Study Desk

Now ^(a)Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab.

And Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber which was in Samaria, and became ill. So he sent messengers and said to them, "Go, ^(b)inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, ^(c)whether I will recover from this sickness."

But the angel of the Lord said to ^(d)Elijah the Tishbite, "Arise, go up to 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 ^(e)Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?'

Now therefore thus says the Lord , ‘^[a](f)You shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but you shall surely die.'" Then Elijah departed.

When the messengers returned to him he said to them, "^[b]Why have you returned?"

They said to him, "A man came up to meet us and said to us, ‘Go, return to the king who sent you and say to him, "Thus says the Lord , ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending ^(g)to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore ^[c]you shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but shall surely die.'"'"

He said to them, "What kind of man was he who came up to meet you and spoke these words to you?"

They ^[d]answered him, "^(h)He was a hairy man with a leather girdle ^[e]bound about his loins." And he said, "It is Elijah the Tishbite."

Then the king ⁽ⁱ⁾sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him, and behold, he was sitting on the top of the hill. And he said to him, "O man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.'"