Now behold, there came ^aa man of God from Judah to Bethel by the word (command) of the LORD, while Jeroboam was standing by the altar which he had built ^bto burn incense. 2 ^aThe man cried out against the idolatrous altar by the word of the LORD, “O altar, altar, thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, ^1bJosiah by name; and on you shall he sacrifice the bodies of the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.’” 3 And he gave a sign the same day, saying, “^aThis is the sign which the LORD has spoken: ‘Behold, the altar shall be split apart and the ashes that are on it shall be poured out.’” 2+@Kin 23:15, 16 4 When the king heard the words which the man of God cried out against the altar in Bethel, Jeroboam put out his hand from the altar, saying, “Seize him!” And his hand which he had put out against him withered, so that he was unable to pull it back to himself. 5 The altar also was split apart and the ashes were poured out from the altar in accordance with the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD. 6 The king answered and said to the man of God, “^aPlease entreat the favor of the LORD your God and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.” So ^bthe man of God entreated the LORD, and the king’s hand was restored to him and became as it was before. 7 And the king said to the man of God, “Come home with me and refresh yourself, and ^aI will give you a reward.” 8 But the man of God said to the king, “^aEven if you were to give me half your house (wealth) , I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water in this place. 9 For I was commanded by the word of the LORD, ‘You shall not eat bread or drink water, nor shall you return by the way you came.’” 10 So he went another way and did not return by the way that he came to Bethel.

11 Now there was ^aan old prophet living in Bethel; and his sons came and told him everything 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 asked them, “Which way did he go?” For his sons had seen which way the man of God who came from Judah had gone. 13 He said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled the donkey for him and he rode away on it, 14 and he went after the man of God. And he found him sitting under an oak (terebinth) tree, and he said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” And he said, “I am.” 15 Then he said to him, “Come home with me and eat bread.” 16 He said, “^aI cannot return with you nor go in with you, nor will I eat bread or drink water with you in this place. 17 For I was told ^aby the word of the LORD, ‘You shall not eat bread nor drink water there, nor shall you return by going the way that you came.’” 18 He answered him, “^aI too am a prophet, as you are; and ^ban angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, so that he may eat bread and drink water.’” But ^che lied to him. 19 So the man of God went back with him, and ate bread in his house and drank water.

20 Now it happened as they were sitting at the table, that the word of the LORD came to the prophet who had brought him back. 21 And he cried out to the man of God who had come from Judah, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Because you have disobeyed the word of the LORD and have not kept the commandment which the LORD your God commanded you, 22 but have come back and have eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which the LORD said to you, “You shall not eat bread nor drink water”; your body shall not come to the tomb of your fathers (ancestors) .’” 23 After the prophet of the house had eaten bread and after he had drunk, he saddled the donkey for the prophet whom he had brought back. 24 Now when he had gone, ^aa lion met him by the road and killed him, and his body was thrown in the road, with the donkey standing beside it; the lion was also standing beside the body. 25 And there were men passing by, and they saw the body thrown in the road, and the lion standing beside the body. So they came and told about it in the city of Bethel where ^athe old prophet lived.

26 When the prophet who had brought him back from the road heard about it, he said, “It is the man of God who was disobedient to the word of the LORD; therefore the LORD has given him to the lion, which has torn him and killed him, in accordance with the word of the LORD which He spoke to him.” 27 And he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” And they saddled it. 28 And he went and found the body thrown on the road, and the donkey and the lion standing beside the body; the lion miraculously had not eaten the body or attacked the donkey. 29 Then the prophet picked up the body of the man of God and laid it on the donkey and brought it back, and he came into the city (Bethel) of the old prophet to mourn and to bury him. 30 And he laid the body in his own grave, and they mourned over him, saying, “^aAlas, my brother!” 31 Then after he had buried him, he said to his sons, “When I am dead, bury me in the grave in which the man of God is buried; ^alay my bones beside his bones. 32 ^aFor the words which he cried out by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel and ^bagainst all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of ^cSamaria shall certainly come to pass.”

33 After this event, Jeroboam still did not turn from his evil way, but again ^amade priests for the high places from among all the people. ^bHe ordained anyone who was willing, so that there would be priests for the high places. 34 And ^athis thing (idol worship) became the sin of the house of Jeroboam ^bto blot it out and eliminate it from the face of the earth.

Now behold, there came ^aa man of God from Judah to Bethel by the word of Yahweh, while Jeroboam was standing by the altar ^bto burn incense. 2 ^aAnd he cried against the altar by the word of Yahweh, and said, “O altar, altar, thus says Yahweh, ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, ^bJosiah is his name; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.’” 3 Then he gave a miraculous sign the same day, saying, “^aThis is the miraculous sign which Yahweh has spoken, ‘Behold, the altar shall be torn apart and the ¹ashes which are on it shall be poured out.’” 4 Now it happened that when the king heard the word of the man of God, which he cried against the altar in Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, “Seize him.” But his hand which he stretched out against him dried up, so that he could not draw it back to himself. 5 The altar also was torn apart and the ¹ashes were poured out from the altar, according to the miraculous sign which the man of God had given by the word of Yahweh. 6 Then the king answered and said to the man of God, “Please ^1aentreat Yahweh your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.” So ^bthe man of God ²entreated Yahweh, and the king’s hand was restored to him, and it became as it was before. 7 Then the king said to the man of God, “Come home with me and refresh yourself, and ^aI will give you a gift.” 8 But the man of God said to the king, “^aIf you were to give me half your house, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water in this place. 9 For so ¹it was commanded me by the word of Yahweh, saying, ‘You shall eat no bread, nor drink water, nor return by the way which you came.’” 10 So he went another way and did not return by the way which he came to Bethel.

11 Now ^aan old prophet was living in Bethel; and his ¹sons came and recounted to him all the work which the man of God had done that day in Bethel; the words which he had spoken to the king, these also they recounted to their father. 12 And their father said to them, “¹Which way did he go?” And his sons ²had seen the way which the man of God who came from Judah had gone. 13 Then he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled the donkey for him and he rode away on it. 14 So he went after the man of God and found him sitting under ¹an oak; and he said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” And he said, “I am.” 15 Then he said to him, “Come home with me and eat bread.” 16 And he said, “^aI cannot return with you, nor go with you, nor will I eat bread or drink water with you in this place. 17 For a word came to me ^aby the word of Yahweh, ‘You shall eat no bread, nor drink water there; do not return by going the way which you came.’” 18 And he said to him, “^aI also am a prophet like you, and ^ban angel spoke to me by the word of Yahweh, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.’” But ^che dealt falsely with him. 19 So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house and drank water.

20 Now it happened as they were sitting down at the table, that the word of Yahweh came to the prophet who had brought him back; 21 and he called out to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘Because you have rebelled against the ¹word of Yahweh, and have not kept the commandment which Yahweh your God commanded you, 22 but have returned and eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which He said to you, “Eat no bread and drink no water”; your body shall not come to the grave of your fathers.’” 23 Now it happened after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled the donkey for him, for the prophet whom he had brought back. 24 Then he went and on the way ^aa lion met him and put him to death, and his body was thrown on the road, with the donkey standing beside it; the lion also was standing beside the body. 25 And behold, men passed by and saw the body thrown on the road, and the lion standing beside the body; so they came and spoke about it in the city where ^athe old prophet lived.

26 Then the prophet, who brought him back from the way, heard it and said, “It is the man of God, who rebelled against the ¹command of Yahweh; therefore Yahweh has given him to the lion, which has mauled him and put him to death, according to the word of Yahweh which He spoke to him.” 27 Then he spoke to his sons, saying, “Saddle the donkey for me.” And they saddled it. 28 And he went and found his body thrown on the road with the donkey and the lion standing beside the body; the lion had not eaten the body nor mauled the donkey. 29 So the prophet took up the body of the man of God and laid it on the donkey and brought it back, and 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, “^aAlas, my brother!” 31 Now it happened after he had buried him, that he spoke to his sons, saying, “When I die, you shall bury me in the grave in which the man of God is buried; ^alay my bones beside his bones. 32 ^aFor the word shall surely happen which he cried by the word of Yahweh against the altar in Bethel and ^bagainst all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of ^cSamaria.”

33 After this event Jeroboam did not return from his evil way, but ^ahe returned and made priests of the high places from among ¹all the people; ^bany who delighted to be so, he ordained. So ²they became priests of the high places. 34 ^1aAnd this event became sin to the house of Jeroboam, ^beven to blot it out and destroy it from off the face of the earth.

Now behold, ^aa man of God came from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD, while Jeroboam was standing at the altar ^bto burn incense. 2 And ^ahe cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD and said, “Altar, altar, this is what the LORD says: ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, ^bJosiah by name; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and human bones shall burn on you.’” 3 Then he gave a ¹sign on the same day, saying, “^aThis is the ²sign which the LORD has spoken: ‘Behold, the altar shall be torn to pieces and the ³ashes which are on it shall be poured out.’” 4 Now when the king heard the statement of the man of God which he cried out against the altar in Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, “Seize him!” But his hand which he had stretched out toward him dried up, and he could not draw it back to himself. 5 The altar also was torn to pieces and the ¹ashes were poured out from the altar, in accordance with the ²sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD. 6 And the king responded and said to the man of God, “Please ^1aappease the LORD your God and pray for me, so that my hand may be restored to me.” So ^bthe man of God ²appeased the LORD, and the king’s hand was restored to him, and it became as it was before. 7 Then the king said to the man of God, “Come home with me and refresh yourself, and ^aI will give you a gift.” 8 But the man of God said to the king, “^aIf you were to give me half your house, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water in this place. 9 For so ¹it was commanded me by the word of the LORD, saying, ‘You shall not eat bread nor drink water, nor return by the way that you came.’” 10 So he went another way and did not return by the way that he had come to Bethel.

11 Now ^aan old prophet was living in Bethel; and his ¹sons came and told him all the deeds which the man of God had done that day in Bethel; the words which he had spoken to the king, these also they reported to their father. 12 And their father said to them, “¹Which way did he go?” Now his sons ²had seen the way that the man of God who came from Judah had gone. 13 Then he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled the donkey for him and he rode away on it. 14 So he went after the man of God and found him sitting under ¹an oak; and he said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” And he said, “I am.” 15 Then he said to him, “Come home with me and eat bread.” 16 But he said, “^aI cannot return with you, nor come with you, nor will I eat bread or drink water with you in this place. 17 For a ¹command came to me ^aby the word of the LORD: ‘You shall not eat bread, nor drink water there; do not return by going the way that you came.’” 18 Then he said to him, “^aI too am a prophet like you, and ^ban angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, so that he may eat bread and drink water.’” But ^che lied to him. 19 So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house and drank water.

20 Now it came about, as they were sitting down at the table, that the word of the LORD came to the prophet who had brought him back; 21 and he cried out to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because you have ¹disobeyed the ²command of the LORD, and have not kept the commandment which the LORD your God commanded you, 22 but have returned and eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which He said to you, “You are not to eat bread nor drink water”; your dead body will not come to the grave of your fathers.’” 23 It came about after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled the donkey for him, for the prophet whom he had brought back. 24 Now when he had gone, ^aa lion met him on the way and killed him, and his body was thrown on the road, with the donkey standing beside it; the lion also was standing beside the body. 25 And behold, men passed by and saw the body thrown on the road, and the lion standing beside the body; so they came and told about it in the city where ^athe old prophet had lived.

26 Now when the prophet who had brought him back from the way heard about it, he said, “It is the man of God, who ¹disobeyed the ²command of the LORD; therefore the LORD has given him to the lion, which has torn him and killed him, in accordance with the word of the LORD which He spoke to him.” 27 Then he spoke to his sons, saying, “Saddle the donkey for me.” And they saddled it. 28 Then he went and found his body thrown on the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside the body; the lion had not eaten the body nor ¹harmed the donkey. 29 So the prophet picked up the body of the man of God and laid it on the donkey and brought it back; and 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, “^aOh, my brother!” 31 And after he had buried him, he talked to his sons, saying, “When I die, bury me in the grave in which the man of God is buried; ^alay my bones beside his bones. 32 ^aFor the thing will certainly come to pass which he cried out by the word of the LORD against the altar that is in Bethel, and ^bagainst all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of ^cSamaria.”

33 After this event, Jeroboam did not ¹abandon his evil way, but he ^aagain ²appointed priests of the high places from ³all the people; ^banyone who wanted, he ordained, and he became ⁴one of the priests of the high places. 34 ^1aThis event also became a sin of the house of Jeroboam, ^beven to wipe it out and eliminate it from the face of the earth.