AFTER the death of Ahab, Moab [the country of the descendants of Lot, the nephew of Abraham, through his elder daughter] revolted against Israel. 

One day, Ahaziah fell down through a latticed window of his upper room in Samaria [the capital of Israel, the northern kingdom, west of the Jordan, southward] and was injured. He then sent messengers to inquire from Baal-ze-bub, god of Ekron, whether he would recover from the injury.

Displeased at what he did, the ?Emissary [Spirit] of the Self-existent — the Self-existent, the Holy Spirit — said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Go and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and say to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-ze-bub, the god of Ekron?

Tell Ahaziah: For doing that, this is what the Self-existent says: You will not get up from your sickbed – you will certainly die’.” Elijah left, met them, delivered the message, and got away.

On returning, the king asked them, “Why have you come back at this time?”

They replied, “A man came to meet us and said, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and declare to him: This is what the Self-existent says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you’re sending men   to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? For doing that, you will not get up from your sickbed – you will certainly die’.”

The king asked them: “What does the man look like?”

They replied, “A hairy man with a leather belt around his waist.” Ahaziah said, “It’s Elijah, the Tishbite.”

 Certain about who he was, King Ahaziah sent a captain of fifty with his fifty soldiers to bring Elijah by force. When the captain went up to him, he was sitting on top of a hill. He called to him, “Man of God, the king says, ‘Come down’!”

Elijah responded to the captain of the fifty soldiers, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from the sky and consume you and your fifty men.” Instantly, fire came down from the sky and consumed him and his fifty soldiers.

The king sent another captain of fifty with his fifty  soldiers to Elijah. Getting there, he said, “Man of God, this is what the king says: ‘Come down, immediately’!”

Elijah responded, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from the sky and consume you and your fifty men.” Again, instantly, a divine fire came down from the sky and consumed him and his fifty soldiers.

Then the king sent a third captain of fifty with his fifty soldiers. The third captain of fifty went up and fell on his knees in front of Elijah, begging him, “Man of God, please, consider my life and the lives of these fifty servants of yours to be precious.

Already, fire came down from the sky and consumed the first two captains of fifty with their fifties, consider my own  life to be precious.”

The Emissary [Spirit] of the Self-existent — the Self-existent, the Holy Spirit — said to Elijah, “Go down with him. Don’t be afraid of him.” Elijah got up and went down with him to the king.

Getting to him, Elijah said to King Ahaziah, “This is what the Self-existent says: ‘For sending your messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron – knowing that there is God in Israel for you to inquire of His will – you will not get up from your sickbed; you will certainly die’.”

Ahaziah died according to the word of the Self-existent that Elijah spoke. Since he had no son, Joram, another son of Ahab, became king in his place. This took place in the second year of Judah’s King Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat.

The rest of the events of Ahaziah’s reign, along with his accomplishments, are in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings.

This is blood!” they exclaimed. “The kings have clashed swords and killed each other. To the spoil, Moab!”