2 Kings

The Book of Kings—Book Second

1 And Moab rebelled against Israel after Ahab’s death.

2* And Ahaziah fell through the lattice of his roof-chamber in Samaria, and suffered internal injuries; and he sent men with the commission “Go inquire of Baal-Zebub the god of ʽEkron whether I shall recover from this ailment of mine.” 3 And the Angel of Jehovah told Elijah the Tishbite “Go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and tell them ‘Is it for want of any such thing as a God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-Zebub the god of ʽEkron? 4 therefore Jehovah says, The bed you have got into you shall not get out of, but die’”; and Elijah went away.

5 And the messengers went back to him, and he said to them “What does your coming back mean?” 6 and they said to him “A man came up to meet us and said to us ‘Go back to the king who sent you and tell him “Says Jehovah, Is it for want of any such thing as a God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-Zebub the god of ʽEkron? therefore the bed you have got into you shall not get out of, but die.”’” 7 And he said to them “What type of man was it that came up to meet you and told you these things?” 8 and they said to him “A hairy man with a leather breechclout tied round him”; and he said “It is Elijah the Tishbite,” 9* and sent a captain of fifty for him, with his fifty.

And he went up to him and found him sitting on a mountaintop, and told him “Man of God, the king has spoken: come down.” 10 And Elijah answered the captain of fifty “Well, if I am a man of God, let fire come down out of the sky and consume you and your fifty”; and it did.

11 And he tried again and sent another captain of fifty for him, with his fifty; and he told him “Man of God, by order of the king, come down at once”; 12 and Elijah answered him “If I am a man of God, let fire come down out of the sky and consume you and your fifty”; and it did.

13 And he tried again and sent a third captain of fifty with his fifty; and the third captain of fifty came and knelt in Elijah’s presence and made his petition to him in the words “Man of God, please regard my life and the lives of these servants of yours as of value; 14 fire has come down out of the sky and consumed the two other captains of fifties; but now regard my life as of value.” 15 And the Angel of Jehovah told Elijah “Go down with him, do not be afraid of him”; and he rose and went down with him to the king, 16 and told him “Says Jehovah, Since you sent messengers to inquire of Baal-Zebub the god of ʽEkron, therefore the bed you have got into you shall not get out of, but die.” 17 And he died in accordance with Jehovah’s prediction that Elijah gave.

18* And as to the rest of the history of Ahaziah, what he did, it is recorded in the chronicles of the kings of Israel.