- Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab. And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick. And he sent messengers and said unto them, Go, inquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease. But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel that you go to inquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? Now therefore thus says the Lord: You shall not come down from that bed on which you have gone up, but you shall surely die. And Elijah departed.
- And when the messengers turned back unto him, he said unto them, Why are you now turned back? And they said unto him, There came a man up to meet us, and said unto us, Go return unto the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus says the Lord: Is it not because there is not a God in Israel that you send to inquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? Therefore, you shall not come down from that bed on which you have gone up, but shall surely die. And he said unto them, What manner of man was he who came up to meet you and told you these words? And they answered him, He was a hairy man, and girded with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.
- Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him, and behold, he sat on the top of a hill. And he spoke unto him, You, man of God, the king has said, Come down. And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I am a man of God, then let fire come down out of heaven and consume you and your fifty. And there came down fire out of heaven and consumed him and his fifty.
- Again also, he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus has the king said: Come down quickly. And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I am a man of God, let fire come down out of Heaven and consume you and your fifty. And the fire of God came down out of heaven and consumed him and his fifty.
- And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and implored him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray you, let my life and the life of these fifty, your servants, be precious in your sight. Behold, there came fire down out of heaven and burned up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties; therefore, let my life now be precious in your sight. And the angel of the Lord said unto Elijah, Go down with him; be not afraid of him. And he arose and went down with him unto the king. And he said unto him, Thus says the Lord: Forasmuch as you have sent messengers to inquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron, is it not because there is no God in Israel, to inquire of his word? Therefore, you shall not come down off that bed on which you have gone up, but shall surely die.
- So he died according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken. And Joram reigned in his stead in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, because he had no son. Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
- And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into Heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. And Elijah said unto Elisha, Wait here, I pray you, for the Lord has sent me to Beth-el. And Elisha said unto him, As the Lord lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you. So they went down to Beth-el. And the sons of the prophets that were at Beth-el came forth to Elisha and said unto him, Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from your head today? And he said, Yes, I know it; hold your peace.
- And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, wait here, I pray you, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the Lord lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you. So they came to Jericho. And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha and said unto him, Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from your head today? And he answered, Yes, I know it; hold your peace.
- And Elijah said unto him, Wait, I pray you, here, for the Lord has sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the Lord lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you. And they two went on. And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood to view afar off, and they two stood by Jordan. And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided here and there so that they two went over on dry ground.
- And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken away from you. And Elisha said, I pray you, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me. And he said, You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so unto you but if not, it shall not be so.
- And it came to pass, as they still went on and talked, that behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into Heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father! The chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof! And he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and rent them in two pieces. He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back and stood by the bank of Jordan. And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? And when he also had smitten the waters, they parted here and there, and Elisha went over.
- And when the sons of the prophets who were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah does rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him and bowed themselves to the ground before him. And they said unto him, Behold now, there are with your servants fifty strong men. Let them go, we pray you, and seek your master, lest perhaps the spirit of the Lord has taken him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley. And he said, You shall not send. And when they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men, and they sought three days, but found him not. And when they came again to him (for he tarried at Jericho), he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?
- And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray you, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees, but the water is naught and the ground barren. And he said, Bring me a new jar and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. And he went forth unto the spring of the waters and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus says the Lord: I have healed these waters. There shall not be from there any more death or barren land. So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spoke.
- And he went up from there unto Beth-el. And as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him and said unto him, Go up, you baldhead, go up, you baldhead. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she-bears out of the wood and mauled forty-two children of them. And he went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.
THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS
COMMONLY CALLED THE FOURTH BOOK OF THE KINGS
Chapter 1