⁹Then Ahaziah sent a captain to Elijah. The captain had his company of 50 men with him. Elijah was sitting on top of a hill. The captain went up to him. He said to Elijah, “Man of God, the king says, ‘Come down!’ ”

¹⁰Elijah answered the captain, “If I’m really a man of God, may fire come down from heaven! May it burn you and your 50 men up!”

Then fire came down from heaven. It burned up the captain and his men.

¹¹After that happened, the king sent another captain to Elijah. The captain had his 50 men with him. He said to Elijah, “Man of God, the king says, ‘Come down at once!’ ”

¹²Elijah replied, “If I’m really a man of God, may fire come down from heaven! May it burn you and your 50 men up!”

Then the fire of God came down from heaven. It burned up the captain and his 50 men.

¹³So the king sent a third captain with his 50 men. The captain went up to Elijah. He fell on his knees in front of him. “Man of God,” he begged, “please have respect for my life! Please have respect for the lives of these 50 men! ¹⁴Fire has come down from heaven. It has burned up the first two captains and all of their men. But please have respect for my life!”

¹⁵The angel of the Lord spoke to Elijah. He said, “Go down with him. Don’t be afraid of him.”

So Elijah got up. He went down with the captain to the king.

¹⁶Elijah told the king, “The Lord says, ‘You have sent messengers to ask Baal-Zebub for advice. He is the god of Ekron. Did you go to that god for advice because you think there is no God in Israel? You will never leave the bed you are lying on. You can be sure that you will die!’ ”

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