1 B ehold, a man of God came out of Judah by Yahweh’s word to Beth El; and Jeroboam was standing by the altar to burn incense.

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.

2 H e 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.’”

The 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.’”

3 H e gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign which Yahweh has spoken: Behold, the altar will be split apart, and the ashes that are on it will be poured out.”

He 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.’”

4 W hen 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.

When 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.

5 T he 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.

The 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.

6 T he 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.

The 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.

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

Then 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.”

8 T he 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;

But 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.

9 f or so was it commanded me by Yahweh’s word, saying, ‘You shall eat no bread, drink no water, and don’t return by the way that you came.’”

For the word of the Lord said to me, ‘You must not eat bread or drink water or return by the way you came.’”

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

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

11 N ow 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.

Now 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.

12 T heir 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.

Their 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.

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

Then 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.

14 H e 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.”

He 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.”

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

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

16 H e 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.

And he said, “I cannot return with you or go with you. I will not eat bread or drink water with you in this place.

17 F or 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.’”

For 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.’”

18 H e 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.

And 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.

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

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

20 A s they sat at the table, Yahweh’s word came to the prophet who brought him back;

As 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.

21 a nd he cried out to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, “Yahweh says, ‘Because you have been disobedient to Yahweh’s mouth, and have not kept the commandment which Yahweh your God commanded you,

And 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.

22 b ut 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.’”

You 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.’”

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

And after he had eaten bread and drunk, he got the donkey ready for the man of God whom he had brought back.

24 W hen 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.

When 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.

25 B ehold, 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.

Then 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.

26 W hen 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 mouth. 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.”

When 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.”

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

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

28 H e 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.

Then 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.

29 T he 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.

So 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.

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

He laid his body in his own grave, and they had sorrow for him, saying, “O, my brother!”

31 A fter 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.

After 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.

32 F or 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.”

For 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

33 A fter this thing Jeroboam didn’t return 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.

After 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.

34 T his thing became sin to the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the surface of the earth.

This became the sin of the family of Jeroboam, that caused it to be cut off and destroyed from the earth.