2 Kings 1

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 After Ahab's death Moab rebel ed against Israel.	1 After Ahab's death, Moab rebelled against Israel.
2 Ahaziah had fal en from the balcony of his upper room in Samaria, and was lying il ; so he sentmessengers, saying to them, 'Go and consult Baal-Zebub god of Ekron and ask whether I shal recover from myil ness.'	2 Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his roof terrace at Samaria and had been injured. So he sent out messengers with the instructions: "Go and inquire of Baalzebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this injury."
3 But the angel of Yahweh said to Elijah the Tishbite, 'Up! Go and intercept the king of Samaria'smessengers. Say to them, "Is there no God in Israel, for you to go and consult Baal-Zebub god of Ekron?	3 Meanwhile, the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite: "Go, intercept the messengers of Samaria's king, and ask them, 'Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baalzebub, the god of Ekron?'
4 Yahweh says this: You will never leave the bed you have got into; you are certainly going to die." ' AndElijah set out.	4 For this, the LORD says: 'You shall not leave the bed upon which you lie; instead, you shall die.'" And with that, Elijah departed.
5 The messengers returned to the king, who said, 'Why have you come back?'	5 The messengers then returned to Ahaziah, who asked them. "Why have you returned?"
6 'A man came to meet us,' they answered. 'He said, "Go back to the king who sent you and tell him:Yahweh says this: Is there no God in Israel, for you to go and consult Baal-Zebub god of Ekron? For this, youwil never leave the bed you have got into; you are certainly going to die." '	6 "A man came up to us," they answered, "who said to us, 'Go back to the king who sent you and tell him: The LORD says, Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baalzebub, the god of Ekron? For this you shall not leave the bed upon which you lie; instead, you shall die.'"
7 He said, 'This man who met you and said al this, what was he like?'	7 The king asked them, "What was the man like who came up to you and said these things to you?"
8 'A man wearing a hair cloak', they answered, 'and a leather loincloth.' 'It was Elijah the Tishbite,' he said.	8 "Wearing a hairy garment," they replied, "with a leather girdle about his loins." "It is Elijah the Tishbite!" he exclaimed.
9 He then sent a captain of fifty soldiers with his fifty men to Elijah, whom they found sitting on top of a hil ;the captain went up to him and said, 'Man of God, the king says, "Come down." '	9 Then the king sent a captain with his company of fifty men after Elijah. The prophet was seated on a hilltop when he found him. "Man of God," he ordered, "the king commands you to come down."
10 Elijah answered the captain, 'If I am a man of God, may fire fal from heaven and destroy both you andyour fifty men.' And fire fell from heaven and destroyed him and his fifty men.	10 "If I am a man of God," Elijah answered the captain, "may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men." And fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.
11 The king sent a second captain of fifty to him, again with fifty men, and he too went up and said, 'Manof God, this is the king's order, "Come down at once." '	11 Ahaziah sent another captain with his company of fifty men after Elijah. "Man of God," he called out to Elijah, "the king commands you to come down immediately."
12 Elijah answered them, 'If I am a man of God, may fire fal from heaven and destroy both you and yourfifty men.' And lightning fel from heaven and destroyed him and his fifty men.	12 "If I am a man of God," Elijah answered him, "may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men." And divine fire came down from heaven, consuming him and his fifty men.
13 The king then sent a third captain of fifty to him, with another fifty men. The third captain of fifty cameup to Elijah, fel on his knees before him and pleaded with him. 'Man of God,' he said, 'may my life and the livesof these fifty servants of yours count for something in your eyes.	13 Again, for the third time, Ahaziah sent a captain with his company of fifty men. When the third captain arrived, he fell to his knees before Elijah, pleading with him. "Man of God," he implored him, "let my life and the lives of these fifty men, your servants, count for something in your sight!
14 Fire has fal en from heaven and destroyed two captains of fifties and their companies, but this timemay my life count for something in your eyes!'	14 Already fire has come down from heaven, consuming two captains with their companies of fifty men. But now, let my life mean something to you!"
15 The angel of Yahweh said to Elijah, 'Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.' He rose andaccompanied him down to the king,	15 Then the angel of the LORD said to Elijah, "Go down with him; you need not be afraid of him."
16 and said to him, 'Yahweh says this, "Since you sent messengers to consult Baal-Zebub god of Ekron,you wil never leave the bed you have got into; you are certainly going to die." '	16 So Elijah left and went down with him and stated to the king: "Thus says the LORD: 'Because you sent messengers to inquire of Baalzebub, the god of Ekron, you shall not leave the bed upon which you lie; instead you shall die.'"
17 And, in accordance with the word of Yahweh which Elijah had uttered, he died. Since he had no son,his brother Jehoram succeeded him, in the second year of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah.	17 Ahaziah died in fulfillment of the prophecy of the LORD spoken by Elijah. Since he had no son, his brother Joram succeeded him as king, in the second year of Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah.
18 The rest of the history of Ahaziah, and his career, is this not recorded in the Book of the Annals of theKings of Israel?	18 The rest of the acts of Ahaziah are recorded in the book of chronicles of the kings of Israel.