Elijah Confronts the King and His Commanders

1:1 After Ahab died, Moab rebelled against Israel.1 1:2 Ahaziah fell through a window lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria2 and was injured. He sent messengers with these orders,3 “Go, ask4 Baal Zebub,5 the god of Ekron, if I will survive this injury.”

1:3 But the Lord’s angelic messenger told Elijah the Tishbite, “Get up, go to meet the messengers from the king of Samaria. Say this to them: ‘You must think there is no God in Israel! That explains why you are on your way to seek an oracle from Baal Zebub the god of Ekron.6 1:4 Therefore this is what the Lord says, “You will not leave the bed you lie on, for you will certainly die!” ’ ” So Elijah went on his way.

1:5 When the messengers returned to the king,7 he asked them, “Why have you returned?” 1:6 They replied,8 “A man came up to meet us. He told us, “Go back to the king who sent you and tell him, ‘This is what the Lord says: “You must think there is no God in Israel! That explains why you are sending for an oracle from Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron.9 Therefore you will not leave the bed you lie on, for you will certainly die.” ’ ” 1:7 The king10 asked them, “Describe the appearance11 of this man who came up to meet you and told you these things.” 1:8 They replied,12 “He was a hairy man13 and had a leather belt14 tied around his waist.” The king15 said, “He is Elijah the Tishbite.”

1:9 The king16 sent a captain and his fifty soldiers17 to retrieve Elijah.18 The captain19 went up to him, while he was sitting on the top of a hill.20 He told him, “Prophet,21 the king says, ‘Come down!’ ” 1:10 Elijah replied to the captain,22 “If I am indeed a prophet, may fire come down from the sky and consume you and your fifty soldiers!” Fire then came down23 from the sky and consumed him and his fifty soldiers.

1:11 The king24 sent another captain and his fifty soldiers to retrieve Elijah. He went up and told him,25 “Prophet, this is what the king says, ‘Come down at once!’ ”26 1:12 Elijah replied to them,27 “If I am indeed a prophet, may fire come down from the sky and consume you and your fifty soldiers!” Fire from God28 came down from the sky and consumed him and his fifty soldiers.

1:13 The king29 sent a third captain and his fifty soldiers. This third captain went up and fell30 on his knees before Elijah. He begged for mercy, “Prophet, please have respect for my life and for the lives of these fifty servants of yours. 1:14 Indeed,31 fire came down from the sky and consumed the two captains who came before me, along with their men.32 So now, please have respect for my life.” 1:15 The Lord’s angelic messenger said to Elijah, “Go down with him. Don’t be afraid of him.” So he got up and went down33 with him to the king.

1:16 Elijah34 said to the king,35 “This is what the Lord says, ‘You sent messengers to seek an oracle from Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron. You must think there is no God in Israel from whom you can seek an oracle!36 Therefore you will not leave the bed you lie on, for you will certainly die.’ ”37

1:17 He died just as the Lord had prophesied through Elijah.38 In the second year of the reign of King Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat over Judah, Ahaziah’s brother Jehoram replaced him as king of Israel, because he had no son.39 1:18 The rest of the events of Ahaziah’s reign, including his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.40