Ahaziah’s Messengers Meet Elijah

Now (A)Moab broke with Israel after the death of Ahab. And Ahaziah fell through the window lattice in his upper chamber which was in Samaria, and became ill. So he sent messengers and said to them, “Go, (B)inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, (C)whether I will recover from this sickness.” But the angel of the Lord said to (D)Elijah the Tishbite, “Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and say to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of (E)Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?’ Now therefore, this is what the Lord says: ‘[a](F)You will not get down from the bed upon which you have lain, but you shall certainly die.’” Then Elijah departed.

When the messengers returned to [b]Ahaziah, he said to them, “[c]Why have you returned?” They said to him, “A man came up to meet us and said to us, ‘Go, return to the king who sent you and say to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending messengers (G)to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore [d]you will not get down from the bed upon which you have lain, but you shall certainly die.’”’” Then he said to them, “What [e]did the man look like, who came up to meet you and spoke these words to you?” And they said to him, “(H)He was a hairy man with a leather [f]belt worn around his waist.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 1:4 Lit The bed where you went up, you will not come down from it
  2. 2 Kings 1:5 Lit him
  3. 2 Kings 1:5 Lit What is this that you have returned?
  4. 2 Kings 1:6 See note v 4
  5. 2 Kings 1:7 Lit was the appearance of
  6. 2 Kings 1:8 Lit loincloth

Elijah Rebukes King Ahaziah

Moab rebelled against Israel[a] after Ahab died. 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]

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? 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.

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

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!”’”

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

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]

Read full chapter

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