2 Kings 1
1
The Lord Judges Ahaziah
1After King Ahab died, Moab refused to remain under Israel’s control. 2Ahaziah had fallen through the window of his upstairs room in Samaria. He had hurt himself. So he sent messengers to ask the god named Baal-Zebub for advice. Baal-Zebub was the god of the city of Ekron. Ahaziah said to the messengers, “Go and ask Baal-Zebub whether I will get well again.”
3But the angel of the Lord spoke to Elijah, who was from Tishbe. The angel said, “Go up to see the messengers of Ahaziah, the king of Samaria. Tell them, ‘You are on your way to ask Baal-Zebub for advice. He is the god of Ekron. Are you going there to pray to that god? Do you think there is no God in Israel?’ 4The Lord says to Ahaziah, ‘You will never leave the bed you are lying on. You can be sure that you will die!’ ” So Elijah went to see the messengers.
5They returned to the king. He asked them, “Why have you come back?”
6“A man met us on our way there,” they replied. “He said to us, ‘Go back to the king who sent you. Tell him, “The Lord says, ‘You are sending messengers to ask Baal-Zebub for advice. He is the god of Ekron. Are you going there to pray to that god? Do 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!’ ” ’ ”
7The king asked the messengers, “What kind of man came to see you? Who told you these things?”
8They replied, “He was wearing clothes made out of hair. He had a leather belt around his waist.”
The king said, “That was Elijah from Tishbe.”
9Then Ahaziah sent a captain to Elijah. The captain had his group of 50 fighting 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 up you and your 50 men!” 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 up you and your 50 men!” 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 their men. But please have respect for my life!”
15The angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down along with him. Don’t be afraid of him.” So Elijah got up and went down to the king with the captain.
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 there to pray to that god for advice? Do 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!’ ” 17So King Ahaziah died. It happened just as the Lord had said it would. He had spoken that message through Elijah.
Ahaziah didn’t have any sons. So Joram, his younger brother, became the next king after him. It was the second year of Jehoram, the king of Judah. Jehoram was the son of Jehoshaphat. 18All the other events of Ahaziah’s rule are written down. Everything he did is written in the official records of the kings of Israel.
Currently Selected:
2 Kings 1: NIrV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
2 Kings 1
1
Ahaziah’s Sickness and Death
1After the death of Ahab, Moab # Gn 19:37; 2Sm 8:2 rebelled against Israel. # 2Kg 3:5 2Ahaziah # 1Kg 22:40,51-53 had fallen through the latticed window of his upper room in Samaria # 1Kg 16:24; 22:51 and was injured. So he sent messengers instructing them: “Go inquire of Baal-zebub, # = Lord of the Flies # Jdg 10:6 the god of Ekron, # Jos 13:3; 2Kg 1:16 if I will recover from this injury.” # 2Kg 8:8-9
3But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, # 1Kg 19:7 “Go and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria # 1Sm 28:7-8 and ask them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? ’ 4Therefore, this is what the Lord says: ‘You will not get up from your sickbed — you will certainly die.’ ” Then Elijah left.
5The messengers returned to the king, who asked them, “Why have you come back? ”
6They replied, “A man came to meet us and said, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and declare to him: This is what the Lord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you’re sending these men to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore, you will not get up from your sickbed — you will certainly die.’ ”
7The king asked them, “What sort of man came up to meet you and spoke those words to you? ”
8They replied, “A hairy man with a leather belt around his waist.” # Zch 13:4; Mt 3:4
He said, “It’s Elijah the Tishbite.” # 1Kg 17:1
9So King Ahaziah sent a captain of 50 with his 50 men # 2Kg 6:13-14 to Elijah. When the captain went up to him, he was sitting on top of the hill. He announced, “Man of God, # 1Kg 13:1 the king declares, ‘Come down! ’ ”
10Elijah responded to the captain of the 50, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your 50 men.” Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his 50 men. # 1Kg 18:36-38
11So the king sent another captain of 50 with his 50 men to Elijah. He took in the situation # Lit He answered and announced, “Man of God, this is what the king says: ‘Come down immediately! ’ ”
12Elijah responded, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your 50 men.” So a divine fire # Lit a fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his 50 men.
13Then the king sent a third captain of 50 with his 50 men. The third captain of 50 went up and fell on his knees in front of Elijah and begged him, “Man of God, # 1Kg 13:1 please let my life and the lives of these 50 servants of yours be precious in your sight. # 1Sm 26:21; Ps 72:14 14Already fire has come down from heaven and consumed the first two captains of 50 with their fifties, but this time let my life be precious in your sight.”
15The angel of the Lord # 1Kg 19:7; 2Kg 1:3 said to Elijah, “Go down with him. Don’t be afraid of him.” # Jr 1:17; Ezk 2:6 So he got up and went down with him to the king.
16Then Elijah said to King Ahaziah, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron — is it because there is no God in Israel for you to inquire of His will? — you will not get up from your sickbed; you will certainly die.’ ”
17Ahaziah died according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken. Since he had no son, Joram # Lit Jehoram ; 2Kg 8:16 # 2Kg 3:1-3 became king in his place. This happened in the second year of Judah’s King Jehoram # 1Kg 22:50 son of Jehoshaphat. # LXX omits in the second year . . . Jehoshaphat 18The rest of the events of Ahaziah’s reign, along with his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings. # LXX adds 4 more vv. here similar to 2Kg 3:1-3. # 1Kg 22:39
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
© 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.