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2 Kings 1
International Standard Version

Elijah Rebukes King Ahaziah

1 Moab rebelled against Israel[a] after Ahab died. 2 Meanwhile, Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice in his upper room in Samaria and lay injured. He sent messengers to Ekron with these orders: “Go and consult with Ekron’s god Baal-zebub to find out[b] if I’m going to recover from this injury.”[c]

3 But the angel of the Lord spoke to Elijah the foreigner,[d] “Get up and go meet the messengers from the king of Samaria. Ask them ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you’re going to consult with Ekron’s god Baal-zebub? 4 Now therefore this is what the Lord says: “You won’t be getting up from that bed of yours on which you’re lying. You will most certainly die!”’” So Elijah got up and[e] went.

5 The messengers returned to the king and he asked them, “What’s this? You’ve come back?”

6 They replied, “We met a man who told us, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and ask him, “Is it because there is no God in Israel that you’re going to consult with Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you won’t be getting up from that bed on which you’re lying. You will most certainly die!”’”

7 He told them, “Describe the man who met you and told you these things.”

8 They answered, “The man was a hairy fellow. He wore a leather sash around his waist.”

The king[f] responded, “It’s Elijah, that foreigner!”[g]

Fire from Heaven Destroys the King’s Henchmen

9 So the king sent out 50 men, along with their leader.[h] The leader[i] approached Elijah, who was sitting at the top of a hill. He ordered Elijah,[j] “Hey, man of God! The king orders you to come down!”

10 Elijah responded to the leader who was in charge of the 50 soldiers, “So I’m a man of God, am I? If so, may fire[k] fall from heaven and devour you and your 50 soldiers…”[l] Just then, fire fell from heaven and devoured that leader and his 50 soldiers.[m]

11 Later the king tried again—he sent another company of 50 soldiers, along with their leader, who ordered Elijah, “Hey, man of God! This is what the king orders: ‘Come down!’”

12 Elijah responded to the leader and to his entire company,[n] “So I’m a man of God, am I? If so, may fire[o] fall from heaven and devour you and your 50 soldiers…”[p] Just then, fire fell from heaven and devoured him and his 50 soldiers.[q]

13 Then the king tried yet again! The king sent a third company of 50 soldiers along with their leader. The third leader went up the hill,[r] approached Elijah,[s] fell on his knees in front of him, and begged him,[t] “Hey, man of God, please treat[u] my life and the lives of these servants of yours as precious! 14 Look how fire fell from heaven and devoured the two other companies of 50 soldiers, along with their captains, but now please treat me as if my life were precious!”

15 The angel of the Lord told Elijah, “Go down the hill with that man. Don’t be afraid of him!” So Elijah[v] got up and went down with him to meet the king.

16 Then Elijah spoke to the king, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Since you sent messengers to consult with Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron—is it because there is no God in Israel with whom to consult regarding his word?—therefore you’re not getting up from the bed on which you’re lying. You certainly will die!’” 17 And die he did, just as the Lord had said and just as Elijah had spoken!

After this, Jehoram ascended to the throne during the second year of the reign of Jehoshaphat’s son Jehoram from Judah. He took the place of Ahaziah, who had no son. 18 The rest of Ahaziah’s activities are recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel,[w] are they not?

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 1:1 Cf. 2Sam 8:2
  2. 2 Kings 1:2 The Heb. lacks and find out
  3. 2 Kings 1:2 Lit. sickness
  4. 2 Kings 1:3 Lit. Tishbite; or sojourner
  5. 2 Kings 1:4 The Heb. lacks got up and
  6. 2 Kings 1:8 Lit. He
  7. 2 Kings 1:8 Lit. Elijah the Tishbite; or Elijah, the sojourner
  8. 2 Kings 1:9 Lit. a captain of fifty; and so through v. 14; modern equivalent to a Second Lieutenant commanding a platoon of four twelve-member squads
  9. 2 Kings 1:9 Lit. He
  10. 2 Kings 1:9 Lit. him
  11. 2 Kings 1:10 MT word fire sounds like MT word man
  12. 2 Kings 1:10 The Heb. lacks soldiers
  13. 2 Kings 1:10 The Heb. lacks soldiers
  14. 2 Kings 1:12 Lit. to them
  15. 2 Kings 1:12 MT word fire sounds like MT word man
  16. 2 Kings 1:12 The Heb. lacks soldiers
  17. 2 Kings 1:12 The Heb. lacks soldiers
  18. 2 Kings 1:13 The Heb. lacks the hill
  19. 2 Kings 1:13 The Heb. lacks Elijah
  20. 2 Kings 1:13 Lit. Elijah
  21. 2 Kings 1:13 Lit. see
  22. 2 Kings 1:15 Lit. he
  23. 2 Kings 1:18 An ancient chronicle of Israel, apparently now lost; and so throughout the book
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2 Kings 1
Lexham English Bible

Elijah and the Messengers of Ahaziah

1 Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab. 2 Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice in his upper room, which was in Samaria, and he was injured. So he sent messengers, and he said to them, “Go, inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, if I will survive this injury.”

3 Then the angel of Yahweh spoke to Elijah the Tishbite, “Get up, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and speak 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, thus says Yahweh, ‘The bed upon which you have gone, you will not come down from it, but you shall surely die.’” So Elijah went.

5 When the messengers returned to him, he asked them, “Why have you returned?” 6 Then they said to him, “A man came up to meet us, and he said to us, ‘Go, return to the king who sent you and speak to him, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-Zebub the god of Ekron? Therefore the bed upon which you have gone, you will not come down from it, for you will surely die.’”’” 7 Then he spoke to them, “What was the manner of the man who came up to meet you and spoke to you all these things?” 8 They answered him, “A hairy man[a] with a leather belt girded around his waist.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”

9 So Ahaziah[b] sent to him the commander of fifty with his fifty men, and he went up to him while he was sitting on the top of the hill. He said to him, “O man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’” 10 Then Elijah answered and said to the commander of the fifty, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty!” Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

11 So he again sent[c] another commander of fifty and his fifty men. He answered and said to him, “O man of God, thus says the king, ‘Come down quickly!’” 12 Then Elijah answered and said to them, “If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty!” Then the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

13 So he again sent[d] a third time a commander of fifty and his fifty, and the commander of the third fifty went up and came and knelt down on his knees before Elijah and entreated him. He said to him, “O man of God, please let my life and the lives of your servants, these fifty, be precious in your eyes. 14 Behold, fire from heaven came down and consumed the first two commanders of fifty and their fifties, so then let my life be precious in your eyes.” 15 Then the angel of Yahweh spoke to Elijah, “Go down with him. Do not be afraid because of him.” So he got up and went down with him to the king, 16 and he said to him, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron—is it because there is no God in Israel from whom to inquire his word?—therefore the bed upon which you went, you shall not come down from it, for you shall surely die.’”

Epitaph for Ahaziah

17 So he died, according to the word of Yahweh which Elijah had spoken, and Joram became king in his place in the second year of Joram the son of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, because he had no son. 18 The remainder of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 1:8 Literally “an owner of hair”
  2. 2 Kings 1:9 Literally “he”
  3. 2 Kings 1:11 Literally “returned and sent”
  4. 2 Kings 1:13 Literally “returned and sent”
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2 Kings 1
New International Version

The Lord’s Judgment on Ahaziah

1 After Ahab’s death, Moab(A) rebelled against Israel. 2 Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers,(B) saying to them, “Go and consult Baal-Zebub,(C) the god of Ekron,(D) to see if I will recover(E) from this injury.”

3 But the angel(F) of the Lord said to Elijah(G) the Tishbite, “Go up and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel(H) that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?’ 4 Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘You will not leave(I) the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!’” So Elijah went.

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

6 “A man came to meet us,” they replied. “And he said to us, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and tell him, “This is what the Lord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending messengers to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not leave(J) the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!”’”

7 The king asked them, “What kind of man was it who came to meet you and told you this?”

8 They replied, “He had a garment of hair[a](K) and had a leather belt around his waist.”

The king said, “That was Elijah the Tishbite.”

9 Then he sent(L) to Elijah a captain(M) with his company of fifty men. The captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, “Man of God, the king says, ‘Come down!’”

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

11 At this the king sent to Elijah another captain with his fifty men. The captain said to him, “Man of God, this is what the king says, ‘Come down at once!’”

12 “If I am a man of God,” Elijah replied, “may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!” Then the fire of God fell from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.

13 So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. This third captain went up and fell on his knees before Elijah. “Man of God,” he begged, “please have respect for my life(O) and the lives of these fifty men, your servants! 14 See, fire has fallen from heaven and consumed the first two captains and all their men. But now have respect for my life!”

15 The angel(P) of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid(Q) of him.” So Elijah got up and went down with him to the king.

16 He told the king, “This is what the Lord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel for you to consult that you have sent messengers(R) to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Because you have done this, you will never leave(S) the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!” 17 So he died,(T) according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken.

Because Ahaziah had no son, Joram[b](U) succeeded him as king in the second year of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. 18 As for all the other events of Ahaziah’s reign, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 1:8 Or He was a hairy man
  2. 2 Kings 1:17 Hebrew Jehoram, a variant of Joram
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