The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Kings 13
1 Behold, a man of God came out ofJudah
by Yahweh’s word to Bethel; and Jeroboam
was standing by the altar to burn incense.
2 He cried against the altar by Yahweh’s
word, and said, “Altar! Altar! Yahweh
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 whichYahwehhas 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 Yahweh’s word.
6 The king answered the man of God,
“Now intercede for the favor of Yahweh
your God, and pray for me, that my hand
may be restored me again.”
The man of God interceded with Yahweh, 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 Yahweh’s word, saying, ‘Youshall eatnobread,
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 Yahweh’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
Yahweh’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 atthe table, Yahweh’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, “Yahweh
says, ‘Because you have been disobedient
to Yahweh’s word, and have not kept the
commandment which Yahweh 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
Yahweh’s word. Therefore Yahweh has delivered him to the lion, which has mauled
him and slain him, according to Yahweh’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 Yahweh’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.