(52) [Meanwhile,] Ahaziah son of Ahab had become king of Israel, in Samaria, in the seventeenth year of King Jehoshaphat of Judah; he reigned over Israel two years. (53) He did what was displeasing to the LORD, following in the footsteps of his father and his mother, and in those of Jeroboam son of Nebat who had caused Israel to sin. (54) He worshiped Baal and bowed down to him; he vexed the LORD, the God of Israel, just as his father had done.
(א) וַיִּפְשַׁ֤ע מוֹאָב֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אַחֲרֵ֖י מ֥וֹת אַחְאָֽב׃
(1) After Ahab’s death, Moab rebelled against Israel.
(2) Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber at Samaria and was injured. So he sent messengers, whom he instructed: “Go inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this injury.”
(13) I have now built for You A stately House, A place where You May dwell forever.”
(3) But an angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Go and confront the messengers of the king of Samaria and say to them, ‘Is there no God in Israel that you go to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? (4) Assuredly, thus said the LORD: You shall not rise from the bed you are lying on, but you shall die.’” And Elijah went.
(3) And the many peoples shall go and say: “Come, Let us go up to the Mount of the LORD, To the House of the God of Jacob; That He may instruct us in His ways, And that we may walk in His paths.” For instruction shall come forth from Zion, The word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (4) Thus He will judge among the nations And arbitrate for the many peoples, And they shall beat their swords into plowshares And their spears into pruning hooks: Nation shall not take up Sword against nation; They shall never again know war.
(5) The messengers returned to Ahaziah; and he asked, “Why have you come back?” (6) They answered him, “A man came toward us and said to us, ‘Go back to the king who sent you, and say to him: Thus said the LORD: Is there no God in Israel that you must send to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Assuredly, you shall not rise from the bed you are lying on, but shall die.’”
(21) Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you keep hopping between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; and if Baal, follow him!” But the people answered him not a word.
(7) “What sort of man was it,” he asked them, “who came toward you and said these things to you?” (8) “A hairy man,” they replied, “with a leather belt tied around his waist.” “That’s Elijah the Tishbite!” he said.
(19) His mother would also make a little robe for him and bring it up to him every year, when she made the pilgrimage with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice.
(13) The king answered her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I see a divine being coming up from the earth.” (14) “What does he look like?” he asked her. “It is an old man coming up,” she said, “and he is wrapped in a robe.” Then Saul knew that it was Samuel; and he bowed low in homage with his face to the ground.
(9) Then he sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty men. He climbed up to him, and found him sitting at the top of a hill. “Man of God,” he said to him, “by order of the king, come down!” (10) Elijah replied to the captain of the fifty, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you with your fifty men!” And fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.
(11) The king then sent to him another captain with his fifty men; and he addressed him as follows: “Man of God, by order of the king, come down at once!” (12) But Elijah answered him, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you with your fifty men!” And fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.
(13) Then he sent a third captain of fifty with his fifty men. The third captain of fifty climbed to the top, knelt before Elijah, and implored him, saying, “Oh, man of God, please have regard for my life and the lives of these fifty servants of yours! (14) Already fire has come from heaven and consumed the first two captains of fifty and their men; I beg you, have regard for my life!”
ואמאי נימא שלוחו של אדם כמותו שאני התם דאין שליח לדבר עבירה דאמרינן דברי הרב ודברי תלמיד דברי מי שומעים
There is no shlichut (agency) for transgression, as we say: When there is a conflict between the words of the Master, i.e., God, and the words of the student, i.e., a human being, whose words should be listened to? Consequently, the agent is considered to have acted of his own accord, and the one who sent him bears no responsibility.
(15) Then the angel of the LORD said to Elijah, “Go down with him, do not be afraid of him.” So he rose and went down with him to the king. (16) He said to him, “Because you sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron—as if there were no God in Israel whose word you could seek—assuredly, you shall not rise from the bed which you are lying on; but you shall die.” (17) And [Ahaziah] died, according to the word of the LORD that Elijah had spoken. Jehoram succeeded him as king, in the second year of King Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat of Judah, for he had no son. (18) The other events of Ahaziah’s reign [and] his actions are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Israel.