2 Kings

Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab.

1After King Ahab died, the land of Moab stopped obeying Israel.

2And 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.

2King Ahaziah fell through a screen in an upstairs room in the city of Samaria. He was badly hurt. He sent men with this message: "Go ask Baal-zebub, the god of the city of Ekron, if I will get well."

NoteThe "lattice" was a screen of crossed wooden strips over a window. Ahaziah leaned on it, and it gave way.

3But 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?

3But the angel of the LORD spoke to Elijah, a prophet from a town called Tishbe. A prophet is someone who tells people what God says. The angel said, "Go meet the messengers of the king of Samaria. Ask them, 'Is there no God in Israel? Is that why you go ask Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?'"

4Now 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.

4"So the LORD says this: You will not get up from the bed you are lying on. You will die." Then Elijah went away.

5And when the messengers turned back unto him, he said unto them, Why are ye now turned back?

5The messengers went back to the king. He asked them, "Why did you come back so soon?"

6And 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.

6They said, "A man came to meet us. He told us, 'Go back to the king who sent you. Tell him the LORD says this: Is there no God in Israel? Is that why you send men to ask Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? So you will not get up from the bed you are lying on. You will die.'"

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

7The king asked them, "What did this man look like? What kind of man said these words to you?"

8And 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.

8They said, "He was a hairy man. He wore a leather belt around his waist." The king said, "That is Elijah from Tishbe."

9Then 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.

9Then the king sent an army officer and fifty soldiers to Elijah. Elijah was sitting on top of a hill. The officer went up and said, "Man of God, the king says, 'Come down!'"

NoteA "captain of fifty" was an army officer in charge of fifty soldiers.

10And 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.

10Elijah answered him, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from the sky. Let it burn up you and your fifty men." Then fire came down from the sky. It burned up the officer and his fifty men.

11Again 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.

11The king sent another officer with fifty more soldiers. That officer said, "Man of God, the king says, 'Come down at once!'"

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 answered, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from the sky. Let it burn up you and your fifty men." Then God's fire came down from the sky. It burned up the officer and his fifty men.

13And 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.

13The king sent a third officer with fifty more soldiers. This officer went up and knelt down in front of Elijah. He begged him, "Man of God, please spare my life. Please spare the lives of these fifty men who serve you."

14Behold, 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.

14"Fire came down from the sky and burned up the first two officers and their men. So please let my life matter to you."

15And 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.

15The angel of the LORD said to Elijah, "Go down with him. Do not be afraid of him." So Elijah got up and went down with him to the king.

16And 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.

16Elijah said to the king, "The LORD says this: You sent men to ask Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron. Is there no God in Israel to ask? So you will not get up from the bed you are lying on. You will die."

17So 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.

17So Ahaziah died, just as the LORD had said through Elijah. Ahaziah had no son. So Jehoram became king in his place. This happened when Jehoram, son of King Jehoshaphat of Judah, had ruled for two years.

NoteTwo different men named Jehoram lived at the same time. One became king of Israel. The other was already king in 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 other things King Ahaziah did are written down. You can read them in the book of the history of Israel's kings.