“1 Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab. 2 And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that [was] in
Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go,
enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this
disease. 3 But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise,
go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them,
[Is it] not because [there is] not a God in Israel, [that] ye go to
enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? 4 Now therefore thus saith the
LORD, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up,
but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed. 5 And when the messengers
turned back unto him, he said unto them, Why are ye now turned back? 6
And they said unto him, There came a man up to meet us, and said unto
us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus
saith the LORD, [Is it] not because [there is] not a God in Israel,
[that] thou sendest to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? therefore
thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but
shalt surely die. 7 And he said unto them, What manner of man [was he]
which came up to meet you, and told you these words? 8 And they answered
him, [He was] an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his
loins. And he said, It [is] Elijah the Tishbite.”
“9 Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And
he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he
spake unto him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down. 10 And
Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I [be] a man of
God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy
fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his
fifty. 11 Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his
fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the
king said, Come down quickly. 12 And Elijah answered and said unto them,
If I [be] a man of God, let 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 the third fifty
with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and
fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O
man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy
servants, be precious in thy sight. 14 Behold, there came fire down from
heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their
fifties: therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight. 15 And the
angel of the LORD said 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 said
unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to
enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron, [is it] not because [there is] no
God in Israel to enquire of his word? therefore thou shalt not come down
off that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. 17 So he
died according to the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken. And
Jehoram reigned in his stead in the second year of Jehoram the son of
Jehoshaphat king of Judah; because he had no son. 18 Now the rest of the
acts of Ahaziah which he did, [are] they not written in the book of the
chronicles of the kings of Israel?” (2 Kings 1:1-18 AV)
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