1 Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab: 2 And Ahaziah fell thorow the lattesse windowe in his vpper chamber which was in Samaria: so he was sicke: then he sent messengers, to whome he saide, Goe, and enquire of Baal-zebub the God of Ekron, if I shall recouer of this my disease. 3 Then the Angel of the Lord said to Eliiah the Tishbite, Arise, and goe vp to meete the messengers of the King of Samaria, and say vnto them, Is it not because there is no God in Israel, that ye goe to enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron? 4 Wherefore thus saith the Lord, Thou shalt not come downe from the bed on which thou art gone vp, but shalt die the death. So Eliiah departed. 5 And the messengers returned vnto him, to whome he said, Why are ye nowe returned? 6 And they answered him, There came a man and met vs, and saide vnto vs, Goe, and returne vnto the King which sent you, and say vnto him, Thus saith the Lord, Is it not because there is no God in Israel, that thou sendest to enquire of Baal-zebub the God of Ekron? Therefore thou shalt not come downe from the bed, on which thou art gone vp, but shalt die ye death. 7 And he saide vnto them, What maner of man was he which came and met you, and tolde you these wordes? 8 And they said vnto him, He was an hearie man, and girded with a girdle of lether about his loynes. Then sayde he, It is Eliiah the Tishbite. 9 Therefore the King sent vnto him a captaine ouer fiftie with his fiftie men, who went vp vnto him: for beholde, he sate on the toppe of a mountaine, and he saide vnto him, O man of God, the King hath commanded that thou come downe. 10 But Eliiah answered, and saide to the captaine ouer the fiftie, If that I be a man of God, let fire come downe from the heauen, and deuoure thee and thy fiftie. So fire came downe from the heauen and deuoured him and his fiftie. 11 Againe also he sent vnto him another captaine ouer fiftie, with his fiftie. Who spake, and saide vnto him, O man of God, thus the King commandeth, Come downe quickely. 12 But Eliiah answered, and saide vnto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come downe from the heauen, and deuoure thee and thy fiftie. So fire came downe from the heauen, and deuoured him and his fiftie. 13 Yet againe he sent the third captaine ouer fiftie with his fiftie. And the thirde captaine ouer fiftie went vp, and came, and fell on his knees before Eliiah, and besought him, and saide vnto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life and the life of these thy fiftie seruants be precious in thy sight. 14 Beholde, there came fire downe from the heauen and deuoured the two former captaines ouer fiftie with their fifties: therefore let my life nowe be precious in thy sight. 15 And the Angel of the Lord said vnto Eliiah, Goe downe with him, be not afraide of his presence. So he arose, and went downe with him vnto the King. 16 And he saide vnto him, Thus saith the Lord, Because thou hast sent messengers to enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron, (was it not because there was no God in Israel to inquire of his worde?) therefore thou shalt not come downe off the bed, on which thou art gone vp, but shalt die the death. 17 So he dyed according to the worde of the Lord which Eliiah had spoken. And Iehoram began to reigne in his steade, in the seconde yeere of Iehoram the sonne of Iehoshaphat King of Iudah, because he had no sonne. 18 Concerning the rest of the actes of Ahaziah, that he did, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
Elijah and King Ahaziah
1 After the death of King Ahab of Israel the country of Moab rebelled against Israel.
2 King Ahaziah of Israel fell off the balcony on the roof of his palace in Samaria and was seriously injured. So he sent some messengers to consult Baalzebub, the god of the Philistine city of Ekron, in order to find out whether or not he would recover. 3 But an angel of the Lord commanded Elijah, the prophet from Tishbe, to go and meet the messengers of King Ahaziah and ask them, “Why are you going to consult Baalzebub, the god of Ekron? Is it because you think there is no god in Israel? 4 Tell the king that the Lord says, ‘You will not recover from your injuries; you will die!’”
Elijah did as the Lord commanded, 5 and the messengers returned to the king. “Why have you come back?” he asked.
6 They answered, “We were met by a man who told us to come back and tell you that the Lord says to you, ‘Why are you sending messengers to consult Baalzebub, the god of Ekron? Is it because you think there is no god in Israel? You will not recover from your injuries; you will die!’”
7 “What did the man look like?” the king asked.
8 “He was wearing a cloak made of animal skins, tied with a leather belt,” they answered.
“It's Elijah!” the king exclaimed.
9 Then he sent an officer with fifty men to get Elijah. The officer found him sitting on a hill and said to him, “Man of God, the king orders you to come down.”
10 “If I am a man of God,” Elijah answered, “may fire come down from heaven and kill you and your men!” At once fire came down and killed the officer and his men.
11 The king sent another officer with fifty men, who went up and said to Elijah, “Man of God, the king orders you to come down at once!”
12 “If I am a man of God,” Elijah answered, “may fire come down from heaven and kill you and your men!” At once the fire of God came down and killed the officer and his men.
13 Once more the king sent an officer with fifty men. He went up the hill, fell on his knees in front of Elijah, and pleaded, “Man of God, be merciful to me and my men. Spare our lives! 14 The two other officers and their men were killed by fire from heaven; but please be merciful to me!”
15 The angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him, and don't be afraid.” So Elijah went with the officer to the king 16 and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because you sent messengers to consult Baalzebub, the god of Ekron—as if there were no god in Israel to consult—you will not get well; you will die!’”
17 Ahaziah died, as the Lord had said through Elijah. Ahaziah had no sons, so his brother Joram succeeded him as king in the second year of the reign of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah.
18 Everything else that King Ahaziah did is recorded in The History of the Kings of Israel.