Fire from Heaven Destroys the King’s Henchmen

⁹ So the king sent out 50 men, along with their leader.^[a] The leader^[b] approached Elijah, who was sitting at the top of a hill. He ordered Elijah,^[c] “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^[d] fall from heaven and devour you and your 50 soldiers…”^[e] Just then, fire fell from heaven and devoured that leader and his 50 soldiers.^[f]

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,^[g] “So I’m a man of God, am I? If so, may fire^[h] fall from heaven and devour you and your 50 soldiers…”^[i] Just then, fire fell from heaven and devoured him and his 50 soldiers.^[j]

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,^[k] approached Elijah,^[l] fell on his knees in front of him, and begged him,^[m] “Hey, man of God, please treat^[n] 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^[o] got up and went down with him to meet the king.