1 A man of God came from Judah to Bethel by the word of the Lord. Jeroboam was standing by the altar to burn special perfume.

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

2 T he man cried against the altar by the word of the Lord, and said, “O altar, altar, this is what the Lord says. ‘See, a son will be born to the family of David. His name will be Josiah. On you he will burn the religious leaders of the high places who burn special perfume on you. Human bones will 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 H e gave a special thing to be seen the same day. He said, “This is what the Lord says will be seen. ‘See, the altar will be broken in two. And the ashes on it will 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 W hen King Jeroboam heard the words the man of God cried against the altar in Bethel, he put out his hand from the altar, saying, “Take hold of him!” But his hand which he put out against him dried up. So he could not pull 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 was broken in two and the ashes were poured out. It was the special thing to see that happened just as the man of God said it would 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, “I beg you, ask for the favor of the Lord your God. Pray for me, that my hand may be made well again.” So the man of God asked for the Lord’s favor. And the king’s hand was made well again. 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 have something to eat to make yourself strong again. And I will pay you.”

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

8 B ut the man of God said to the king, “I would not go with you if you were to give me half your house. I would not 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 the word of the Lord said to me, ‘You must not eat bread or drink water or return by the way you came.’”

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

10 S o he went another way. He did not return by the way he came to Bethel. The Death of the Man of God

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

11 N ow an old man who spoke for God was living in Bethel. His sons came and told him all the things which the man of God had done that day in Bethel. And they told their father the words which the man had spoken to the king.

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, “Get the donkey ready for me.” So they got the donkey ready for him, and he went away on it.

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

14 H e went after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak tree. 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 A nd he said, “I cannot return with you or go with you. I will not 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 I was told by the word of the Lord, ‘Do not eat bread or drink water there. Do not return by the way you came.’”

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

18 A nd he said to him, “I am a man who speaks for God like you. 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 returned with him, and ate bread in his house, and drank water.

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

20 A s they were sitting down at the table, the word of the Lord came to the man who spoke for God 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, “This is what the Lord says, ‘You have not obeyed the word of the Lord. You have not done what the Lord your God told you to do.

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

22 Y ou have returned and eaten bread and drunk water in the place the Lord said to you, “Eat no bread and drink no water.” So now your body will 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 A nd after he had eaten bread and drunk, he got the donkey ready for the man of God whom he had brought back.

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

24 W hen he had gone, a lion met him on the way and killed him. His body was thrown on the road, with the donkey standing beside it. The lion stood beside the body also.

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

25 T hen 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 the old man who spoke for God 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 W hen the man who spoke for God who had brought him back from the way heard about it, he said, “It is the man of God. He did not obey the word of the Lord. So the Lord has given him to the lion, which has torn him and killed him. It was done as had been spoken to him by the word of the Lord.”

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 said to his sons, “Get the donkey ready for me.” And they got it ready.

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

28 T hen he went and found his body thrown on the road with the donkey and the lion standing beside it. The lion had not eaten the body or 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 man who spoke for God picked up the body of the man of God and laid it on the donkey, and returned with it to the city. He had sorrow for him and buried 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 had sorrow for him, saying, “O, my brother!”

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

31 A fter he had buried him, he said to his sons, “When I die, bury me in the grave where 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 what he cried by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel and against all the houses of the high places in the cities of Samaria will happen for sure.” Jeroboam’s Sinful Way

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

33 A fter this, Jeroboam did not return from his sinful way. Again he made religious leaders of the high places from among all the people. He set apart any of them who were willing to be religious leaders 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 became the sin of the family of Jeroboam, that caused it to be cut off and destroyed from the earth.

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