^3–4God’s angel spoke to Elijah the Tishbite: “Up on your feet! Go out and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria with this word, ‘Is it because there’s no God in Israel that you’re running off to consult Baal-Zebub god of Ekron?’ Here’s a message from the God you’ve tried to bypass: ‘You’re not going to get out of that bed you’re in—you’re as good as dead already.’ ” Elijah delivered the message and was gone.

⁵The messengers went back. The king said, “So why are you back so soon—what’s going on?”

⁶They told him, “A man met us and said, ‘Turn around and go back to the king who sent you; tell him, God’s message: Is it because there’s no God in Israel that you’re running off to consult Baal-Zebub god of Ekron? You needn’t bother. You’re not going to get out of that bed you’re in—you’re as good as dead already.’ ”

⁷The king said, “Tell me more about this man who met you and said these things to you. What was he like?”

⁸“Shaggy,” they said, “and wearing a leather belt.”

He said, “That has to be Elijah the Tishbite!”

⁹The king sent a captain with fifty men to Elijah. Meanwhile Elijah was sitting, big as life, on top of a hill. The captain said, “O Holy Man! King’s orders: Come down!”

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