1 Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab.
2 And
Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in
Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire
of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease.
3 But
the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the
messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not
because there is not
a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god
of Ekron?
4 Now
therefore thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which
thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed.
5 And
when the messengers turned back unto him, he said unto them, Why are ye now
turned back?
6 And
they said unto him, There came a man up to meet us, and said unto us, Go, turn
again unto the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Is it not
because there is not
a God in Israel, that thou sendest to enquire of Baalzebub
the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which
thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.
7 And
he said unto them, What manner of man was he which came up to meet you, and told
you these words?
8 And
they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle
of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.
9 Then
the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to
him: and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man
of God, the king hath said, Come down.
10 And
Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man
of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty.
And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
11 Again
also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered
and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly.
12 And
Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from
heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from
heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
13 And
he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third
captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and
besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and
the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight.
14 Behold,
there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former
fifties with their fifties: therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight.
15 And
the angel of the LORD said unto Elijah, Go down with him: be not afraid of him.
And he arose, and went down with him unto the king.
16 And
he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers
to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron, is it not because there is no
God in Israel to enquire of his word? therefore thou shalt not come down off
that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.
17 So
he died according to the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken. And Jehoram
reigned in his stead in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king
of Judah; because he had no son.
18 Now
the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the book of the
chronicles of the kings of Israel?
