1 And Moab rebelled {yifsha: defied allegiance} against Israel after the death of Ahab {achav: Israelite monarch}.
2 And Ahaziah fell through the lattice {sevakha: wooden screen} in his upper room in Samaria and became sick. He sent messengers and said to them, “Go, inquire of Baal-Zebub {baal-zebub: Philistine Deity}, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this sickness.”
3 But the angel of the LORD {YHWH, Divine Messenger} spoke to Elijah the Tishbite {hatishbi: native of Tishbe} and said, “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 Baal-Zebub {baal-zebub: Philistine Deity}, the god of Ekron?’”
4 Therefore, thus says the LORD {YHWH, Righteous Judge}: You will not come down from the bed {hamittah: sickbed} that you went up on there, for you shall surely die. And Elijah went.
5 And the messengers {malakhim: official envoys} returned {shavtem: turned back} to him, and he said to them, “What is this—that you returned?”
6 And they said to him, “A man came up to meet us, and he said to us, ‘Go, return to the king who sent you, and you shall speak to him, “Thus says the LORD {YHWH, Divine Judge}: Is it because there is no God {elohim, True Deity} in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-Zebub {baal-zevuv: Philistine god}, the god of Ekron? Therefore, the bed upon which you have gone up—you shall not come down from it, for surely you will die.”’”
7 And he spoke to them, “What was the appearance {mishpat: external description, manner} of the man who came up {alah: ascend to you} to meet you and spoke these words to you?”
8 And they said to him, “A hairy man {ba‘al se‘ar: hair-owner} and girded {’azur: bound} with a leather belt on his loins.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”
9 And he sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty men, and he went up to him; and behold, he was sitting on the top of the mountain. And he spoke to him, “Man of God {Elohim, Divine Representative}, the king has said, ‘Come down {redah: descend from your perch}.’”
10 And Elijah answered and spoke to the commander of the fifty men, “If I am a man of God {Elohim, Divine Sender}, let fire come down from the heavens {shamayim: celestial realm} and consume you and your fifty.” Then fire came down from the heavens and consumed him and his fifty.
11 Again the king sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty men. He answered and said to him, “Man of God {ha’elohim, Divine Agent}, thus says the king: ‘Quickly {meherah: swift action} come down!’”
12 And Elijah {Eliyah: Prophetic Messenger} answered and spoke to them, “If I am a man of God {haElohim, Divine Representative}, let fire come down from the heavens and consume you and your fifty.” Then fire of God came down from the heavens and consumed him and his fifty.
13 He returned and sent a third captain of fifty with his fifty men. Then the third captain of fifty went up, knelt before Elijah, and pleaded with him, saying, “Man of God {Elohim, Prophetic Authority}, let my life {nefesh: soul life} and the lives of these fifty servants be precious in your sight.”
14 Behold, fire came down from the heavens and consumed the first two commanders {sarei: military leaders} of the fifties {hachamishim: units of fifty soldiers}; therefore, let my life now be precious in your sight.
15 And the angel of the LORD {YHWH, Divine Commander} spoke to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not fear {ṭira: feel dread} his presence.” Then Elijah arose and went down with him to the king.
16 And he spoke to him, “Thus says the LORD {YHWH, Supreme Judge}: Because you sent messengers {mal’akhim: envoys} to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word? Therefore, you shall not come down from the bed upon which you went up, for surely you shall die.”
17 And he died according to the word of the LORD {YHWH, Promise Fulfiller} that Elijah {Eliyahu: prophet, divine messenger} had spoken; and Jehoram reigned in his place in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, because he had no son.
18 And the rest of the acts of Ahaziah {Achazyahu: God Has Seized}—are they not written in the book of the words of the days {divrei hayamim: royal annals} for the kings of Israel?