The Second Book of the Kings
Commonly Called the Fourth Book of the Kings
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1 Then did Moab rebel against Israel after the death of Achab.
2 And Achazyah fell down through the lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and became sick; and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, inquire of Ba'al-zebub the god of 'Ekron whether I shall recover from this sickness.
3 But an angel of the Lord spoke to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to inquire of Ba'al-zebub the god of 'Ekron?
4 Now therefore, thus hath said the Lord, From the bed on which thou art gone up shalt thou not come down; for thou shalt surely die. And Elijah departed.
5 And the messengers returned unto him, and he said unto them, Why is this that ye are already returned?
6 And they said unto him, There came up a man to meet us, and he said unto us, Go, return unto the king that hath sent you, and speak unto him, Thus hath said the Lord, Is it because there is not a God in Israel, that thou sendest to inquire of Ba'al-zebub the god of 'Ekron? therefore from the bed on which thou art gone up shalt thou not come down; for thou shalt surely die.
7 And he spoke unto them, What is the manner of the man who came up to meet you, and spoke unto you these words?
8 And they said unto him, He is a hairy man, with a girdle of leather girded about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.
9 Then did he send unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty: and he went up to him, and, behold, he was sitting on the top of the mount; and he spoke unto him, O man of God, the king hath commanded, Come down.
10 And Elijah answered and spoke to the captain of the fifty, And if I be a man of God, let a fire come down from heaven and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down a fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
11 And he sent again unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he commenced and spoke unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly.
12 And Elijah answered and spoke unto them, If I be a man of God, let a fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.
13 And he sent again a captain of fifty the third time with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and bent down on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and spoke unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life and the life of these fifty thy servants be precious in thy eyes.
14 Behold, there came down a fire from heaven, and consumed the two captains of the first fifties with their fifties; and now let my life be precious in thy eyes.
15 And the angel of the Lord spoke unto Elijah, Go down with him: be not afraid of him, and he arose, and went down with him unto the king.
16 And he spoke unto him, Thus hath said the Lord, Forasmuch as thou didst send messengers to inquire of Ba'al-zebub the God of 'Ekron, as though there were no God in Israel to inquire of his word: therefore from the bed on which thou art gone up shalt thou not come down; for thou shalt surely die.
17 And he died, according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken; and Jehoram became king in his stead in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah; because he had no son.
18 Now the rest of the acts of Achazyahu which he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.