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2 Kings, 1

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

1. After the death of Ahab, Moab rebelled against Israel.

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.

2. In Samaria, King Ahaziah fell through the window from the second floor of his house and was badly injured. So he sent messengers to consult Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, "Ask him whether I shall survive this accident."

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?

3. Then an angel of Yahweh said to Elijah of the town of Tishbe, "Arise, and go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria. You will say to them: Why have you come to consult Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Is it because there is no God in Israel?

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.

4. Now Yahweh himself gives you this answer: You shall not rise again from the bed where you lay down, but shall die there." So Elijah went.

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

5. Then the messengers returned to Ahaziah who asked, "How is it that you have returned?"

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.

6. They answered, "A man met us on the way, and he said to us: 'Return to the king who sent you and say to him in the name of Yahweh: Why do you send men to consult Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Is there no God in Israel? Because of this, you shall not rise again from the bed where you lay down, but shall die there."

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

7. The king asked them, "What was the appearance of the man who met you on the way and told you this?"

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.

8. They answered him, "The man wore a mantle of fur with a leather belt around his waist." The king then said, "He is Elijah from the town of Tishbe."

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.

9. Ahaziah sent a captain of fifty men who went up with his fifty men to get him. Elijah was seated at the top of the mountain. The captain said to him, "Man of God, the king commands you to 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.

10. Elijah answered the captain, "If I am a man of God, then may fire come down from heaven and devour you and your men." Fire came down from heaven and devoured him with his fifty men.

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.

11. The king again sent to him another captain of fifty who went up and said to him, "Man of God, the king says that you are to come down at once."

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.

12. Elijah answered, "If I am a man of God, then may fire come down from heaven and devour you and your men." Fire came down from heaven and devoured them all.

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.

13. The king sent a third captain with his fifty men. This third one went up and as he came, he fell on his knees before Elijah and said to him, "Man of God, I beg you to pardon me as well as my fifty men; we are all your servants.

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.

14. I have heard that fire came down from heaven twice and devoured the two captains with their fifty men. So now, do spare my life."

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.

15. Then the angel of Yahweh said to Elijah, "Go down with him and do not be afraid."

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.

16. So he stood up and went down with them to the king. And Elijah said to the king, "Listen to this word of Yahweh: Because you sent your messengers to consult Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, you shall not rise again from the bed on which you lie but shall die there."

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.

17. Ahaziah died according to what Yahweh had said through the mouth of Elijah, and since he had no sons, his brother Jehoram reigned in his place in the second year of Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah.

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?

18. Everything referring to Ahaziah and his deeds is written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.



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Footnotes:

1:1-4 - When King Ahaziah suffered an accident, he sought answers from Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, instead of consulting the Lord. This demonstrated the rejection of God and the idolatry that permeated Israel, bringing grave consequences (see also Exodus 20:3-5 and Psalm 115:4-8).

1:5-8 - Elijah is sent by God to confront Ahaziah's messengers, showing that the Lord alone is sovereign. Elijah's prophetic word reinforces God's power over life and death (see also Isaiah 44:6 and James 5:17-18).

1:9-10 - When soldiers sent by Ahaziah attempt to arrest Elijah, the prophet calls down fire from heaven, which consumes the men. This event highlights Elijah's authority and divine judgment on those who defy God's prophets (see also Luke 9:54 and Revelation 11:5).

1:13-15 - A third group of soldiers pleads for Elijah's mercy, and the Lord spares their lives. This illustrates the balance between God's judgment and His mercy toward the humble (see also Psalm 103:8-10 and James 4:6).

1:16-17 - Elijah prophesies the death of Ahaziah, which is soon fulfilled. Ahaziah's death serves as a reminder that disobedience to God and idolatry lead to destruction (see also Proverbs 14:12 and Romans 6:23).

Verses related to 2 Kings, 1:

2 Kings chapter 1 begins with the reign of Ahaziah. How does God respond to the king's idolatry? This powerful text chronicles the fall of Ahaziah, his search for guidance from Baal-Zebub, and his confrontation with the prophet Elijah. The chapter highlights themes such as divine judgment on apostasy, the power of the prophetic word and God's sovereignty over life and death. The narrative reaffirms Yahweh's supreme authority over all false gods. Consider with us five biblical passages that correlate with the crucial themes of this revealing chapter.

Luke 9:54-55: "When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, 'Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to destroy them?' But Jesus turned and rebuked them." - This passage references the incident in 2 Kings 1 where Elijah calls down fire from heaven, contrasting Jesus' attitude with Elijah's.

James 5:17: "Elijah was human like us. He prayed fervently that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three and a half years." - This verse mentions Elijah, who is a central figure in 2 Kings 1, emphasizing his power of prayer.

Revelation 13:13: "And he performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in the sight of men." - This passage evokes Elijah's miracle in 2 Kings 1, where he calls down fire from heaven, but in a different context.

Matthew 3:4: "John's clothing was made of camel's hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. Their food was locusts and wild honey." - John the Baptist's description echoes that of Elijah in 2 Kings 1:8, establishing a parallel between the two prophets.

Exodus 20:3: "You will have no other gods besides me." - This commandment relates to Elijah's rebuke of King Ahaziah in 2 Kings 1 for consulting Baal-zebub.

FAQ:

What happened to King Ahaziah in 2 Kings 1?

King Ahaziah fell through his palace window and, severely wounded, sent messengers to inquire of the god of Ekron. But Elijah rebuked him and predicted his death. (2 Kings 1:1-17)

How did Elijah rebuke Ahaziah's messengers?

Elijah told the messengers that Ahaziah would not get up from his bed and would die, because he had sought a false god. King Ahaziah ignored the warning and died, according to Elijah's word. (2 Kings 1:3-4, 16)

What happened to the captains of the fifty in 2 Kings 1?

Two captains with fifty soldiers were sent to capture Elijah, but both were consumed by fire from heaven as a result of their boldness. (2 Kings 1:9-12)

What was the end of King Ahaziah as prophesied by Elijah?

King Ahaziah died, fulfilling Elijah's prophecy, leaving no descendants, and his brother Jehoram assumed the throne of Israel. (2 Kings 1:17)

What can we learn from the story of Ahaziah?

The story of Ahaziah shows the consequences of seeking answers from the wrong sources instead of trusting in the true God, as Elijah demonstrated when he confronted him. (2 Kings 1:1-17)


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