Study Desk

At noon Elijah began to taunt them, saying, "Shout louder, for he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or occupied, or on a journey. Perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened!"

At the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet approached the altar and said, "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and have done all these things at Your command.

Answer me, O LORD! Answer me, so that this people will know that You, the LORD, are God, and that You have turned their hearts back again."

When all the people saw this, they fell facedown and said, "The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!"

So he got up and ate and drank. And strengthened by that food, he walked forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.

"I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Hosts," he replied, "but the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well."

"I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Hosts," he replied, "but the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well."

Then the man of God approached the king of Israel and said, "This is what the LORD says: 'Because the Arameans think the LORD is a god of the hills and not of the valleys, I will deliver all this great army into your hand. Then you will know that I am the LORD.'"

But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify, 'You have cursed both God and the king!' Then take him out and stone him to death."

And the two scoundrels came in and sat opposite Naboth, and these men testified against him before the people, saying, "Naboth has cursed God and the king!" So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death.

Ahaziah served and worshiped Baal, provoking the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger, just as his father had done.

Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers and instructed them: "Go inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this injury."

But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, "Go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, 'Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are on your way to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?'

They replied, "A man came up to meet us and said, 'Go back to the king who sent you and tell him that this is what the LORD says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending these men to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not get up from the bed on which you are lying. You will surely die.'"

Then King Ahaziah sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. So the captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on top of a hill, and said to him, "Man of God, the king declares, 'Come down!'"

Elijah answered the captain, "If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men." And fire came down from heaven and consumed the captain and his men.

So the king sent to Elijah another captain with his fifty men. And the captain said to Elijah, "Man of God, the king declares, 'Come down at once!'"

Again Elijah replied, "If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men." And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.

So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. And the third captain went up, fell on his knees before Elijah, and begged him, "Man of God, may my life and the lives of these fifty servants please be precious in your sight.

And Elijah said to King Ahaziah, "This is what the LORD says: Is there really no God in Israel for you to inquire of His word? Is that why you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not get up from the bed on which you are lying. You will surely die."