TORAH
NEVI'IM
KETUVIM
II - Chapter 1
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1After Achav's death, Moab rebelled against Yisrael.
אוַיִּפְשַׁע מוֹאָב בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אַחֲרֵי מוֹת אַחְאָב׃
2Achazyahu fell through the lattice in his upper chamber at Shomron 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.”
va-yi-POL a-khaz-YAH b'-AD ha-s'-va-KHAH ba-a-li-ya-TO a-SHER b'-sho-m'-RON va-YA-khal va-yish-LAKH mal-a-KHEEM va-YO-mer a-lay-HEM l'-KHU dir-SHU b'-VA-al z'-VUV e-lo-HAY ek-RON im ekh-YEH may-kho-LEE ZEH
בוַיִּפֹּל אֲחַזְיָה בְּעַד הַשְּׂבָכָה בַּעֲלִיָּתוֹ אֲשֶׁר בְּשֹׁמְרוֹן וַיָּחַל וַיִּשְׁלַח מַלְאָכִים וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם לְכוּ דִרְשׁוּ בְּבַעַל זְבוּב אֱלֹהֵי עֶקְרוֹן אִם־אֶחְיֶה מֵחֳלִי זֶה׃
1:2 He sent messengers
In biblical Hebrew, the word malach (מלאך) means ‘messenger.’ There are two kinds of messengers. One is a human messenger, and the other is an angel, a messenger of God. According to Jewish belief, angels do not have independent free will. Rather, they are Hashem’s messengers who are able to fulfill only the specific mission He gives them. When human beings use their free will to do the Lord’s bidding, they can become even greater than angels, as they are choosing on their own to obey God. And when they show their loyalty to Hashem by doing His bidding and improving His world, they become like angels, His messengers to the rest of the world.
3But an angel of Hashem said to Eliyahu the Tishbite, “Go and confront the messengers of the king of Shomron and say to them, ‘Is there no Hashem in Yisrael that you go to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?
גוּמַלְאַךְ יְהֹוָה דִּבֶּר אֶל־אֵלִיָּה הַתִּשְׁבִּי קוּם עֲלֵה לִקְרַאת מַלְאֲכֵי מֶלֶךְ־שֹׁמְרוֹן וְדַבֵּר אֲלֵהֶם הַמִבְּלִי אֵין־אֱלֹהִים בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אַתֶּם הֹלְכִים לִדְרֹשׁ בְּבַעַל זְבוּב אֱלֹהֵי עֶקְרוֹן׃
4Assuredly, thus said Hashem: You shall not rise from the bed you are lying on, but you shall die.'” And Eliyahu went.
דוְלָכֵן כֹּה־אָמַר יְהֹוָה הַמִּטָּה אֲשֶׁר־עָלִיתָ שָּׁם לֹא־תֵרֵד מִמֶּנָּה כִּי מוֹת תָּמוּת וַיֵּלֶךְ אֵלִיָּה׃
5The messengers returned to Achazyahu; and he asked, “Why have you come back?”
הוַיָּשׁוּבוּ הַמַּלְאָכִים אֵלָיו וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם מַה־זֶּה שַׁבְתֶּם׃
6They 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 Hashem: Is there no Hashem in Yisrael 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.'”
ווַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו אִישׁ עָלָה לִקְרָאתֵנוּ וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלֵינוּ לְכוּ שׁוּבוּ אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר־שָׁלַח אֶתְכֶם וְדִבַּרְתֶּם אֵלָיו כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה הַמִבְּלִי אֵין־אֱלֹהִים בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אַתָּה שֹׁלֵחַ לִדְרֹשׁ בְּבַעַל זְבוּב אֱלֹהֵי עֶקְרוֹן לָכֵן הַמִּטָּה אֲשֶׁר־עָלִיתָ שָּׁם לֹא־תֵרֵד מִמֶּנָּה כִּי־מוֹת תָּמוּת׃
7“What sort of man was it,” he asked them, “who came toward you and said these things to you?”
זוַיְדַבֵּר אֲלֵהֶם מֶה מִשְׁפַּט הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר עָלָה לִקְרַאתְכֶם וַיְדַבֵּר אֲלֵיכֶם אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה׃
8“A hairy man,” they replied, “with a leather belt tied around his waist.” “That's Eliyahu the Tishbite!” he said.
חוַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו אִישׁ בַּעַל שֵׂעָר וְאֵזוֹר עוֹר אָזוּר בְּמָתְנָיו וַיֹּאמַר אֵלִיָּה הַתִּשְׁבִּי הוּא׃
9Then 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 Hashem,” he said to him, “by order of the king, come down!”
טוַיִּשְׁלַח אֵלָיו שַׂר־חֲמִשִּׁים וַחֲמִשָּׁיו וַיַּעַל אֵלָיו וְהִנֵּה יֹשֵׁב עַל־רֹאשׁ הָהָר וַיְדַבֵּר אֵלָיו אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים הַמֶּלֶךְ דִּבֶּר רֵדָה׃
10Eliyahu replied to the captain of the fifty, “If I am a man of Hashem, 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.
יוַיַּעֲנֶה אֵלִיָּהוּ וַיְדַבֵּר אֶל־שַׂר הַחֲמִשִּׁים וְאִם־אִישׁ אֱלֹהִים אָנִי תֵּרֶד אֵשׁ מִן־הַשָּׁמַיִם וְתֹאכַל אֹתְךָ וְאֶת־חֲמִשֶּׁיךָ וַתֵּרֶד אֵשׁ מִן־הַשָּׁמַיִם וַתֹּאכַל אֹתוֹ וְאֶת־חֲמִשָּׁיו׃
11The king then sent to him another captain with his fifty men; and he addressed him as follows: “Man of Hashem, by order of the king, come down at once!”
יאוַיָּשָׁב וַיִּשְׁלַח אֵלָיו שַׂר־חֲמִשִּׁים אַחֵר וַחֲמִשָּׁיו וַיַּעַן וַיְדַבֵּר אֵלָיו אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים כֹּה־אָמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ מְהֵרָה רֵדָה׃
12But Eliyahu answered him, “If I am a man of Hashem, let fire come down from heaven and consume you with your fifty men!” And fire of Hashem came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.
יבוַיַּעַן אֵלִיָּה וַיְדַבֵּר אֲלֵיהֶם אִם־אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים אָנִי תֵּרֶד אֵשׁ מִן־הַשָּׁמַיִם וְתֹאכַל אֹתְךָ וְאֶת־חֲמִשֶּׁיךָ וַתֵּרֶד אֵשׁ־אֱלֹהִים מִן־הַשָּׁמַיִם וַתֹּאכַל אֹתוֹ וְאֶת־חֲמִשָּׁיו׃
13Then he sent a third captain of fifty with his fifty men. The third captain of fifty climbed to the top, knelt before Eliyahu, and implored him, saying, “Oh, man of Hashem, please have regard for my life and the lives of these fifty servants of yours!
יגוַיָּשָׁב וַיִּשְׁלַח שַׂר־חֲמִשִּׁים שְׁלִשִׁים וַחֲמִשָּׁיו וַיַּעַל וַיָּבֹא שַׂר־הַחֲמִשִּׁים הַשְּׁלִישִׁי וַיִּכְרַע עַל־בִּרְכָּיו לְנֶגֶד אֵלִיָּהוּ וַיִּתְחַנֵּן אֵלָיו וַיְדַבֵּר אֵלָיו אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים תִּיקַר־נָא נַפְשִׁי וְנֶפֶשׁ עֲבָדֶיךָ אֵלֶּה חֲמִשִּׁים בְּעֵינֶיךָ׃
14Already fire has come from heaven and consumed the first two captains of fifty and their men; I beg you, have regard for my life!”
ידהִנֵּה יָרְדָה אֵשׁ מִן־הַשָּׁמַיִם וַתֹּאכַל אֶת־שְׁנֵי שָׂרֵי הַחֲמִשִּׁים הָרִאשֹׁנִים וְאֶת־חֲמִשֵּׁיהֶם וְעַתָּה תִּיקַר נַפְשִׁי בְּעֵינֶיךָ׃
15Then the angel of Hashem said to Eliyahu, “Go down with him, do not be afraid of him.” So he rose and went down with him to the king.
טווַיְדַבֵּר מַלְאַךְ יְהֹוָה אֶל־אֵלִיָּהוּ רֵד אוֹתוֹ אַל־תִּירָא מִפָּנָיו וַיָּקָם וַיֵּרֶד אוֹתוֹ אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ׃
16He said to him, “Because you sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron—as if there were no Hashem in Yisrael whose word you could seek—assuredly, you shall not rise from the bed which you are lying on; but you shall die.”
טזוַיְדַבֵּר אֵלָיו כֹּה־אָמַר יְהֹוָה יַעַן אֲשֶׁר־שָׁלַחְתָּ מַלְאָכִים לִדְרֹשׁ בְּבַעַל זְבוּב אֱלֹהֵי עֶקְרוֹן הַמִבְּלִי אֵין־אֱלֹהִים בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לִדְרֹשׁ בִּדְבָרוֹ לָכֵן הַמִּטָּה אֲשֶׁר־עָלִיתָ שָּׁם לֹא־תֵרֵד מִמֶּנָּה כִּי־מוֹת תָּמוּת׃
17And [Achazyahu] died, according to the word of Hashem that Eliyahu had spoken. Yehoram succeeded him as king, in the second year of King Yehoram son of Yehoshafat of Yehuda, for he had no son.
יזוַיָּמָת כִּדְבַר יְהֹוָה אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר אֵלִיָּהוּ וַיִּמְלֹךְ יְהוֹרָם תַּחְתָּיו בִּשְׁנַת שְׁתַּיִם לִיהוֹרָם בֶּן־יְהוֹשָׁפָט מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה כִּי לֹא־הָיָה לוֹ בֵּן׃
18The other events of Achazyahu's reign [and] his actions are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Yisrael.
יחוְיֶתֶר דִּבְרֵי אֲחַזְיָהוּ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה הֲלוֹא־הֵמָּה כְתוּבִים עַל־סֵפֶר דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים לְמַלְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃