2 Kings 1:1-8

Holman Christian Standard Bible

Ahaziah’s Sickness and Death

1 After the death of Ahab, Moab^(A) rebelled against Israel.^{(B) 2} Ahaziah^(C) had fallen through the latticed window of his upper 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) if 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 ask 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)