Y he aquí, un hombre de Dios fue de Judá a Betel por palabra del SEÑOR^a, cuando Jeroboam estaba junto al altar para quemar incienso^b. 2 Y clamó contra el altar por palabra del SEÑOR^a, y dijo: Oh altar, altar, así dice el SEÑOR: «He aquí, a la casa de David le nacerá un hijo, que se llamará Josías; y él sacrificará sobre ti a los sacerdotes de los lugares altos que queman incienso sobre ti, y sobre ti serán quemados huesos humanos^b». 3 Aquel mismo día dio una señal¹, diciendo: Esta es la señal² de que el SEÑOR ha hablado^a: «He aquí, el altar se romperá y las cenizas³ que están sobre él se derramarán». 4 Y aconteció que cuando el rey oyó la palabra que el hombre de Dios había clamado contra el altar de Betel, extendió¹ su mano desde el altar, diciendo: ¡Prendedlo! Pero la mano que extendió contra él se secó, de modo que no podía volverla hacia sí. 5 Y el altar se rompió y las cenizas¹ se derramaron del altar, conforme a la señal² que el hombre de Dios había dado por palabra del SEÑOR. 6 El rey respondió, y dijo al hombre de Dios: Te ruego que supliques al¹ SEÑOR tu Dios, y ores por mí, para que mi mano me sea restaurada^a. El hombre de Dios suplicó al² SEÑOR^b y la mano del rey le fue restaurada, y quedó como antes. 7 Entonces el rey dijo al hombre de Dios: Ven conmigo a casa y refréscate, y te daré una recompensa^a. 8 Pero el hombre de Dios dijo al rey: Aunque me dieras la mitad de tu casa no iría contigo, y no comería pan ni bebería agua en este lugar^a. 9 Porque así se me ordenó por palabra del SEÑOR, que me dijo¹: «No comerás pan, ni beberás agua, ni volverás por el camino que fuiste». 10 Y se fue por otro camino, no regresó por el camino por donde había ido a Betel.

11 Moraba entonces en Betel un anciano profeta; y sus hijos fueron y le contaron^1a todo lo que el hombre de Dios había hecho aquel día en Betel; las palabras que él había hablado al rey, las contaron también a su padre. 12 Y su padre les dijo: ¿Por dónde se fue?¹ Y sus hijos le mostraron² el camino por donde se había ido el hombre de Dios que había venido de Judá. 13 Entonces dijo a sus hijos: Aparejadme el asno. Le aparejaron el asno, se montó sobre él, 14 y fue tras el hombre de Dios; lo halló sentado debajo de una encina¹, y le dijo: ¿Eres tú el hombre de Dios que vino de Judá? Y él respondió: Yo soy. 15 Entonces le dijo: Ven conmigo a casa y come pan. 16 Y él respondió: No puedo volver contigo ni ir contigo; tampoco comeré pan ni beberé agua contigo en este lugar^a. 17 Porque me vino un mandato¹ por palabra del SEÑOR^a: «No comerás pan ni beberás agua allí, ni volverás por el camino que fuiste». 18 Y el otro le respondió: Yo también soy profeta^a como tú, y un ángel^b me habló por palabra del SEÑOR, diciendo: «Tráelo contigo a tu casa, para que coma pan y beba agua». Pero le estaba mintiendo^c. 19 Entonces se volvió con él, comió pan en su casa y bebió agua.

20 Y sucedió que cuando ellos estaban a la mesa, la palabra del SEÑOR vino al profeta que le había hecho volver; 21 y él clamó al hombre de Dios que vino de Judá, diciendo: Así dice el SEÑOR: «Porque has desobedecido el mandato¹ del SEÑOR, y no has guardado el mandamiento que el SEÑOR tu Dios te ha ordenado, 22 sino que has vuelto y has comido pan y bebido agua en el lugar del cual Él te dijo: “No comerás pan ni beberás agua”, tu cadáver no entrará en el sepulcro de tus padres». 23 Y sucedió que después de haber comido pan y de haber bebido agua, aparejó el asno para él, para el profeta que había hecho volver. 24 Y cuandoeste había partido, un león lo encontró en el camino y lo mató^a, y su cadáver quedó tirado en el camino y el asno estaba junto a él; también el león estaba junto al cadáver. 25 Y he aquí, pasaron unos hombres y vieron el cadáver tirado en el camino y el león que estaba junto al cadáver; y fueron y lo dijeron en la ciudad donde vivía el anciano profeta^a.

26 Y cuando el profeta que le había hecho volver del camino lo oyó, dijo: Es el hombre de Dios, que desobedeció el mandato¹ del SEÑOR; por tanto el SEÑOR lo ha entregado al león que lo ha desgarrado y matado, conforme a la palabra que el SEÑOR le había hablado. 27 Entonces habló a sus hijos, diciendo: Aparejadme el asno. Y se lo aparejaron. 28 Fue y halló el cadáver tirado en el camino, y el asno y el león estaban junto al cadáver; el león no había comido el cadáver ni desgarrado el asno. 29 El profeta levantó el cadáver del hombre de Dios, lo puso sobre el asno y lo trajo. Vino a la ciudad del anciano profeta para hacer duelo por él y enterrarlo. 30 Puso el cadáver en su propio sepulcro, e hicieron duelo por él, diciendo: ¡Ay, hermano mío^a! 31 Y sucedió que después de haberlo enterrado, habló a sus hijos, diciendo: Cuando yo muera, enterradme en el sepulcro donde está enterrado el hombre de Dios; poned mis huesos junto a sus huesos^a. 32 Porque ciertamente sucederá lo que él clamó por palabra del SEÑOR contra el altar^a en Betel y contra todas las casas de los lugares altos^b que están en las ciudades de Samaria^c.

33 Después de este hecho Jeroboam no se volvió de su mal camino, sino que volvió a hacer sacerdotes para los lugares altos de entre el¹ pueblo; al que lo deseaba lo investía² para que fuera sacerdote^a de los lugares altos^b. 34 Y¹ esto fue motivo de pecado para la casa de Jeroboam^a, por lo que fue borrada y destruida de sobre la faz de la tierra^b.

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.

Now behold, there came ^aa man of God from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD, while Jeroboam was standing by the altar ^bto burn incense. 2 ^aHe cried against the altar by the word of the LORD, and said, “O altar, altar, thus says the LORD, ‘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 be burned on you.’” 3 Then he gave a ¹sign the same day, saying, “^aThis is the ²sign which the LORD has spoken, ‘Behold, the altar shall be split apart and the ³ashes which are on it shall be poured out.’” 4 Now when the king heard the saying 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 split apart and the ¹ashes were poured out from the altar, according to the ²sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD. 6 The king said to the man of God, “Please ^1aentreat the LORD your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.” So ^bthe man of God ²entreated 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 reward.” 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 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 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 related to their father. 12 Their father said to them, “¹Which way did he go?” Now 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 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 command came to me ^aby the word of the LORD, ‘You shall eat no bread, nor drink water there; do not return by going the way which you came.’” 18 He said to him, “^aI also 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, 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 to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Because you have ¹disobeyed the ²command of the LORD, and have not observed 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, “Eat no bread and drink no water”; your body shall 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 it in the city where ^athe old prophet lived.

26 Now when the prophet who brought him back from the way heard 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, according to 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 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 torn 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 After he had buried him, he spoke 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 shall surely come to pass which he cried 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.”

33 After this event Jeroboam did not return from his evil way, but ^aagain he made priests of the high places from among ¹all the people; ^bany who would, he ordained, to be priests of the high places. 34 ^1aThis 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, 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.