1Then, after the death of Ahab, Moab rebelled against Israel.

2And Ahaziah, Ahab’s son and successor, fell through the latticework in his upper room in Samaria, injuring himself. And so he sent messengers, telling them, “Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, and ask whether I shall recover from this injury.” 3But the Angel of the LORD told Elijah, the Tishbite, “Go and meet the messengers from the king of Samaria, and ask them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel, that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? 4Therefore, the LORD says to Ahaziah, “You shall not get up from that bed on which you lie, but shall surely die.”’” And Elijah went, intercepted the messengers, gave them God’s message, and departed.

5And when the messengers returned, Ahaziah asked them, “Why have you come back so soon?” 6And they replied, “A man came to meet us, who told us, ‘Return to the king who sent you, and tell him, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel, that you send to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Because you do this, you shall not arise from that bed on which you lie, but shall surely die.’”’” 7And Ahaziah asked them, “What sort of man was he who met you, and told you these words?” 8And they answered, “He was a hairy man, and girded with a belt of leather about his waist.” And Ahaziah said, “It is Elijah, the Tishbite.”

9Then King Ahaziah sent a company of fifty men with their captain to Elijah. And the captain went up to the top of the hill where Elijah was sitting, and told him, “You, man of God, the king has ordered you to come with us.” 10And Elijah replied, “If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume you and your fifty men.” And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty men. 11Then Ahaziah sent another company of fifty men with their captain to him. And the captain said to Elijah, “O man of God, the king has said, ‘Come down quickly.’” 12And Elijah replied to them, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume you and your fifty men.” And again, the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed them. 13And Ahaziah sent yet a third company of fifty men with their captain to Elijah. And this third captain went up, and fell on his knees before Elijah, and begged him, saying, “O man of God, I pray you, let the lives of me and these fifty, your servants, be precious in your sight. 14Fire came down from heaven, and burned up the first two captains with their fifty men; but now, let my life be precious in your sight.” 15And the Angel of the LORD told Elijah, “Go with him; and have no fear of him.” And Elijah arose, and went with him to Ahaziah, the king. 16And Elijah told Ahaziah, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Was it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of, that you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? It is for that reason that you shall never rise from that bed on which you lie, but shall surely die.’” 17So Ahaziah died according to the word of the LORD that Elijah had spoken. And because Ahaziah had no son, his brother, Joram, succeeded him in the second year of the reign of Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah.

18The rest of the acts of Ahaziah are recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.