Ahaziah’s Sickness and Death

After Ahab’s death, Moab(A) rebelled against Israel.(B) 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)

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? Therefore, this is what the Lord says: You will not get up from your sickbed; you will certainly die.’” Then Elijah left.

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

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.”’”

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

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

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

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Footnotes

  1. 1:2 = Lord of the Flies

Ahaziah’s death

After Ahab died, Moab rebelled against Israel.

Ahaziah fell out the window of his second-story room in Samaria and was hurt. He sent messengers, telling them, “Go to Ekron’s god Baal-zebub, and ask if I will recover from this injury.”

But the Lord’s messenger said to Elijah from Tishbe, “Go, intercept the messengers of Samaria’s king, and ask them, ‘Is it because there’s no God in Israel that you are going to question Ekron’s god Baal-zebub? This is what the Lord says: You will never get out of the bed you are lying in; you will die for sure!’” So Elijah set off.

The messengers returned to Ahaziah. He said to them, “Why have you come back?”

They said to him, “A man met us and said, ‘Go back to the king who sent you. Say to him, This is what the Lord says: Is it because there’s no God in Israel that you’ve come to question Ekron’s god Baal-zebub? Because of this, you will never get out of the bed you are lying in; you will die for sure!’”

Ahaziah said to them, “Describe the man who met you and said these things.”

They said to him, “He wore clothes made of hair[a] with a leather belt around his waist.”

Ahaziah said, “That was Elijah from Tishbe.”

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 1:8 Or He was a hairy man.