2 Kings 1 Geneva Bible (1599)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Original 16th-century spelling.
1 Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab:
1 Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab.
2 And Ahaziah fell thorow the lattesse windowe in his vpper chamber which was in Samaria: so he was sicke: then he sent messengers, to whome he saide, Goe, and enquire of Baal-zebub the God of Ekron, if I shall recouer of this my disease.
2 Ahaziah fell down through the lattice in his upper room that was in Samaria, and was sick. So he sent messengers, and said to them, “Go, inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this sickness.”
3 Then the Angel of the Lord said to Eliiah the Tishbite, Arise, and goe vp to meete the messengers of the King of Samaria, and say vnto them, Is it not because there is no God in Israel, that ye goe to enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron?
3 But Yahweh’s angel said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and tell them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you go to inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron?
4 Wherefore thus saith the Lord, Thou shalt not come downe from the bed on which thou art gone vp, but shalt die the death. So Eliiah departed.
4 Now therefore Yahweh says, “You will not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but you will surely die.”’” Then Elijah departed.
5 And the messengers returned vnto him, to whome he said, Why are ye nowe returned?
5 The messengers returned to him, and he said to them, “Why is it that you have returned?”
6 And they answered him, There came a man and met vs, and saide vnto vs, Goe, and returne vnto the King which sent you, and say vnto him, Thus saith the Lord, Is it not because there is no God in Israel, that thou sendest to enquire of Baal-zebub the God of Ekron? Therefore thou shalt not come downe from the bed, on which thou art gone vp, but shalt die ye death.
6 They said to him, “A man came up to meet us, and said to us, ‘Go, return to the king who sent you, and tell him, “Yahweh says, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you send to inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but you will surely die.’”’”
7 And he saide vnto them, What maner of man was he which came and met you, and tolde you these wordes?
7 He said to them, “What kind of man was he who came up to meet you and told you these words?”
8 And they said vnto him, He was an hearie man, and girded with a girdle of lether about his loynes. Then sayde he, It is Eliiah the Tishbite.
8 They answered him, “He was a hairy man, and wearing a leather belt around his waist.” He said, “It’s Elijah the Tishbite.”
9 Therefore the King sent vnto him a captaine ouer fiftie with his fiftie men, who went vp vnto him: for beholde, he sate on the toppe of a mountaine, and he saide vnto him, O man of God, the King hath commanded that thou come downe.
9 Then the king sent a captain of fifty with his fifty to him. He went up to him; and behold, he was sitting on the top of the hill. He said to him, “Man of God, the king has said, ‘Come down!’”
10 But Eliiah answered, and saide to the captaine ouer the fiftie, If that I be a man of God, let fire come downe from the heauen, and deuoure thee and thy fiftie. So fire came downe from the heauen and deuoured him and his fiftie.
10 Elijah answered to the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from the sky and consume you and your fifty!” Then fire came down from the sky, and consumed him and his fifty.
11 Againe also he sent vnto him another captaine ouer fiftie, with his fiftie. Who spake, and saide vnto him, O man of God, thus the King commandeth, Come downe quickely.
11 Again he sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty. He answered him, “Man of God, the king has said, ‘Come down quickly!’”
12 But Eliiah answered, and saide vnto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come downe from the heauen, and deuoure thee and thy fiftie. So fire came downe from the heauen, and deuoured him and his fiftie.
12 Elijah answered them, “If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from the sky and consume you and your fifty!” Then God’s fire came down from the sky, and consumed him and his fifty.
13 Yet againe he sent the third captaine ouer fiftie with his fiftie. And the thirde captaine ouer fiftie went vp, and came, and fell on his knees before Eliiah, and besought him, and saide vnto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life and the life of these thy fiftie seruants be precious in thy sight.
13 Again he sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. The third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and begged him, and said to him, “Man of God, please let my life and the life of these fifty of your servants be precious in your sight.
14 Beholde, there came fire downe from the heauen and deuoured the two former captaines ouer fiftie with their fifties: therefore let my life nowe be precious in thy sight.
14 Behold, fire came down from the sky and consumed the last two captains of fifty with their fifties. But now let my life be precious in your sight.”
15 And the Angel of the Lord said vnto Eliiah, Goe downe with him, be not afraide of his presence. So he arose, and went downe with him vnto the King.
15 Yahweh’s angel said to Elijah, “Go down with him. Don’t be afraid of him.” Then he arose and went down with him to the king.
16 And he saide vnto him, Thus saith the Lord, Because thou hast sent messengers to enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron, (was it not because there was no God in Israel to inquire of his worde?) therefore thou shalt not come downe off the bed, on which thou art gone vp, but shalt die the death.
16 He said to him, “Yahweh says, ‘Because you have sent messengers 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 will not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but you will surely die.’”
17 So he dyed according to the worde of the Lord which Eliiah had spoken. And Iehoram began to reigne in his steade, in the seconde yeere of Iehoram the sonne of Iehoshaphat King of Iudah, because he had no sonne.
17 So he died according to Yahweh’s word which Elijah had spoken. Jehoram began to reign in his place in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, because he had no son.
18 Concerning the rest of the actes of Ahaziah, that he did, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
18 Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
Cross references (17)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 2 Samuel 8:2; 2 Kings 8:20; 2 Kings 3:4–5; Psalm 60:8; Numbers 24:7
- 2 2 Kings 1:16; 2 Kings 8:7–10; Mark 3:22; Matthew 10:25; Isaiah 37:19
- 3 1 Kings 17:1; Jonah 2:8; Acts 12:7–11; Psalm 76:1; Jeremiah 2:11–13
- 4 Ezekiel 18:4; Genesis 3:4; Genesis 2:17; 2 Kings 1:16; Proverbs 11:19
- 6 Psalm 16:4; 2 Kings 1:2–4; Isaiah 41:22–23; 1 Chronicles 10:13–14
- 7 Judges 8:18; 1 Samuel 28:14
- 8 Matthew 3:4; Zechariah 13:4; Mark 1:6; Matthew 11:8; Revelation 11:3
- 9 Hebrews 11:36; 2 Kings 6:13–14; Luke 6:11–12; Amos 7:12; Matthew 26:68
- 10 Luke 9:54; Daniel 3:25; 1 Kings 18:36–38; Daniel 3:22; Psalm 106:18
- 11 John 18:5–12; Isaiah 26:11; Jeremiah 5:3; 1 Samuel 22:17–19; Numbers 16:41
- 12 2 Kings 1:9–10
- 13 Isaiah 1:5; Psalm 72:14; Proverbs 27:22; Isaiah 66:2; Psalm 102:17
- 14 Acts 20:24; Psalm 116:15; Psalm 49:8; 2 Kings 1:10–11; Matthew 16:25–26
- 15 Isaiah 51:12; Ezekiel 2:6; Jeremiah 1:17; Genesis 15:1; 2 Kings 1:3
- 16 2 Kings 1:2–4; 1 Kings 21:18–24; Exodus 4:22–23; 1 Kings 14:6–13; Psalm 132:3
- 17 2 Kings 3:1; 1 Kings 22:51; 2 Kings 8:16–17
- 18 1 Kings 14:19; 1 Kings 22:39
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Hence it is that Elijah inflicted death on many, both with his own hand and by calling down fire from heaven; as was done also without rashness by many other great and godlike men, in the same spirit of concern for the good of humanity.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
Thus, for instance, both Peter appears to have been "girded," and Paul; for it saith, "the man that owneth this girdle." And Elijah too was thus arrayed, and every one of the saints, because they were at work continually, laboring, and busying themselves either in journeyings, or about some other necessary matter; and not for this cause only, but also …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)