II Kings Chapter 1

Melachim | Kings

Moab rebelled against Israel after Ahab’s death.
1:1
Ahaziah fell through the balustrade of his upper-chamber in Samaria, and took ill. He sent messengers, saying to them, “Go inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this illness.”
1:2
An angel of Hashem then said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Arise and go up towards the messengers of the king of Samaria and speak to them, ‘Is there no God in Israel that you go to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?
1:3
Therefore, thus said Hashem [of Ahaziah]: The bed onto which you have climbed — you shall never go down from it, for you shall surely die.’” Elijah then set off.
:4
So [Ahaziah] dispatched to him a captain of fifty, along with his fifty [men]. He came up to [Elijah], and he was sitting at the top of a mountain; he said to him, “Man of God, the king has spoken: Come down!”
:9
Elijah responded and spoke to the captain of the fifty, “If I am a ‘Man of God’ let a fire descend from Heaven and consume you and your fifty [men]!” A fire then descended from Heaven and consumed him and his fifty [men].
:10
[Ahaziah] repeated and sent another captain of fifty, along with his fifty [men], to him. He spoke up and said to [Elijah], “Man of God, thus said the king: Come down quickly!”
:11
[Ahaziah] repeated and sent third captain of fifty [men], along with his fifty men. This third captain of fifty went up, arrived, and fell on his knees to in front of Elijah and entreated him and spoke to him, “Man of God, please let my soul and the souls of these fifty servants of yours be worthy in your eyes!
:13
An angel of Hashem then said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not fear him.” So he arose and went down with him to the king.
:15
[Elijah] said to [Ahaziah], “Thus said Hashem: Because you sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron — is there no God in Israel of Whose word to inquire? Therefore, the bed onto which you have climbed — you shall never go down from it, for you shall surely die.”
:16
[Ahaziah] died, in accordance with the word of Hashem that Elijah had spoken. [His brother] Jehoram reigned in his place, … for [Ahaziah] had no son.
:17

Daily Holy Bible Reading

1 Moab rebelled against Israel after Ahab’s death.
2 Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and he became ill; and he sent messengers and said to them, “Go inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this illness.”
3 But an angel of the Lord spoke to Elijah the Tishbite [saying], “Arise, go up toward the king of Samaria’s messengers, and speak to them, [saying], ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel, that you go to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron?
4 Therefore, so has the Lord said, “From the bed upon which you have ascended you will not descend, for you shall die.” ‘ ” And Elijah went.
5 And the messengers returned to him, and he said, “Why have you returned?”
6 And they said to him, “A man came up toward us and said to us, ‘Go return to the king who sent you, and you shall speak to him, [saying,] “So has the Lord said, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you send to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore, from the bed upon which you have ascended, you will not descend, for you will die.’ “
7 And he spoke to them, saying, “What was the manner of the man who came up toward you, and spoke these words to you?”
8 And they said, “He was a hairy man, with a leather belt girded around his waist.” And he said, “He is Elijah the Tishbite.”
9 And he sent to him a captain of fifty men and his fifty men; and he went up to him, and behold, he was sitting on a mountain top, and he spoke to him, saying, “O man of God, the King has spoken; come down!”
10 And Elijah replied, and spoke to the captain of fifty, “Now, if I am a man of God, let a fire come down from the heaven and consume you and your fifty men!” And a fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.
11 And again he sent to him another captain of fifty and his fifty men, and he raised and spoke to him, saying, “O man of God, so said the King, ‘Come down quickly!’ “
12 And Elijah raised his voice and spoke to them, [saying,] “If I am a man of God, let a fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!” And an enormous fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.
13 And again he sent a third captain of fifty and his fifty men; and the third captain of fifty climbed up and came and kneeled on his knees opposite Elijah and implored him and spoke to him, saying, “O man of God, may my soul and the soul of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your eyes.
14 Behold, a fire has come down from heaven and consumed the first two captains of fifty and their fifties; now may my soul be precious in your eyes.”
15 And the angel of the Lord spoke to Elijah, saying, “Go down with him: fear him not.” And he arose and went down with him to the king.
16 And he spoke to him, saying, “So has the Lord said, ‘Since you 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, from the bed upon which you have risen, you will not get down, for you shall die.’ “
17 And he died according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken; and Jehoram reigned in his stead in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, for he had no son.
18 And the remaining deeds of Ahaziah that he did are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

Exposé | Moral

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