2 Kings 1

1Moab revolted against Israel after Ahab's death.

2Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria and fell sick, so he sent messengers and said to them, "Go, inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron whether I will live through this sickness."

3Yahweh's angel said to Elijah the Tishbite, "Rise, go up to meet the messengers of Samaria's king, and say to them, 'Is it because there is no God in Israel that you go to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron?'"

4Therefore thus says Yahweh: "You shall not come down from the bed on which you went up there, for you shall surely die." Elijah departed.

5The messengers returned to him, and he said to them, "What is this that you have returned?"

6They said to him, "A man came up to meet us and said to us, 'Go, return to the king who sent you, and tell him, "Thus says Yahweh: Is it for lack of a God in Israel that you send to inquire of Baal-zebub, god of Ekron? Therefore you will not come down from the bed you went up to there, but will surely die."'"

7He said to them, "What sort of man was it who came up to meet you and spoke these words to you?"

8They said to him, "A hairy man wearing a leather belt around his waist." He said, "Elijah the Tishbite."

9The king sent a captain of fifty with his fifty to him; he climbed up to him, and there he sat on top of the hill. He said to him, "Man of God, the king has said, 'Come down!'"

10Elijah replied to the captain of fifty, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and devour you and your fifty." Fire then came down from heaven and devoured him and his fifty.

11Again he sent another captain of fifty with his fifty to him. He answered him, "Man of God, this is what the king says: 'Come down quickly!'"

12Elijah replied to them, “If I am a man of God, may fire descend from the heavens and devour you and your fifty.” Fire from God descended from the heavens and devoured him and his fifty.

13He sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. That third captain of fifty went up, approached, and knelt on his knees before Elijah. He entreated him and said to him, "Man of God, please let my life and the life of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your eyes."

14Look, fire came down from heaven and devoured the two earlier captains of fifty with their fifties; now let my life be precious in your eyes.

15The angel of Yahweh said to Elijah, "Go down with him; do not be afraid of him." He arose and went down with him to the king.

16He said to him, “Thus says Yahweh: Because you sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, god of Ekron—is it for lack of God in Israel to inquire of his word?—therefore you shall not come down from the bed you went up to, but shall surely die.”

17He died in keeping with Yahweh's word, which Elijah had spoken. Jehoram became king in his place in the second year of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, because he had no son.

18The rest of Ahaziah's deeds that he performed—are they not recorded in the book of the chronicles of Israel's kings?