1After the death of Ahab, Moab rebelled against Israel.
2Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and he became ill. So he sent messengers and said to them, “Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this illness.”
3But the angel of Yahweh spoke to Elijah the Tishbite: “Arise, go up to meet the messengers of 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, the god of Ekron?’”
4“Therefore thus says Yahweh: ‘The bed to which you have gone up—you will not come down from it, for you will surely die.’” And Elijah went.
5When the messengers returned to him, he said to them, “Why is it that you have returned?”
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 Yahweh: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore the bed to which you have gone up—you will not come down from it, for you will surely die.’”
7He spoke to them, “What was the manner of the man who came up to meet you and told you these words?”
8They said to him, “A man, an owner of hair, with a belt of leather bound around his waist.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”
9Then he sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty. He went up to him, and behold, he was sitting on the top of the hill, and he said to him, “Man of God, the king has spoken: Come down!”
10Elijah answered and spoke to the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from the heavens and consume you and your fifty.” And fire came down from the heavens and consumed him and his fifty.
11And he turned back and sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and spoke to him, “Man of God, thus says the king: Come down quickly!”
12Elijah answered and spoke to them, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from the heavens and consume you and your fifty.” And the fire of God came down from the heavens and consumed him and his fifty.
13He sent again a third captain of fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up and came and bowed on his knees before Elijah, and he pleaded for mercy and spoke to him, “Man of God, may my life and the life of these fifty, your servants, be precious in your eyes.
14Behold, fire came down from the heavens and consumed the first two captains of fifty and their fifties; but now, may my life be precious in your eyes.”
15Then the angel of Yahweh spoke to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid before him.” So he arose and went down with him to the king.
16And he spoke to him, “Thus says Yahweh: Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron—is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word?—therefore the bed to which you have gone up—you will not come down from it, for you will surely die.”
17So he died according to the word of Yahweh that Elijah had spoken. And Jehoram reigned in his place in the second year of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, because he had no son.
18Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
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