2 Kings 1
1
The Lord Condemns Ahaziah
1-2Soon after King Ahab of Israel died, the country of Moab rebelled against his son King Ahaziah.#1.1,2 the country … King Ahaziah: The story of Moab's rebellion is in 3.4-27.
One day, Ahaziah fell through the wooden slats around the porch on the flat roof of his palace in Samaria, and he was badly injured. So he sent some messengers to the town of Ekron#1.1,2 Ekron: An important Philistine town about 65 kilometers southwest of Samaria. with orders to ask the god Baalzebub if he would get well.
3About the same time, an angel from the Lord sent Elijah the prophet from Tishbe to say to the king's messengers, “Ahaziah has rejected Israel's own God by sending you to ask Baalzebub about his injury. 4Tell him that because he has done this, he's on his deathbed!” And Elijah did what he was told.
5When the messengers returned to Ahaziah, he asked, “Why are you back so soon?”
6“A man met us along the road with a message for you from the Lord,” they answered. “The Lord wants to know why you sent us to ask Baalzebub about your injury and why you don't believe there's a God in Israel. The man also told us that the Lord says you're going to die.”
7“What did the man look like?” Ahaziah asked.
8 #
Mt 3.4; Mk 1.6. “He was hairy#1.8 hairy: Or “wearing a furry coat.” and had a leather belt around his waist,” they answered.
“It must be Elijah!” replied Ahaziah. 9So at once he sent an army officer and 50 soldiers to meet Elijah.
Elijah was sitting on top of a hill#1.9 a hill: Probably Mount Carmel. at the time. The officer went up to him and said, “Man of God,#1.9 Man of God: Another name for a prophet of the Lord. the king orders you to come down and talk with him.”
10 #
Lk 9.54. “If I am a man of God,” Elijah answered, “God will send down fire on you and your 50 soldiers.” Fire immediately came down from heaven and burned up the officer and his men.
11Ahaziah sent another officer and 50 more soldiers to Elijah. The officer said, “Man of God, the king orders you to come see him at once.”
12“If I am a man of God,” Elijah answered, “fire will destroy you and your 50 soldiers.” And God sent down fire#1.12 God sent down fire: Or “A mighty fire came down.” from heaven on the officer and his men.
13Ahaziah sent a third army officer and 50 more soldiers. This officer went up to Elijah, then he got down on his knees and begged, “Man of God, please be kind to me and these 50 servants of yours. Let us live! 14Fire has already wiped out the other officers and their soldiers. Please don't let it happen to me.”
15The angel from the Lord said to Elijah, “Go with him and don't be afraid.” So Elijah got up and went with the officer.
16When Elijah arrived, he told Ahaziah, “The Lord wants to know why you sent messengers to Ekron to ask Baalzebub about your injury. Don't you believe there's a God in Israel? Ahaziah, because you did that, the Lord says you will die.”
17Ahaziah died, just as the Lord had said. But since Ahaziah had no sons, Joram#1.17 Joram: The Hebrew text has “Jehoram,” another spelling of the name. his brother#1.17 his brother: Some ancient translations (see also 3.1); these words are not in the Hebrew text. then became king. This happened in the second year that Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat was king of Judah.#1.17 This happened … Judah: According to 3.1, this was also the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat's rule in Judah. In biblical times, a father and son would sometimes rule as kings at the same time. This way, when the father died, the son would already have control of the kingdom (see also 8.16). 18Everything else Ahaziah did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Israel.
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
2 Kings 1
1
Elijah and King Ahaziah
1After the death of King Ahab of Israel, the country of Moab rebelled against Israel.
2King Ahaziah of Israel fell off the balcony on the roof of his palace in Samaria and was seriously injured. So he sent some messengers to consult Baalzebub, the god of the Philistine city of Ekron, in order to find out whether or not he would recover. 3But an angel of the LORD commanded Elijah, the prophet from Tishbe, to go and meet the messengers of King Ahaziah and ask them, “Why are you going to consult Baalzebub, the god of Ekron? Is it because you think there is no god in Israel? 4Tell the king that the LORD says, ‘You will not recover from your injuries; you will die!’ ”
Elijah did as the LORD commanded, 5and the messengers returned to the king. “Why have you come back?” he asked.
6They answered, “We were met by a man who told us to come back and tell you that the LORD says to you, ‘Why are you sending messengers to consult Baalzebub, the god of Ekron? Is it because you think there is no god in Israel? You will not recover from your injuries; you will die!’ ”
7“What did the man look like?” the king asked.
8 #
Mt 3.4; Mk 1.6 “He was wearing a cloak made of animal skins, tied with#1.8 was wearing… with; or was a hairy man and wore. a leather belt,” they answered.
“It's Elijah!” the king exclaimed.
9Then he sent an officer with fifty men to get Elijah. The officer found him sitting on a hill and said to him, “Man of God, the king orders you to come down.”
10 #
Lk 9.54
“If I am a man of God,” Elijah answered, “may fire come down from heaven and kill you and your men!” At once fire came down and killed the officer and his men.
11The king sent another officer with fifty men, who went up#1.11 One ancient translation went up; Hebrew answered. and said to Elijah, “Man of God, the king orders you to come down at once!”
12“If I am a man of God,” Elijah answered, “may fire come down from heaven and kill you and your men!” At once the fire of God came down and killed the officer and his men.
13Once more the king sent an officer with fifty men. He went up the hill, fell on his knees in front of Elijah, and pleaded, “Man of God, be merciful to me and my men. Spare our lives! 14The two other officers and their men were killed by fire from heaven; but please be merciful to me!”
15The angel of the LORD said to Elijah, “Go down with him, and don't be afraid.” So Elijah went with the officer to the king 16and said to him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because you sent messengers to consult Baalzebub, the god of Ekron — as if there were no god in Israel to consult — you will not get well; you will die!’ ”
17Ahaziah died, as the LORD had said through Elijah. Ahaziah had no sons, so his brother#1.17 Some ancient translations his brother; Hebrew does not have these words. Joram succeeded him as king in the second year of the reign of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah.
18Everything else that King Ahaziah did is recorded in The History of the Kings of Israel.
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Good News Bible with Deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.