2 Kings 1:6
4 Now therefore thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed.
5 And when the messengers turned back unto him, he said unto them, Why are ye now turned back?
And they said unto him, There came a man up to meet us, and said unto us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that thou sendest to enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.
7 And he said unto them, What manner of man was he which came up to meet you, and told you these words?
8 And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- They replied, “A man came up to meet us and said, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and tell him that this is what the LORD says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending these men to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not get up from the bed on which you are lying. You will surely die.’”
- KJV
- And they said unto him, There came a man up to meet us, and said unto us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that thou sendest to enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.
- WEB
- 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, “The LORD 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.’”’”
- ASV
- And they said unto him, There came up a man to meet us, and said unto us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus saith Jehovah, Is it because there is no God in Israel, that thou sendest to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from the bed whither thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.
- DARBY
- And they said unto him, A man came up to meet us, and said to us, Go, return to the king that sent you and say to him, Thus saith Jehovah: Is it because there is not a God in Israel, that thou sendest to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from the bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt certainly die.
- BLB
- And they said to him, “A man came up to meet us and said to us, ‘Go, return to the king who sent you⁺, and say to him, thus says YHWH: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore the bed to which you have gone up, you shall not come down from it. For You will surely die.’”
- ÅB
- De svarte: En mann kom oss i møte og sa til oss: Gå tilbake til kongen som har sendt dere, og si til ham: Så sier Herren: Er det fordi det ingen Gud er i Israel, at du sender bud for å spørre Ba'al-Sebub, Ekrons gud? Derfor skal du ikke stige ned fra den seng du er steget opp i; du skal dø.
- OTB
- De svarte, “En mann kom for å møte oss og sa, ‘Gå tilbake til kongen som sendte dere og si til ham, Dette sier Herren: Er det fordi det ikke er noen Gud i Israel at du sender menn for å rådspørre Ba'al-Sebub, guden i Ekron? Derfor skal du ikke forlate sengen du ligger på. Du skal visselig dø.’”
- B1930
- De svarte: En mann kom oss i møte og sa til oss: Gå tilbake til kongen som har sendt eder, og si til ham: Så sier Herren: Er det fordi det ingen Gud er i Israel, at du sender bud for å spørre Ba'al-Sebub, Ekrons gud? Derfor skal du ikke stige ned fra den seng du er steget op i; du skal dø.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Psalms 16:4
Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.
Read in context2 Kings 1:2–4
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, enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease.
Read in contextIsaiah 41:22–23
Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come.
Read in context1 Chronicles 10:13–14
So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it;
Read in context