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 Baal-zebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this
disease.
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
Baal-zebub the god of Ekron? 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.
And when the messengers turned back unto him, he said unto them, Why are
ye now turned back? 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 Baal-zebub the god of Ekron?
therefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone
up, but shalt surely die. And he said unto them, What manner of man was
he which came up to meet you, and told you these words? 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.
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. 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.
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. 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.
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. 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.
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. And he
said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Forasmuch as thou hast sent
messengers to enquire of Baal-zebub 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.
So he died according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken.--2
Kings i, 2-17.