came up to meet you and spoke those words to you?”

⁸ They replied, “A hairy man with a leather belt around his waist.”^(J)

He said, “It’s Elijah the Tishbite.”^(K)

⁹ So King Ahaziah sent a captain with his fifty men^(L) to Elijah. When the captain went up to him, he was sitting on top of the hill. He announced, “Man of God,^(M) the king declares, ‘Come down!’”

¹⁰ Elijah responded to the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.^(N)

¹¹ So the king sent another captain with his fifty men to Elijah. He took in the situation^[b] and announced, “Man of God, this is what the king says: ‘Come down immediately!’”

¹² Elijah responded, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” So a divine fire^[c] came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.

¹³ Then the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. The third captain went up and fell on his knees in front of Elijah and begged him, “Man of God,^(O) please let my life and the lives of these fifty servants of yours be precious to you.^{(P) 14} Already fire has come down from heaven and consumed the first two captains with their companies, but this time let my life be precious to you.”

¹⁵ The angel of the Lord^(Q) said to Elijah, “Go down with him. Don’t be afraid of him.”^(R) So he got up and went down with him to the king.

¹⁶ Then Elijah said to King Ahaziah, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron—is it because there is no God in Israel for you to inquire of his will?—you will not get up from your sickbed; you will certainly die.’”

¹⁷ Ahaziah died according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken. Since he had no son, Joram^[d](S) became king in his place. This happened in the second year of Judah’s King Jehoram^(T) son of Jehoshaphat.^{[e] 18} The rest of the events of Ahaziah’s reign, along with his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings.^[f](U)

Elijah in the Whirlwind

2 The time had come for the Lord to take Elijah up to heaven^(V) in a whirlwind.^(W) Elijah and Elisha^(X) were traveling from Gilgal,^{(Y) 2} and Elijah said to Elisha,^(Z) “Stay here;^(AA) the Lord is sending me on to Bethel.”^(AB)

But Elisha replied, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.”^(AC) So they went down to Bethel.

³ Then the sons of the prophets^(AD) who were at Bethel came out to Elisha and said, “Do you know that the Lord will take your master away from you today?” ^(AE)

He said, “Yes, I know. Be quiet.”

⁴ Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here; the Lord is sending me to Jericho.”^(AF)

But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.

⁵ Then the sons of the prophets who were in Jericho came up to Elisha and said, “Do you know that the Lord will take your master away from you today?”

He said, “Yes, I know. Be quiet.”

⁶ Elijah said to him, “Stay here; the Lord is sending me to the Jordan.”^(AG)

But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on.

⁷ Fifty men from the sons of the prophets came and stood observing them at a distance while the two of them stood by the Jordan. ⁸ Elijah took his mantle,^(AH) rolled it up, and struck the water, which parted to the right and left. Then the two of them crossed over on dry ground.^{(AI) 9} When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken from you.”

So Elisha answered, “Please, let me inherit two shares of your spirit.”^(AJ)

¹⁰ Elijah replied, “You have asked for something difficult. If you see me being taken from you,^(AK) you will have it. If not, you won’t.”

¹¹ As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire with horses of fire^(AL) suddenly appeared and separated the two of them. Then Elijah went up into heaven in the whirlwind.^{(AM) 12} As Elisha watched, he kept crying out, “My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!” ^(AN)

Elisha Succeeds Elijah

When he could see him no longer, he took hold of his own clothes, tore them in two,^{(AO) 13} picked up the mantle^(AP) that had fallen off Elijah, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. ¹⁴ He took the mantle Elijah had dropped, and he struck the water. “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” he asked. He struck the water himself, and it parted to the right and the left, and Elisha crossed over.

¹⁵ When the sons of the prophets from Jericho who were observing saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” They came to meet him and bowed down to the ground in front of him.

¹⁶ Then the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Since there are fifty strong men here with your servants, please let them go and search for your master. Maybe the Spirit of the Lord has carried him away and put him on one of the mountains or into one of the valleys.”^(AQ)

He answered, “Don’t send them.”

¹⁷ However, they urged him to the point of embarrassment,^(AR) so he said, “Send them.” They sent fifty men, who looked for three days but did not find him. ¹⁸ When they returned to him in Jericho^(AS) where he was staying, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”

¹⁹ The men of the city said to Elisha, “My lord can see that even though the city’s location is good, the water is bad and the land unfruitful.”^(AT)

²⁰ He replied, “Bring me a new bowl and put salt in it.”^(AU)

After they had brought him one, ²¹ Elisha went out to the spring, threw salt in it,^(AV) and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. No longer will death or unfruitfulness result from it.’” ²² Therefore, the water still remains healthy today according to the word that Elisha spoke.

²³ From there Elisha went up to Bethel.^(AW) As he was walking up the path, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him,^(AX) chanting, “Go up, baldy! Go up, baldy!” ²⁴ He turned around, looked at them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord.^(AY) Then two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the children. ²⁵ From there Elisha went to Mount Carmel,^(AZ) and then he returned to Samaria.^(BA)

Israel’s King Joram

3 Joram son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria during the eighteenth year of Judah’s King Jehoshaphat, and he reigned twelve years.^{(BB) 2} He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, but not like his father and mother,^(BC) for he removed the sacred pillar of Baal his father had made. ³ Nevertheless, Joram clung to the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.^(BD) He did not turn away from them.

Moab’s Rebellion against Israel

⁴ King Mesha of Moab^(BE) was a sheep breeder. He used to pay^(BF) the king of Israel one hundred thousand lambs and the wool of one hundred thousand rams,^{(BG) 5} but when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.^{(BH) 6} So King Joram marched out from Samaria at that time and mobilized all Israel. ⁷ Then he sent a message to King Jehoshaphat^(BI) of Judah: “The king of Moab has rebelled against me.^(BJ) Will you go with me to fight against Moab?”

Jehoshaphat said, “I will go. I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”^(BK)

⁸ He asked, “Which route should we take?”

He replied, “The route of the Wilderness of Edom.”

⁹ So the king of Israel, the king of Judah, and the king of Edom^(BL) set out. After they had traveled their indirect route for seven days, they had no water for the army or the animals with them.

¹⁰ Then the king of Israel said, “Oh no, the Lord has summoned these three kings, only to hand them over to Moab.”

¹¹ But Jehoshaphat said, “Isn’t there a prophet of the Lord here? Let’s inquire of the Lord through him.”^(BM)

One of the servants of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat,^(BN) who used to pour water on Elijah’s hands, is here.”

¹² Jehoshaphat affirmed, “The word of the Lord is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went to him.^(BO)

¹³ However, Elisha said to King Joram of Israel, “What do we have in common? Go to the prophets of your father and your mother!” ^(BP)

But the king of Israel replied, “No, because it is the Lord who has summoned these three kings to hand them over to Moab.”

¹⁴ Elisha responded, “By the life of the Lord of Armies,^(BQ) before whom I stand: If I did not have respect for King Jehoshaphat of Judah,^(BR) I wouldn’t look at you; I would not take notice of you. ¹⁵ Now, bring me a musician.”^(BS)

While the musician played,^(BT) the Lord’s hand^(BU) came on Elisha. ¹⁶ Then he said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Dig ditch after ditch in this wadi.’ ¹⁷ For the Lord says, ‘You will not see wind or rain, but the wadi will be filled with water,^(BV) and you will drink—you and your cattle and your animals.’ ¹⁸ This is easy in the Lord’s sight.^(BW) He will also hand Moab over to you.^{(BX) 19} Then you will attack every fortified city and every choice city. You will cut down every good tree and stop up every spring. You will ruin every good piece of land with stones.”

²⁰ About the time for the grain offering^(BY) the next morning, water suddenly came from the direction of Edom and filled the land.

²¹ All Moab had heard that the kings^(BZ) had come up to fight against them. So all who could bear arms, from the youngest to the oldest, were summoned and took their stand at the border. ²² When they got up early in the morning, the sun was shining on the water, and the Moabites saw that the water across from them was red like blood.^{(CA) 23} “This is blood!” they exclaimed. “The kings^(CB) have crossed swords^[g] and their men have killed one another. So, to the spoil, Moab!”

²⁴ However, when the Moabites came to Israel’s camp, the Israelites attacked them, and they fled from them. So Israel went into the land attacking the Moabites. ²⁵ They would destroy the cities, and each of them would throw a stone to cover every good piece of land. They would stop up every spring and cut down every good tree. This went on until only the buildings of Kir-hareseth^(CC) were left. Then men with slings surrounded the city and attacked it.

²⁶ When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too fierce for him, he took seven hundred swordsmen with him to try to break through to the king of Edom,^(CD) but they could not do it. ²⁷ So he took his firstborn son,^(CE) who was to become king in his place, and offered him as a burnt offering on the city wall. Great wrath was on the Israelites, and they withdrew from him and returned to their land.

Jehoram Becomes King over Judah

21 Jehoshaphat rested with his ancestors and was buried with his ancestors in the city of David. His son Jehoram^[a] became king in his place.^{(A) 2} He had brothers, sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariah, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of King Jehoshaphat of Judah.^{[b] 3} Their father had given them many gifts of silver, gold, and valuable things, along with fortified cities^(B) in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn. ⁴ When Jehoram had established himself over his father’s kingdom, he strengthened his position by killing with the sword all his brothers as well as some of the princes of Israel.

Judah’s King Jehoram

⁵ Jehoram^(C) was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. ⁶ He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done,^(D) for Ahab’s daughter was his wife.^(E) He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, ⁷ but for the sake of the covenant the Lord had made with David, he was unwilling to destroy the house of David since the Lord had promised^(F) to give a lamp^[c](G) to David and to his sons forever.

⁸ During Jehoram’s reign, Edom rebelled against Judah’s control and appointed their own king. ⁹ So Jehoram crossed into Edom with his commanders and all his chariots. Then at night he set out to attack the Edomites who had surrounded him and the chariot commanders. ¹⁰ And now Edom is still in rebellion against Judah’s control today. Libnah also rebelled at that time against his control because he had abandoned the Lord, the God of his ancestors. ¹¹ Jehoram also built high places^(H) in the hills^[d] of Judah, and he caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves,^(I) and he led Judah astray.

Elijah’s Letter to Jehoram

¹² Then a letter came to Jehoram from the prophet Elijah, saying:

This is what the Lord, the God of your ancestor David says: “Because you have not walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat^(J) or in the ways of King Asa of Judah^{(K) 13} but have walked in the ways of the kings of Israel,^(L) have caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves like the house of Ahab^(M) prostituted itself, and also have killed your brothers,^(N) your father’s family, who were better than you, ¹⁴ the Lord is now about to strike your people, your sons, your wives, and all your possessions with a horrible affliction. ¹⁵ You yourself will be struck with many illnesses, including a disease of the intestines, until your intestines come out day after day because of the disease.”^(O)

Jehoram’s Last Days

¹⁶ The Lord roused the spirit of the Philistines and the Arabs^(P) who lived near the Cushites to attack Jehoram.^{(Q) 17} So they went to war against Judah and invaded it. They carried off all the possessions found in the king’s palace and also his sons and wives; not a son was left to him except Jehoahaz,^[e](R) his youngest son.

¹⁸ After all these things, the Lord afflicted him in his intestines with an incurable disease. ¹⁹ This continued day after day until two full years passed. Then his intestines came out because of his disease, and he died from severe^[f] illnesses. But his people did not hold a fire in his honor like the fire in honor of his predecessors.^(S)

²⁰ Jehoram^(T) was thirty-two years old when he became king; he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. He died to no one’s regret^[g](U) and was buried in the city of David but not in the tombs of the kings.^(V)

Judah’s King Ahaziah

22 Then the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, his youngest son, king in his place, because the troops that had come with the Arabs^(W) to the camp had killed all the older sons.^[h] So Ahaziah son of Jehoram became king of Judah. ² Ahaziah^(X) was twenty-two^[i] years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah, granddaughter^[j] of Omri.

³ He walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother gave him evil advice. ⁴ So he did what was evil in the Lord’s sight like the house of Ahab, for they were his advisers after the death of his father, to his destruction. ⁵ He also followed their advice and went with Joram^[k] son of Israel’s King Ahab to fight against King Hazael of Aram, in Ramoth-gilead. The Arameans^[l] wounded Joram, ⁶ so he returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds they inflicted on him in Ramoth-gilead^[m] when he fought against King Hazael of Aram. Then Judah’s King Ahaziah^[n] son of Jehoram went down to Jezreel to visit Joram son of Ahab since Joram was ill.

⁷ Ahaziah’s downfall came from God when he went to Joram.^(Y) When Ahaziah arrived, he went out with Joram to meet Jehu son of Nimshi,^(Z) whom the Lord had anointed to destroy the house of Ahab.^{(AA) 8} So when Jehu executed judgment on the house of Ahab,^(AB) he found the rulers of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s brothers who were serving Ahaziah, and he killed them. ⁹ Then Jehu looked for Ahaziah,^(AC) and Jehu’s soldiers captured him (he was hiding in Samaria). So they brought Ahaziah to Jehu, and they killed him. The soldiers buried him, for they said, “He is the grandson of Jehoshaphat who sought the Lord with all his heart.”^(AD) So no one from the house of Ahaziah had the strength to rule the kingdom.

Athaliah Usurps the Throne

¹⁰ When^(AE) Athaliah, Ahaziah’s mother, saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs^[o] of the house of Judah. ¹¹ Jehoshabeath,^[p] the king’s daughter, rescued Joash son of Ahaziah from the king’s sons who were being killed and put him and the one who nursed him in a bedroom. Now Jehoshabeath was the daughter of King Jehoram and the wife of the priest Jehoiada. Since she was Ahaziah’s sister, she hid Joash from Athaliah so that she did not kill him. ¹² He was hiding with them in God’s temple for six years while Athaliah reigned over the land.