2 Kings 1

1And Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab.

1After King Ahab died, the nation of Moab rebelled against Israel's rule.

2And Ahaziah fell down through the lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover of this sickness.

2King Ahaziah fell through the wooden screen of his upper room in Samaria and was badly injured. He sent messengers to the city of Ekron, telling them, 'Go and ask Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, if I will recover from this injury.'

3But the angel of Jehovah said 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 no God in Israel, that ye go to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?

3But an angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, 'Go and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria. Ask them, "Is it because you think there is no God in Israel that you are going to consult Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?"'

4Now therefore thus saith Jehovah, Thou shalt not come down from the bed whither thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed.

4'Therefore, the LORD says: You will never leave the bed you are lying on; you will certainly die.' Then Elijah went to deliver the message.

5And the messengers returned unto him, and he said unto them, Why is it that ye are returned?

5When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, 'Why have you come back so soon?'

6And they said unto him, There came up a man to meet us, and said unto us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus saith Jehovah, Is it because there is no God in Israel, that thou sendest to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from the bed whither thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.

6They answered, 'A man came to meet us and said, "Go back to the king who sent you and tell him that the LORD says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending men to consult Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Because you have done this, you will not get out of the bed you are lying on; you will certainly die."'

7And he said unto them, What manner of man was he that came up to meet you, and told you these words?

7The king asked them, 'What did the man look like who told you these things?'

8And they answered him, He was a hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.

8They replied, 'He wore clothing made of hair and had a leather belt around his waist.' The king said, 'That was Elijah the Tishbite.'

9Thenthe kingsent 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 hill. And he spake unto him, O man of God, the king hath said, Come down.

9Then the king sent an army captain with fifty soldiers to find Elijah. The captain found him sitting on top of a hill and said, 'Man of God, the king commands you to come down!'

10And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, 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.

10Elijah answered the captain, 'If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and burn up you and your fifty men.' Then fire fell from heaven and killed the captain and all fifty of his men.

11And again 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.

11The king sent another captain with fifty more men. This captain said, 'Man of God, the king says you must come down right now!'

12And 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.

12Elijah replied, 'If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and burn up you and your fifty men.' Again, the fire of God fell from heaven and killed the captain and his fifty men.

13And again he sent the captain of a 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.

13The king sent a third captain with fifty men. This third captain went up the hill, fell on his knees before Elijah, and pleaded with him. 'Man of God,' he said, 'please have respect for my life and the lives of these fifty servants of yours!'

14Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and consumed the two former captains of fifty with their fifties; but now let my life be precious in thy sight.

14'Fire has already come down from heaven and burned up the first two captains and their men. Now, please, spare my life.'

15And the angel of Jehovah said unto Elijah, Go down with him: be not afraid of him. And he arose, and went down with him unto the king.

15The angel of the LORD said to Elijah, 'Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.' So Elijah got up and went with the captain to see the king.

16And he said unto him, Thus saith Jehovah, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word? therefore thou shalt not come down from the bed whither thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.

16Elijah said to the king, 'This is what the LORD says: You sent messengers to consult Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron. Is it because you think there is no God in Israel to ask for an answer? Because you did this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on; you will certainly die.'

17So he died according to the word of Jehovah which Elijah had spoken. And Jehoram began to reign in his stead in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah; because he had no son.

17So Ahaziah died, just as the LORD had spoken through Elijah. Since he had no son, Jehoram became the next king. This happened in the second year that Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat was king of Judah.

18Now 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?

18The rest of the things Ahaziah did are recorded in the Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.