So the king sent another captain with his fifty men to Elijah. He took in the situation and announced, ‘Man of God, this is what the king says: “Come down immediately! ” ’
Then Herod, when he realised that he had been outwitted by the wise men, flew into a rage. He gave orders to massacre all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, in keeping with the time he had learned from the wise men.
Lord, don’t your eyes look for faithfulness? You have struck them, but they felt no pain. You finished them off, but they refused to accept discipline. They made their faces harder than rock, and they refused to return.
Lord, your hand is lifted up to take action, but they do not see it. Let them see your zeal for your people and be put to shame. Let fire consume your adversaries.
Then watch: If it goes up the road to its homeland towards Beth-shemesh, it is the Lord who has made this terrible trouble for us. However, if it doesn’t, we will know that it was not his hand that punished us #– #it was only something that happened to us by chance.’
Elijah responded to the captain, ‘If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.’ Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.
Elijah responded, ‘If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.’ So a divine fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.