Elijah Denounces Ahaziah

1 aAfter the death of Ahab, Moab brebelled against Israel.

2 Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria, and lay sick; so he sent messengers, telling them, “Go, inquire of cBaal-zebub, the god of Ekron, dwhether I shall recover from this sickness.” 3 But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah ethe 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 cBaal-zebub, the god of Ekron? 4 Now therefore thus says the Lord, fYou shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’ ” So Elijah went.

5 The messengers returned to the king, and he said to them, “Why have you returned?” 6 And they said to him, “There came a man to meet us, and said to us, ‘Go back 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 sending to inquire of cBaal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’ ”