Ahaziah’s Sickness and Death

1After Ahab’s death, Moaba rebelled against Israel.b 2Ahaziaha had fallen through the latticed window of his upstairs room in Samariab and was injured. So he sent messengers, instructing them, “Go inquire of Baal-zebub,a c the god of Ekron,d whether I will recover from this injury.”e

3But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite,a “Go and meet the messengers of the king of Samariab and say to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? 4Therefore, this is what the Lord says: You will not get up from your sickbed; you will certainly die.’ ” Then Elijah left.

5The messengers returned to the king, who asked them, “Why have you come back? ”

6They replied, “A man came to meet us and said, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and declare to him, “This is what the Lord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you’re sending these men to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore, you will not get up from your sickbed; you will certainly die.” ’ ”

7The king asked them, “What sort of man came up to meet you and spoke those words to you? ”

8They replied, “A hairy man with a leather belt around his waist.”a

He said, “It’s Elijah the Tishbite.”b

9So King Ahaziah sent a captain with his fifty mena to Elijah. When the captain went up to him, he was sitting on top of the hill. He announced, “Man of God,b the king declares, ‘Come down! ’ ”

10Elijah responded to the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.a

11So the king sent another captain with his fifty men to Elijah. He took in the situationA and announced, “Man of God, this is what the king says: ‘Come down immediately! ’ ”

12Elijah responded, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” So a divine fireA came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.

13Then the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. The third captain went up and fell on his knees in front of Elijah and begged him, “Man of God,a please let my life and the lives of these fifty servants of yours be precious to you.b 14Already fire has come down from heaven and consumed the first two captains with their companies, but this time let my life be precious to you.”

15The angel of the Lorda said to Elijah, “Go down with him. Don’t be afraid of him.”b So he got up and went down with him to the king.

16Then Elijah said to King Ahaziah, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron — is it because there is no God in Israel for you to inquire of his will? — you will not get up from your sickbed; you will certainly die.’ ”

17Ahaziah died according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken. Since he had no son, Jorama a became king in his place. This happened in the second year of Judah’s King Jehoramb son of Jehoshaphat.B 18The rest of the events of Ahaziah’s reign, along with his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings.a a