2 Kings 1

CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Then, after the death of Ahab, Moab transgressed against Israel.	1 After Ahab's death, Moab rebelled against Israel.
2 And Ahaziah fell down through the lattices of his upper room, which he had in Samaria, and he was injured. And he sent messengers, saying to them, “Go, consult Beelzebub, the god of Ekron, as to whether I may be able to survive this infirmity of mine.”	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 And an Angel of the Lord spoke to Elijah, the Tishbite, saying: “Rise up, and ascend to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria. And you shall say to them: ‘Is there not a God in Israel, so that you would go to consult Beelzebub, the 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 For this reason, thus says the Lord: From the bed to which you have ascended, you shall not descend. Instead, dying you shall die.’ ” And Elijah went away.	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 And the messengers returned to Ahaziah. And he said to them, “Why have you returned?”	5 The messengers then returned to Ahaziah, who asked them. "Why have you returned?"
6 But they responded to him: “A man met us, and he said to us: ‘Go, and return to the king who sent you. And you shall say to him: Thus says the Lord: Is it because there was no God in Israel that you are sending to consult Beelzebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore, from the bed to which you have ascended, you shall not descend. Instead, dying you shall 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 And he said to them: “What was the appearance and dress of that man, who met you and who spoke these words?”	7 The king asked them, "What was the man like who came up to you and said these things to you?"
8 So they said, “A hairy man, with a belt of leather wrapping his waist.” And he said, “It is Elijah, the Tishbite.”	8 "Wearing a hairy garment," they replied, "with a leather girdle about his loins." "It is Elijah the Tishbite!" he exclaimed.
9 And he sent to him a leader of fifty, with the fifty who were under him. And he ascended to him, sitting at the top of a hill, and he said, “Man of God, the king commanded that you should descend.”	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 And responding, Elijah said to the leader of fifty, “If I am a man of God, let fire from heaven descend and devour you and your fifty.” And then fire from heaven descended and devoured him and the fifty who were with him.	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 And again, he sent to him another leader of fifty, and the fifty with him. And he said to him, “Man of God, thus says the king: Hurry, descend.”	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 Responding, Elijah said, “If I am a man of God, let fire from heaven descend and devour you and your fifty.” And fire from heaven descended and devoured him and his fifty.	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 Again, he sent a third leader of fifty men and the fifty who were with him. And when he had arrived, he bent his knees before Elijah, and he pleaded with him, and said: “Man of God, do not choose to despise my life and the lives of your servants who are with me.	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 Behold, fire from heaven descended and devoured the two previous leaders of fifty and the fifties who were with them. But now I beg you to take pity on my life.”	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 Then the Angel of the Lord spoke to Elijah, saying, “Descend with him; fear not.” And so, he arose and descended with him 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 he said to him: “Thus says the Lord: Because you sent messengers to consult Beelzebub, the god of Ekron, as if there were no God in Israel, from whom you would be able to seek a word, therefore, from the bed to which you have ascended, you shall not descend. Instead, dying you shall 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 so he died, in accord with the word of the Lord, which Elijah spoke. And Jehoram, his brother, reigned in his place, in the second year of Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah. For he had no son.	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 But the rest of the words of Ahaziah that he worked, have these not been written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel?	18 The rest of the acts of Ahaziah are recorded in the book of chronicles of the kings of Israel.