13
1 Behold,
a man of God
came out of
Judah by the
LORD’s word to
Bethel; and
Jeroboam was
standing by the
altar to burn
incense.
2 He
cried against the
altar by the
LORD’s word, and
said, “Altar!
Altar! The LORD
says: ‘Behold, a
son will be
born to David’s
house, Josiah by
name. On you
he will sacrifice
the priests of
the high places
who burn incense
on you, and
they will burn
men’s bones on
you.’ ”
3 He
gave a sign
the same day,
saying, “This is
the sign which
the LORD has
spoken: Behold,
the altar will
be split apart,
and the ashes
that are on
it will be
poured out.”
4 When
the king heard
the saying of
the man of God,
which he cried
against the altar
in Bethel,
Jeroboam put out
his hand from
the altar, saying,
“Seize him!” His
hand, which he
put out against
him, dried up,
so that he
could not draw
it back again
to himself.
5 The
altar was also
split apart, and
the ashes poured
out from the
altar, according
to the sign
which the man of
God had given
by the LORD’s
word.
6 The
king answered the
man of God, “Now
intercede for the
favor of the
LORD your God,
and pray for
me, that my
hand may be
restored me again.”
The man of
God interceded
with the LORD,
and the king’s
hand was restored
to him again,
and became as
it was before.
7 The
king said to
the man of God,
“Come home with me
and refresh
yourself, and I
will give you
a reward.”
8 The
man of God said
to the king, “Even
if you gave me
half of your
house, I would
not go in
with you, neither
would I eat
bread nor drink
water in this
place;
9 for
so was it
commanded me by
the LORD’s word,
saying, ‘You shall
eat no bread,
drink no water,
and don’t return
by the way
that you came.’ ”
10 So
he went another
way, and didn’t
return by the
way that he
came to Bethel.
11 Now
an old prophet
lived in Bethel,
and one of
his sons came
and told him
all the works
that the man
of God had
done that day
in Bethel. They
also told their
father the words
which he had
spoken to the
king.
12 Their
father said to
them, “Which way
did he go?”
Now his sons
had seen which
way the man
of God went, who
came from Judah.
13 He said
to his sons, “Saddle
the donkey for
me.” So they
saddled the donkey
for him; and
he rode on
it.
14 He
went after the man
of God, and found
him sitting under
an oak. He said to
him, “Are you
the man of God who
came from Judah?”
He said, “I am.”
15 Then he said
to him, “Come home
with me and
eat bread.”
16 He said, “I
may not return
with you, nor
go in with
you. I will
not eat bread
or drink water
with you in
this place.
17 For
it was said
to me by
the LORD’s word,
‘You shall eat
no bread or
drink water there,
and don’t turn
again to go
by the way
that you came.’ ”
18 He
said to him, “I
also am a
prophet as you
are; and an
angel spoke to
me by the
LORD’s word,
saying, ‘Bring him
back with you
into your house,
that he may
eat bread and
drink water.’ ” He
lied to him.
19 So
he went back
with him, ate
bread in his
house, and drank
water.
20 As
they sat at
the table, the
LORD’s word came
to the prophet
who brought him
back;
21 and
he cried out
to the man of
God who came
from Judah, saying,
“The LORD says, ‘Because
you have been
disobedient to the
LORD’s word, and
have not kept
the commandment
which the LORD
your God commanded
you,
22 but
came back, and
have eaten bread
and drank water
in the place
of which he
said to you, “Eat
no bread, and
drink no water,”
your body will
not come to
the tomb of
your fathers.’ ”
23 After
he had eaten bread
and after he
drank, he saddled
the donkey for
the prophet whom
he had brought
back.
24 When
he had gone,
a lion met him
by the way
and killed him.
His body was
thrown on the
path, and the
donkey stood by
it. The lion also
stood by the
body.
25 Behold,
men passed by
and saw the
body thrown on
the path, and
the lion standing
by the body;
and they came
and told it
in the city
where the old
prophet lived.
26 When
the prophet who
brought him back
from the way
heard of it,
he said, “It
is the man
of God who
was disobedient to
the LORD’s word.
Therefore the LORD
has delivered him
to the lion, which
has mauled him and
slain him,
according to the
LORD’s word which
he spoke to
him.”
27 He
said to his
sons, saying, “Saddle
the donkey for
me,” and they
saddled it.
28 He
went and found
his body thrown
on the path,
and the donkey
and the lion
standing by the
body. The lion had
not eaten the body
nor mauled the
donkey.
29 The
prophet took up
the body of
the man of God,
and laid it
on the donkey,
and brought it
back. He came
to the city
of the old
prophet to mourn,
and to bury
him.
30 He
laid his body
in his own grave;
and they mourned
over him, saying, “Alas, my brother!”
31 After
he had buried
him, he spoke to
his sons, saying, “When
I am dead,
bury me in
the tomb in
which the man
of God is buried.
Lay my bones beside
his bones.
32 For
the saying which
he cried by
the LORD’s word
against the altar
in Bethel, and
against all the
houses of the
high places which
are in the
cities of Samaria,
will surely
happen.”
33 After
this thing,
Jeroboam didn’t turn
from his evil
way, but again
made priests of
the high places
from among all
the people. Whoever wanted
to, he consecrated
him, that there
might be priests
of the high
places.
34 This
thing became sin
to the house
of Jeroboam, even
to cut it
off and to
destroy it from
off the surface
of the earth.