The Lord Condemns Ahaziah

1-2Soon after King Ahab of Israel died, the country of Moab rebelled against his son King Ahaziah.+

One day, Ahaziah fell through the wooden slats around the porch on the flat roof of his palace in Samaria, and he was badly injured. So he sent some messengers to the town of Ekron+ with orders to ask the god Baalzebub if he would get well.

3About the same time, an angel from the Lord sent Elijah the prophet from Tishbe to say to the king's messengers, “Ahaziah has rejected Israel's own God by sending you to ask Baalzebub about his injury. 4Tell him that because he has done this, he's on his deathbed!” And Elijah did what he was told.

5When the messengers returned to Ahaziah, he asked, “Why are you back so soon?”

6“A man met us along the road with a message for you from the Lord,” they answered. “The Lord wants to know why you sent us to ask Baalzebub about your injury and why you don't believe there's a God in Israel. The man also told us that the Lord says you're going to die.”

7“What did the man look like?” Ahaziah asked.

8 “He was hairy+ and had a leather belt around his waist,” they answered.

“It must be Elijah!” replied Ahaziah. 9So at once he sent an army officer and 50 soldiers to meet Elijah.

Elijah was sitting on top of a hill+ at the time. The officer went up to him and said, “Man of God,+ the king orders you to come down and talk with him.”

10 “If I am a man of God,” Elijah answered, “God will send down fire on you and your 50 soldiers.” Fire immediately came down from heaven and burned up the officer and his men.

11Ahaziah sent another officer and 50 more soldiers to Elijah. The officer said, “Man of God, the king orders you to come see him at once.”

12“If I am a man of God,” Elijah answered, “fire will destroy you and your 50 soldiers.” And God sent down fire+ from heaven on the officer and his men.

13Ahaziah sent a third army officer and 50 more soldiers. This officer went up to Elijah, then he got down on his knees and begged, “Man of God, please be kind to me and these 50 servants of yours. Let us live! 14Fire has already wiped out the other officers and their soldiers. Please don't let it happen to me.”

15The angel from the Lord said to Elijah, “Go with him and don't be afraid.” So Elijah got up and went with the officer.

16When Elijah arrived, he told Ahaziah, “The Lord wants to know why you sent messengers to Ekron to ask Baalzebub about your injury. Don't you believe there's a God in Israel? Ahaziah, because you did that, the Lord says you will die.”

17Ahaziah died, just as the Lord had said. But since Ahaziah had no sons, Joram+ his brother+ then became king. This happened in the second year that Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat was king of Judah.+ 18Everything else Ahaziah did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Israel.