1 After the death of Ahab, Moab rebelled against
Israel.
2 In Samaria, King Aha ziah fell through the window from the second floor of
his house and was badly injured. So he sent messengers to consult
Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, ¡°Ask him whether I shall survive this
accident.¡±
3 Then an angel of Yahweh said to Elijah of the town of Tishbe, ¡°Arise, and
go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria. You will say to them:
Why have you come to consult Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Is it because
there is no God in Israel?
4 Now Yahweh himself gives you this answer: You shall not rise again from
the bed where you lay down, but shall die there.¡± So Elijah went.
5 Then the messengers returned to Ahaziah who asked, ¡°How is it that you
have returned?¡±
6 They answered, ¡°A man met us on the way, and he said to us: ¡®Return to the
king who sent you and say to him in the name of Yahweh: Why do you send men
to consult Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Is there no God in Israel? Because
of this, you shall not rise again from the bed where you lay down, but shall
die there.¡±
7 The king asked them, ¡°What was the appearance of the man who met you on
the way and told you this?¡±
8 They answered him, ¡°The man wore a mantle of fur with a leather belt
around his waist.¡± The king then said, ¡°He is Elijah from the town of
Tishbe.¡±
9 Ahaziah sent a captain of fifty men who went up with his fifty men to get
him. Elijah was seated at the top of the mountain. The captain said to him,
¡°Man of God, the king commands you to come down.¡±
10 Elijah answered the captain, ¡°If I am a man of God, then may fire come
down from heaven and devour you and your men.¡± Fire came down from heaven
and devoured him with his fifty men.
11 The king again sent to him another captain of fifty who went up and said
to him, ¡°Man of God, the king says that you are to come down at once.¡±
12 Elijah an swered, ¡°If I am a man of God, then may fire come down from
heaven and devour you and your men.¡± Fire came down from heaven and devoured
them all.
13 The king sent a third captain with his fifty men. This third one went up
and as he came, he fell on his knees before Elijah and said to him, ¡°Man of
God, I beg you to pardon me as well as my fifty men; we are all your
servants.
14 I have heard that fire came down from heaven twice and devoured the two
captains with their fifty men. So now, do spare my life.¡±
15 Then the angel of Yahweh said to Elijah, ¡°Go down with him and do not be
afraid.¡±
16 So he stood up and went down with them to the king. And Elijah said to
the king, ¡°Listen to this word of Yahweh: Because you sent your messengers
to consult Baal-zebub, the god of Ek ron, you shall not rise again from the
bed on which you lie but shall die there.¡±
17 Ahaziah died according to what Yahweh had said through the mouth of
Elijah, and since he had no sons, his brother Jehoram reigned in his place
in the second year of Jehoram, son of Jeho shaphat, king of Judah.
18 Every thing referring to Ahaziah and his deeds is written in the Book of
the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.