4 Kingdoms 1

1After the death of Ahab, Moab reneged on its covenant with Israel.

2Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and was injured. He sent messengers, telling them, 'Go, inquire of Baal-Zebub, god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this injury.' And they went to inquire of him.

3But the Angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, 'Arise, go and meet the messengers of Ahaziah, the king of Samaria, and say to them, 'Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-Zebub god of Ekron?

4This is not true,' says the Lord, 'and you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.' '

5So Elijah went and told them. When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, 'Why did you return?'

6They said to him, 'A man came up to meet us, and said to us, 'Go, return to the king who sent you, and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord: 'Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-Zebub god of Ekron? This is not true. You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.' ' '

7Then the king said to them, 'What were the distinguishing marks of the man who came up to meet you and told you these words?'

8They answered him, 'A hairy man wearing a leather belt around his waist.'

9And he said, 'It is Elijah the Tishbite.' Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty men. So he went up to him; and there was Elijah, sitting on the top of a hill. And he spoke to him, 'Man of God, the king summoned you. Come down!'

10Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, 'If I am a man of God, then fire will come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.' And fire came down from heaven and consumed the captain of fifty and his fifty.

11Then the king again sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty men. He answered and said to him, 'Man of God, the king said, 'Come down quickly!' '

12So Elijah answered and spoke to him, 'If I am a man of God, fire will come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.' The fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

13Then the king sent yet a third captain of fifty with his fifty men. The third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah and pleaded with him, and said to him, 'Man of God, please let my life and the life of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your sight.

14Look, fire came down from heaven and burned up the first two captains of fifties with their fifties. But let my life now be precious in your sight.'

15The Angel of the Lord said to Elijah, 'Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.' So he arose and went down with him to the king.

16Then Elijah spoke to him and said, 'Thus says the Lord: 'Why did you send captains with fifty messengers to inquire? It shall not be so. You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.' '

17So he died according to the word of the Lord which Elijah spoke.

18Now the rest of the acts Ahaziah did, are these not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel?

19Jehoram, the son of Ahab, reigned over Israel in Samaria twelve years, beginning in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah.

20He did evil before the Lord, but not as his brothers nor as his mother.

21He removed the pillars of Baal which his father made and broke them into pieces; nevertheless, he was joined to the sins of the house of Jeroboam, which caused Israel to sin. He did not remove himself from them.

22The Lord in anger was furious against the house of Ahab.