1 N ow behold, there came a man of God from Judah to Bethel by the word of the Lord, while Jeroboam was standing by the altar to burn incense.

وَأمَرَ اللهُ نَبِيّاً مِنْ يَهُوذا أنْ يَذهَبَ إلَى مَدِينَةِ بَيتِ إيلَ. وَكانَ يَرُبْعامُ واقِفاً عِندَ المَذبَحِ يُقَدِّمُ البَخُورَ عِندَما وَصَلَ رَجُلُ اللهِ.

2 H e 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, Josiah 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.’”

وَكانَ اللهُ قَدْ أمَرَهُ أنْ يَتَنَبَّأ ضِدَّ المَذبَحِ. فَقالَ: «يا مَذبَحُ، هَذا هُوَ ما يَقُولُهُ اللهُ لَكَ: ‹سَتُرزَقُ عائِلَةُ داوُدَ بِصَبِيٍّ اسْمُهُ يُوشِيّا. سَيَذبَحُ يُوشِيّا هَذا عَلَيكَ كَهَنَةَ المُرتَفَعاتِ الَّذِينَ يُوقِدُونَ عَلَيكَ. وَسَيَحرِقُ عَلَيكَ عِظامَ النّاسِ الَّذِينَ يَحرِقُونَ البَخُورَ عَلَيكَ. حِينَئِذٍ، لا تَعُودُ تَصلُحُ لِشَيءٍ!›»

3 T hen he gave a sign the same day, saying, “ This is the sign which the Lord has spoken, ‘Behold, the altar shall be split apart and the ashes which are on it shall be poured out.’”

وَأعطَى نَبِيُّ اللهِ عَلامَةً عَلَى أنَّ هَذَهِ النُبُوَّةَ سَتَتَحَقَّقُ. فَقالَ: «هَذِهِ هِيَ العَلامَةُ الَّتِي أخبَرَنِي اللهُ بِها. إذْ قالَ: ‹سَيَنشَقُّ المَذبَحُ، وَسَيَتَطايَرُ الرَّمادُ الَّذِي عَلَيهِ.›»

4 N ow 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.

فَسَمِعَ يَرُبْعامُ الرِّسالَةَ الَّتِي نَقَلَها رَجُلُ اللهِ عَنِ المَذبَحِ فِي بَيتِ إيلَ. فَرَفَعَ يَدَهُ عَنِ المَذبَحِ وَأشارَ إلَى الرَّجُلِ وَقالَ: «القُوا القَبْضَ عَلَى هَذا الرَّجُلِ!» وَإذْ تَفَوَّهَ بِهَذا، شُلَّتْ يَدُهُ. فَلَمْ يَستَطِعْ أنْ يُحَرِّكَها.

5 T he altar also was split apart and the ashes were poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord.

وَانْشَقَّ المَذبَحُ، وَتَطايَرَ الرَّمادُ الَّذِي كانَ عَلَيهِ. كانَتْ هَذِهِ هِيَ العَلامَةُ الَّتِي أعطاها اللهُ لِرَجُلِ اللهِ.

6 T he king said to the man of God, “Please entreat the Lord your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.” So the man of God entreated the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored to him, and it became as it was before.

حِينَئِذٍ، قالَ يَرُبْعامُ لِرَجُلِ اللهِ: «أرجُو أنْ تُصَلِّيَ لإلَهِكَ مِنْ أجلِي، وَاطلُبْ إلَيهِ أنْ يُشفِيَ ذِراعِيَ.» فَتَضَرَّعَ رَجُلُ اللهِ إلى اللهِ ، فَشُفِيَتْ يَدُ المَلِكِ، وَعادَتْ كَما كانَتْ.

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

ثُمَّ قالَ المَلِكُ لِرَجُلِ اللهِ: «تَفَضَّلْ مَعِي إلَى بَيتِي. وَكُلْ مَعِي. وَسَأُعطِيكَ هَدِيَّةً.»

8 B ut the man of God said to the king, “ If 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.

لَكِنَّ رَجُلَ اللهِ قالَ لِلمَلِكِ: «لَنْ أدخُلَ بَيتَكَ مَعَكَ، حَتَّى لَوْ أعطَيتَنِي نِصفَ مَملَكَتِكَ! وَلَنْ آكُلَ أوْ أشرَبَ شَيئاً فِي هَذا المَكانِ.

9 F or so it 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.’”

فَقَدْ أمَرَنِي اللهُ فَقالَ: ‹لا تَأْكُلْ وَلا تَشْرَبْ، وَلا تَرجِعْ فِي الطَّرِيقِ الَّذِي تَذهَبُ فِيهِ.›»

10 S o he went another way and did not return by the way which he came to Bethel. The Disobedient Prophet

فَرَجِعَ مِنْ طَرِيقٍ آخَرَ، وَلَيسَ مِنَ الطَّرِيقِ الَّذِي جاءَ مِنْهُ إلَى بَيتَ إيلَ.

11 N ow an old prophet was living in Bethel; and his sons 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.

وَكانَ يَسكُنُ فِي بَيتَ إيلَ نَبِيٌّ شَيخٌ. فَجاءَ إلَيهِ أولادُهُ وَأخبَرُوهُ بِما فَعَلَهُ رَجُلُ اللهِ فِي بَيتِ إيلَ، وَأعلَمُوهُ أيضاً بِما قالَهُ لِلمَلِكِ يَرُبْعامَ.

12 T heir father said to them, “ Which way did he go?” Now his sons had seen the way which the man of God who came from Judah had gone.

فَسَألَهُمُ النَّبِيُّ الشَّيخُ: «فِبأيِّ طَرِيقٍ سارَ عِندَما انصَرَفَ؟» فَأخبَرَهُ أولادُهُ أيَّ طَرِيقٍ سَلَكَ رَجُلُ اللهِ.

13 T hen he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled the donkey for him and he rode away on it.

فَطَلَبَ النَّبِيُّ الشَّيخُ إلَى أبْنائِهِ أنْ يُسرِجُوا لَهُ حِمارَهُ، فَأسرَجُوهُ لَهُ. فَرَكِبَهُ وَانطَلَقَ.

14 S o he went after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak; and he said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” And he said, “I am.”

فَلَحِقَ النَّبِيُّ الشَّيخُ بِرَجُلِ اللهِ. فَوَجَدَهُ جالِساً تَحتَ شَجَرَةِ بَلُّوطٍ. فَسَألَهُ: «هَلْ أنتَ رَجُلُ اللهِ الَّذِي جاءَ مِنْ يَهُوذا؟» فَأجابَهُ نَبِيُّ اللهِ: «نَعَمْ، أنا هُوَ.»

15 T hen he said to him, “Come home with me and eat bread.”

فَقالَ النَّبِيُّ الشَّيخُ: «تَفَضَّلْ إلَى البَيتِ وَكُلْ مَعِي.»

16 H e said, “ I cannot return with you, nor go with you, nor will I eat bread or drink water with you in this place.

فَأجابَ: «لا أقدِرُ أنْ أرجِعَ مَعَكَ، وَلا أنْ أدخُلَ بَيتَكَ، وَلا أن آكُلَ وَأشْرَبَ مَعَكَ فِي هَذا المَكانِ.

17 F or a command came to me by the word of the Lord, ‘You shall eat no bread, nor drink water there; do not return by going the way which you came.’”

فَقَدْ قالَ اللهُ لِي: ‹لا تَأْكُلْ وَلا تَشْرَبْ شَيئاً فِي هَذا المَكانِ. وَلا تَرجِعْ فِي الطَّرِيقِ الَّذِي تَذهَبُ فِيهِ.›»

18 H e said to him, “ I also am a prophet like you, and an 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 he lied to him.

فَقالَ النَّبِيُّ الشَّيخُ: «وَأنا أيضاً نَبِيٌّ مِثلُكَ.» وَكَذَبَ عَلَيهِ فَقالَ: «ظَهَرَ لِي مَلاكٌ مِنَ اللهِ ، وَأمَرَنِي بِأنْ آتِيَ بِكَ إلَى بَيتِي لِتَأْكُلَ وَتَشْرَبَ مَعِي.»

19 S o he went back with him, and ate bread in his house and drank water.

فَذَهَبَ رَجُلُ اللهِ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ الشَّيخِ إلَى بَيتِهِ، وَأكَلَ وَشَرِبَ مَعَهُ.

20 N ow 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;

وَأثناءَ جُلُوسِهِما عَلَى المائِدَةِ، كَلَّمَ اللهُ النَّبِيَّ الشَّيخَ.

21 a nd he cried to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have disobeyed the command of the Lord, and have not observed the commandment which the Lord your God commanded you,

فَكَلَّمَ النَّبِيُّ الشَّيخُ رَجُلَ اللهِ الَّذِي مِنْ يَهُوذا، فَقالَ: «يَقُولُ اللهُ إنَّكَ لَمْ تُطِعِ كَلِمَةَ اللهِ ، وَلَمْ تَحْفَظْ وَصِيَّتَهُ لَكَ،

22 b ut 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.’”

بَلْ رَجِعْتَ وَأكَلْتَ وَشَرِبْتَ فِي المَكانِ الَّذِي أمَرَكَ بِأنْ لا تَأْكُلَ أوْ تَشرَبَ. لِهَذا لَنْ تُدفَنَ جُثَّتُكَ فِي مَقبَرَةِ عائِلَتِكَ.»

23 I t 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.

وَأنهَى رَجُلُ اللهِ طَعامَهُ وَشَرابَهُ. ثُمَّ أسرَجَ النَّبِيُّ الشَّيخُ حِمارَ النَّبِيِّ الَّذِي مِنْ يَهُوذا، فَرَكِبَهُ وَانْطَلَقَ.

24 N ow when he had gone, a 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.

وَفِي طَرِيقِ عَودَتِهِ، هاجَمَهُ أسَدٌ وَقَتَلَهُ. فَكانَتْ جُثَّةُ النَّبِيِّ مُلقاةً عَلَى الطَّرِيقِ بَينَما كانَ الحِمارُ وَالأسَدُ واقِفَينِ قُرْبَها.

25 A nd 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 the old prophet lived.

فَرَأى بَعضُ المارِّينَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ الطَّرِيقِ الجُثَّةَ وَالأسَدَ إلَى جانِبِها. فَجاءُوا إلَى المَدِينَةِ الَّتِي كانَ يَسكُنُها النَّبِيُّ الشَّيخُ. وَقَصُّوا ما رَأَوْهُ فِي الطَّرِيقِ.

26 N ow when the prophet who brought him back from the way heard it, he said, “It is the man of God, who disobeyed the command 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.”

فَلَمّا سَمِعَ النَّبِيُّ الَّذِي أرجَعَهُ مِنْ طَرِيقِهِ بِما حَدَثَ، قالَ: «ذَلِكَ رَجُلُ اللهِ الَّذِي لَمْ يُطِعْ وَصِيَّةَ اللهِ. فَأرسَلَ اللهُ أسَداً مَزَّقَهُ وَقَتَلَهُ حَسَبَ قَولِ اللهِ.»

27 T hen he spoke to his sons, saying, “Saddle the donkey for me.” And they saddled it.

ثُمَّ قالَ النَّبِيُّ لِأولادِهِ: «أسْرِجُوا حِمارِيَ.» فَأسرَجُوا لَهُ حِمارَهُ.

28 H e 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.

فَذَهَبَ النَّبِيُّ الشَّيخُ فَوَجَدَ الجُثَّةَ مُلقاةً عَلَى الطَّرِيقِ. وَكانَ الحِمارُ وَالأسَدُ ما يَزالانِ واقِفَينِ قُرْبَها. وَلَمْ يَلْتَهِمِ الأسَدُ الجُثَّةَ وَلا آذَى الحِمارَ.

29 S o 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.

فَرَفَعَ النَّبِيُّ الشَّيخُ جُثَّةَ رَجُلِ اللهِ، وَوَضَعَها عَلَى حِمارِهِ وَرَجِعَ بِها إلَى المدينةِ لكي يبكي عَلَى النبي ثُمَّ يَدفِنَ جُثَّتَهُ.

30 H e laid his body in his own grave, and they mourned over him, saying, “ Alas, my brother!”

فَدَفَنَ الجُثَّةَ فِي مِقْبَرَةِ عائِلَتِهِ. وَبَكَى عَلَيهِ: «آهٍ يا أخِي. كَمْ أنا حَزِينٌ عَلَيكَ.»

31 A fter 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; lay my bones beside his bones.

وَبَعدَ أنْ دَفَنَهُ، قالَ لِأولادِهِ: «عِندَما أمُوتُ، ادفِنُونِي فِي هَذا القَبْرِ مَعَ رَجُلِ اللهِ. وَضَعُوا عِظامِي بِجانِبِ عِظامِهِ.

32 F or the thing shall surely come to pass which he cried by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria.”

فَمِنَ المُؤَكَّدِ أنْ يَتَحَقَّقَ ما تَكَلَّمَ بِهِ اللهُ عَلَى لِسانِهِ عَنْ بَيتِ إيلَ وَعَنِ المُرتَفَعاتِ فِي المُدُنِ الأُخرَى مِنَ السّامِرَةِ.»

33 A fter this event Jeroboam did not return from his evil way, but again he made priests of the high places from among all the people; any who would, he ordained, to be priests of the high places.

لَكِنَّ ما حَدَثَ لَمْ يُغَيِّرْ يَرُبْعامَ. فَاسْتَمَرَّ فِي السَّيرِ فِي طَرِيقِ الشَّرِّ. وَاسْتَمَرَّ فِي اختِيارِ كَهَنَةٍ مِنْ عَشائِرَ مُختَلِفَةٍ لِيَخدِمُوا فِي المُرتَفَعاتِ. فَكانَ كُلُّ مَنْ أرادَ يَصِيرُ كاهِناً.

34 T his event became sin to the house of Jeroboam, even to blot it out and destroy it from off the face of the earth.

كانَتْ تِلْكَ خَطِيَّةَ عائِلَةِ يَرُبْعامَ الَّتِي جَلَبَتِ الدَّمارَ عَلَى عائلتِه ومَملَكَتِهِ.