< 2 Kings 1 >

1 Then Moab revolted against Israel, after the death of Ahab.
After Ahab died, Moab rebelled against Israel.
2 And Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber, which was in Samaria, and became sick, —so he sent messengers, and said unto them—Go enquire of Baalzebub, god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this sickness.
Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice-work of his upper room in Samaria and had hurt himself badly. So he sent out messengers, telling them: “Go and ask Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will get better from this injury.”
3 But, the messenger of Yahweh, spake unto Elijah the Tishbite, Rise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, —and say unto them—Is it, because there is no God in Israel, that, ye, are going to enquire of Baalzebub, god of Ekron?
But the angel of the Lord told Elijah the Tishbite, “Go and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is it because there's no God in Israel that you're going to ask advice from Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?’
4 Wherefore, Thus, saith Yahweh, From the bed whereunto thou hast gone up, shalt thou not come down, for thou shalt, surely die. And Elijah departed.
So this is the Lord's answer: ‘You will not leave the bed on which you are lying. You're definitely going to die.’” And Elijah left.
5 And, when the messengers returned unto him, he said unto them—How is it that ye have returned?
The messengers returned to the king, and he asked them, “Why have you come back?”
6 And they said unto him—A man, came up to meet us, and said unto us—Go, return unto the king who sent you, and ye shall say unto him, Thus, saith Yahweh—Is it, because there is no God in Israel, that, thou, art sending to enquire of Baalzebub, god of Ekron? Therefore, from the bed whereunto thou hast gone up, shalt thou not come down, for thou shalt, surely die.
“A man came and met us,” they replied. “He told us, ‘Go back to the king who sent you, and tell him, This is what the Lord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to ask advice from Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? As a result you will not leave the bed on which you are lying. You're definitely going to die.’”
7 And he said unto them, What was the manner of the man who came up to meet you, —and spake unto you these words?
“What was he like, this man who met you and told you all this?” the king asked.
8 And they said unto him—A hairy man, with a leathern girdle girt about his loins. And he said—Elijah the Tishbite, it was.
“He was a hairy man wearing a leather belt around his waist,” they replied. “It's Elijah the Tishbite,” said the king.
9 Then sent he unto him a captain of fifty, with his fifty, and he went up unto him, and lo! he abode on the top of the mountain, and he said unto him, O man of God! the king, hath said, Come down!
Then the king sent an army captain with fifty men to Elijah. The captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and told him, “Man of God, the king orders you, ‘Come down!’”
10 And Elijah responded and said unto the captain of fifty, If, then, a man of God, I am, let fire come down out of the heavens, and devour thee and thy fifty. So there came down fire out of the heavens, and devoured him and his fifty.
Elijah replied to the captain, “If I am a man of God, then let fire fall from heaven and burn up you and your fifty men.” Fire fell from heaven and burned up the captain and his men.
11 Then he again sent unto him another captain of fifty, with his fifty. And he also spake and said unto him, O man of God! thus, saith the king, Haste thee, come down!
So the king sent another captain with his fifty men to Elijah. The captain said to Elijah, “Man of God, the king orders you, Come down immediately!”
12 And Elijah responded and said unto them—If, a man of God, I am, let fire come down out of the heavens, and devour thee and thy fifty. And there came down a fire of God, out of the heavens, and devoured him and his fifty.
Elijah replied to the captain, “If I am a man of God, then let fire fall from heaven and burn up you and your fifty men.” Fire fell from heaven and burned up the captain and his men.
13 Then he again sent a third captain of fifty, with his fifty, —and the third captain of fifty ascended and came near, and bowed down upon his knees before Elijah, and made supplication unto him, and said unto him, O man of God! let my life, I pray thee, and the lives of these thy fifty servants, be precious in thine eyes.
So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. The third captain went up, kneeled before Elijah, and pleaded with him, “Man of God, please value my life and the lives of these fifty men.
14 Lo! there hath come down fire out of the heavens, and devoured the captains of the former fifties, with their fifties, —now, therefore, let my life be precious in thine eyes.
Yes, fire has fallen from heaven and burned up the first two captains of fifty, along with all their men. But now please value my life!”
15 And the messenger of Yahweh said unto Elijah, Go down with him, do not fear because of him, So he arose, and went down with him, unto the king;
Then the angel of the Lord told Elijah, “Go down with him. You don't have to be afraid of him.” So Elijah got up and went down with him to the king.
16 and said unto him—Thus, saith Yahweh—For that thou didst send messengers to enquire of Baalzebub, god of Ekron, was it because there was no God in Israel, for whose word thou couldst enquire? Therefore, from the bed whereunto thou hast gone up, shalt thou not come down, for thou shalt, surely die.
Elijah told the king, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Is it because there's no God in Israel for you to consult that you have sent messengers to ask advice of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? As a result you will not leave the bed on which you are lying. You're definitely going to die.”
17 And he died, according to the word of Yahweh which, Elijah, had spoken, and Jehoram reigned in his stead, in the second year of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, —because he had no son.
Ahaziah died just as the Lord had said through Elijah. Because he had no son, Joram succeeded him as king in the second year of the reign of Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah.
18 Now, the rest of the story of Ahaziah, the things that he did, are, they, not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
The rest of what happened in Ahaziah's reign and what he did are recorded in the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

< 2 Kings 1 >