CHAPTER 1
Now Ahaziah
had fallen
through
the lattice
of his upper room
in Samaria
and injured himself.
So he sent
messengers
and instructed them:
“Go
inquire
of Baal-zebub,
the god
of Ekron,
whether
I will recover
from this
injury.”
But the angel
of the LORD
said
to
Elijah
the Tishbite,
“Go up
to meet
the messengers
of the king
of Samaria
and ask them,
‘Is [it because
there is no
God
in Israel
that you
are on your way
to inquire
of Baal-zebub,
the god
of Ekron'"
Therefore,
this is what
the LORD
says:
‘You will not
get up
from
the bed
on which
you are lying.
You will surely die.’”
So Elijah
departed.
They replied,
“A man
came up
to meet us
and said,
‘Go
back
to
the king
who
sent
you
and tell
him
that this is what
the LORD
says:
Is it because
there is no
God
in Israel
that you are
sending
these men to inquire
of Baal-zebub,
the god
of Ekron?
Therefore
you will not
get up
from the bed
on which
you are lying.
You will surely die.'"
“He was a hairy
man,”
they answered,
“with a leather
belt
around his waist.”
“It is
Elijah
the Tishbite,”
said the king.
Then King Ahaziah sent
to Elijah
a captain
with his company of fifty men.
So the captain went up
to Elijah,
who was sitting
on
top
of a hill,
and said
to him,
“Man
of God,
the king
declares,
‘Come down!’”
Elijah
answered
the captain,
“If
I
am a man
of God,
may fire
come down
from
heaven
and consume
you
and
your fifty men.”
And fire
came down
from
heaven
and consumed
the captain
and his men.
So the king sent
to Elijah
another
captain
with his fifty men.
And the captain
said
to Elijah,
“Man
of God,
the king
declares,
‘Come down
at once!’”
Again Elijah
replied,
“If
I
am a man
of God,
may fire
come down
from
heaven
and consume
you
and
your fifty men.”
And the fire
of God
came down
from
heaven
and consumed
him
and
his fifty men.
So
the king sent
a third
captain
with his fifty men.
And the third
captain
went up,
fell
on
his knees
before
Elijah,
and begged him,
“Man
of God,
may my life
and the lives
of these
fifty
servants
please
be precious
in your sight.
Behold,
fire
has come down
from
heaven
and consumed
the first
two
captains
of fifty,
with all their men.
But now
may my life
be precious
in your sight.”
Then the angel
of the LORD
said
to
Elijah,
“Go down
with him.
Do not
be afraid
of him.”
So Elijah arose
and went down
with him
to
the king.
And Elijah said
to King Ahaziah,
“This is what
the LORD
says:
‘Is there really no
God
in Israel
for you to inquire
of His word?
Is that why
you have sent
messengers
to inquire
of
Baal-zebub,
the god
of Ekron?
Therefore
you will not
get up from
the bed
on which
you are lying.
You will surely die.'"
So Ahaziah died
according to the word
of the LORD
that
Elijah
had spoken.
Since
he had
no
son,
Jehoram
succeeded him
in the second
year
of the reign
of Jehoram
son
of Jehoshaphat
over Judah.
As for the rest
of the acts
of Ahaziah,
along with his accomplishments,
are they
not
written
in
the Book
of the Chronicles
of the Kings
of Israel?