Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

The Lord, the Psalmist’s Portion in Life and Deliverer in Death.

A ^[a]Mikhtam of David [probably intended to record memorable thoughts].

Ahaziah’s Messengers Meet Elijah

1 Now Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab. ² Ahaziah [the king of Israel] fell through the lattice (grid) in his upper chamber which was in Samaria, and became sick [from the injury]. So he sent messengers, saying to them, “Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of ^[a]Ekron, if I will recover from this sickness.” ³ But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the ^[b]Tishbite, “^[c]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 Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?’ ⁴ Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘You [Ahaziah] will not leave the bed on which you lie, but you will certainly die.’” So Elijah departed.

⁵ When the messengers returned to Ahaziah, he said to them, “Why have you returned [so soon]?” ⁶ They replied, “A man came up to meet us and said to us, ‘Go, return to the king who sent you and tell him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you send to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not leave the bed on which you lie, but you will certainly die.’”’” ⁷ The king asked them, “What was the appearance of the man who came up to meet you and said these things to you?” ⁸ They answered him, “He was a ^[d]hairy man with a [wide] leather ^[e]band bound around his loins.” And Ahaziah said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”

⁹ Then the king sent to Elijah a captain of fifty with his fifty [fighting men to seize the prophet]. And he went up to him, and behold, he was sitting on the top of a hill. And the captain said to him, “Man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’” ¹⁰ Elijah replied to the captain of fifty, “So if I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty [fighting men].” Then fire fell from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

¹¹ So King Ahaziah again sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty [fighting men]. And he said to him, “Man of God, thus says the king, ‘Come down quickly.’” ¹² Elijah answered them, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty [fighting men].” And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

¹³ So Ahaziah again sent a captain of a third fifty with his fifty [fighting men]. And the third captain of fifty went up and came bowed down on his knees before Elijah, and begged him [for compassion] and said to him, “O man of God, please let my life and the lives of your servants, these fifty, be precious in your sight. ¹⁴ Behold, fire came down from heaven and consumed the first two captains of fifty with their fifties; but now let my life be precious in your sight.” ¹⁵ The angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So he stood and went down with him to the king. ¹⁶ Then Elijah said to Ahaziah, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Since you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, god of Ekron—is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word?—therefore you will not leave the bed on which you lie, but will certainly die.’”

⁸ But at that time, when you did not know [the true] God and were unacquainted with Him, you [Gentiles] were slaves to those [pagan] things which by [their very] nature were not and could not be gods at all. ⁹ Now, however, since you have come to know [the true] God [through personal experience], or rather to be known by God, how is it that you are turning back again to the weak and worthless elemental principles [of religions and philosophies], to which you want to be enslaved all over again? ¹⁰ [For example,] you observe [particular] days and months and seasons and years. ¹¹ I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored [to the point of exhaustion] over you in vain.

¹² Believers, I beg of you, become as I am [free from the bondage of Jewish ritualism and ordinances], for I have become as you are [a Gentile]. You did me no wrong [when I first came to you; do not do it now]. ¹³ On the contrary, you know that it was because of a physical illness that I [remained and] preached the gospel to you the first time; ¹⁴ and even though my physical condition was a trial to you, you did not regard it with contempt, or scorn and reject me; but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus Himself. ¹⁵ What then has become of that sense of blessing and the joy that you once had [from your salvation and your relationship with Christ]? For I testify of you that, if possible, you would have torn out your own eyes and given them to me [^[a]to replace mine]. ¹⁶ So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth? ¹⁷ These men [the Judaizers] eagerly seek you [to entrap you with honeyed words and attention, to win you over to their philosophy], not honorably [for their purpose is not honorable or worthy of consideration]. They want to isolate you [from us who oppose them] so that you will seek them. ¹⁸ Now it is always pleasant to be eagerly sought after [provided that it is] for a good purpose, and not just when I am with you [seeking you myself—but beware of the others doing it]. ¹⁹ My little children, for whom I am again in [the pains of] labor until Christ is [completely and permanently] formed within you— ²⁰ how I wish that I were with you now and could change my tone, because I am perplexed in regard to you.