The First Book of the Kings

⭑ Unlocked Literal Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 13 -

(2 Kings 23:4–20; 2 Chronicles 34:3–7)

A man of God came out of Judah by the word of Yahweh to Bethel. Jeroboam was standing by the altar to burn incense.

He cried against the altar by the word of Yahweh: “Altar, altar! This is what Yahweh says, ‘See, a son named Josiah will be born to the family of David, and on you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who now burn incense on you. On you they will burn human bones.’”

Then the man of God gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign that Yahweh has spoken: ‘Look, the altar will be split apart, and the ashes on it will be poured out.’”

When the king heard what the man of God said, that he had cried out against the altar at Bethel, Jeroboam reached out with his hand from the altar, saying, “Seize him.” Then the hand with which he had reached out against the man dried up, so that he could not draw it back to himself.

The altar was also split apart and the ashes poured out from the altar, as described by the sign that the man of God had given by the word of Yahweh.

King Jeroboam answered and said to the man of God, “Plead for the favor of Yahweh your God and pray for me, so that my hand may be restored to me again.” So the man of God prayed to Yahweh, and the king’s hand was restored to him again, and it became as it was before.

The king said to the man of God, “Come home with me and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward.”

The man of God said to the king, “Even if you give me half your possessions, I will not go with you, nor will I eat food or drink water in this place,

because Yahweh commanded me by his word, ‘You will eat no bread nor drink water, nor return by the way that you came.’”

So the man of God left another way and did not return to his home by the way that he had come to Bethel.

The Old Prophet and the Man of God

Now there was an old prophet living in Bethel, and one of his sons came and told him all the things that the man of God had done that day in Bethel. His sons also told him the words that the man of God had spoken to the king.

Their father said to them, “Which way did he go?” Now his sons had seen the way the man of God from Judah had gone.

So he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled the donkey and he rode off on it.

The old prophet went after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak tree; and he said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” He answered, “I am.”

Then the old prophet said to him, “Come home with me and eat food.”

The man of God answered, “I may not return with you nor go in with you, neither will I eat food nor drink water with you in this place,

because it was commanded to me by the word of Yahweh, ‘You will eat no food nor drink water there, nor return by the way that you came.’”

So the old prophet said to him, “I also am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of Yahweh, saying, ‘Bring him back with you into your house, that he may eat food and drink water.’” But he was lying to the man of God.

So the man of God went back with the old prophet and ate food in his house and drank water.

As they sat at the table, the word of Yahweh came to the prophet who had brought him back,

and he cried to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, “Yahweh says, ’Because you have been disobedient to the word of Yahweh and have not kept the command that Yahweh your God gave you,

but came back and have eaten food and drunk water in the place about which Yahweh told you to eat no food and drink no water, your body will not be buried in the tomb of your fathers.’”

After he had eaten food and after he had drunk, the prophet saddled the donkey of the man of God, the man who had come back with him.

When the man of God was gone, a lion met him on the road and killed him, and his body was left on the road. Then the donkey stood by it, and the lion also stood by the body.

When men passed by and saw the body left on the road, and the lion standing by the body, they came and told it in the city where the old prophet lived.

When the prophet who had brought him back from the way heard it, he said, “It is the man of God who disobeyed the word of Yahweh. Therefore, Yahweh gave him to the lion, which tore him to pieces and killed him, just as the word of Yahweh warned him.”

So the old prophet spoke to his sons, saying, “Saddle my donkey,” and they saddled it.

He went and found the body left in the road, and the donkey and the lion standing by the body. The lion had not eaten the body, nor attacked the donkey.

The prophet took up the body of the man of God, laid it on the donkey, and brought it back. He came to his own city to mourn and to bury him.

He laid the body in his own grave, and they mourned over him, saying, “Woe, my brother!”

Then after he had buried him, the old prophet 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.

For the message he declared by the word of Yahweh, against the altar in Bethel and against all the houses on the high places in the cities of Samaria, will certainly happen.”

After this Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way, but continued to appoint common priests for the high places from among all sorts of people. Any who would serve he consecrated as a priest.

This matter became sin to the family of Jeroboam and caused his family to be destroyed and to be exterminated from the face of the earth.

(2 Kings 23:4–20; 2 Chronicles 34:3–7)

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.

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.’”

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.”

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.

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.

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.

The king said to the man of God, “Come home with me and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward.”

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;

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.’”

So he went another way, and didn’t return by the way that he came to Bethel.

The Old Prophet and the Man of God

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.

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.

He said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled the donkey for him; and he rode on it.

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.”

Then he said to him, “Come home with me and eat bread.”

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.

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.’”

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.

So he went back with him, ate bread in his house, and drank water.

As they sat at the table, the LORD’s word came to the prophet who brought him back;

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,

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.’”

After he had eaten bread and after he drank, he saddled the donkey for the prophet whom he had brought back.

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.

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.

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.”

He said to his sons, saying, “Saddle the donkey for me,” and they saddled it.

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.

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.

He laid his body in his own grave; and they mourned over him, saying, “Alas, my brother!”

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.

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.”

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.

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.