God's New Bible

The First Book of the Kings

World English Bible Catholic :: King James Version

- Chapter 13 -

(2 Kings 23:4–20; 2 Chronicles 34:3–7)
1
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.
2
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.’”
3
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.”
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 the LORD’s word.
6
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.
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 the LORD’s word, saying, ‘You shall eat no bread, 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.

The Old Prophet and the Man of God

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 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.’”
18
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.
19
So he went back with him, ate bread in his house, and drank water.
20
As they sat at the table, the LORD’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, “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,
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 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.”
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 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.”
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.
(2 Kings 23:4–20; 2 Chronicles 34:3–7)
1
And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the Lord unto Beth–el: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.(a)
2
And he cried against the altar in the word of the Lord , and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord ; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men’s bones shall be burnt upon thee.
3
And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the Lord hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.
4
And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Beth–el, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him.
5
The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord .
6
And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of the Lord thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the Lord , and the king’s hand was restored him again, and became as it was before.(b)
7
And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward.
8
And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place:
9
For so was it charged me by the word of the Lord , saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest.
10
So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Beth–el.

The Old Prophet and the Man of God

11
Now there dwelt an old prophet in Beth–el; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Beth–el: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father.
12
And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah.
13
And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon,
14
And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I am.
15
Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread.
16
And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place:
17
For it was said to me by the word of the Lord , Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest.(c)
18
He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord , saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him.
19
So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.
20
And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the Lord came unto the prophet that brought him back:
21
And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the Lord , Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lord , and hast not kept the commandment which the Lord thy God commanded thee,
22
But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the Lord did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.
23
And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back.
24
And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase.
25
And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcase cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcase: and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt.
26
And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the Lord : therefore the Lord hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the Lord , which he spake unto him.(d)
27
And he spake to his sons, saying, Saddle me the ass. And they saddled him.
28
And he went and found his carcase cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the carcase: the lion had not eaten the carcase, nor torn the ass.(e)
29
And the prophet took up the carcase of the man of God, and laid it upon the ass, and brought it back: and the old prophet came to the city, to mourn and to bury him.
30
And he laid his carcase in his own grave; and they mourned over him, saying, Alas, my brother!
31
And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spake to his sons, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the sepulchre wherein the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones:
32
For the saying which he cried by the word of the Lord against the altar in Beth–el, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass.
33
After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places.(f) (g)
34
And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth.

Footnotes

(a)13:1 burn: or, offer
(b)13:6 the Lord, and: Heb. the face of the Lord , etc
(c)13:17 it…: Heb. a word was
(d)13:26 torn: Heb. broken
(e)13:28 torn: Heb. broken
(f)13:33 made…: Heb. returned and made
(g)13:33 consecrated…: Heb. filled his hand