Jeroboam's hand, that offered violence to him that prophesied against his altar at Beth-el, withereth,

1 ¶ And, behold,² there cameºª a manº of Godº out of Judahº² by the wordº of the LORDº unto² Bethel:º and Jeroboamº stoodºª by² the altarº to burn incense.ºª 2 And he criedºª against² the altarº in the wordº of the LORD,º and said,ºª O altar,º altar,º thus² saithºª the LORD;º Behold,² a childº shall be bornºª unto the houseº of David,º Josiahº by name;º and upon² thee shall he offerºª² the priestsº of the high placesº that burn incenseºª upon² thee, and men'sº bonesº shall be burntºª upon² thee. 3 And he gaveºª a signº the same² day,º saying,ºª This² [is] the signº which² the LORDº hath spoken;ºª Behold,² the altarº shall be rent,ºª and the ashesº that² [are] upon² it shall be poured out.ºª 4 And it came to pass,² when kingº Jeroboamº heardºª² the sayingº of the manº of God,º which² had criedºª against² the altarº in Bethel,º that he put forthºª² his handº from²² the altar,º saying,ºª Lay holdºª on him. And his hand,º which² he put forthºª against² him, dried up,ºª so that he couldºª not² pull it in againºª to² him. 5 The altarº also was rent,ºª and the ashesº poured outºª from² the altar,º according to the signº which² the manº of Godº had givenºª by the wordº of the LORD.º

and at the prayer of the prophet is restored.

6 And the kingº answeredºª and saidºª unto² the manº of God,º Intreatºª now²² the faceº of the LORDº thy God,º and prayºª for² me, that my handº may be restored me again.ºª² And the manº of Godº besoughtºª¹² the LORD,º² and the king'sº handº was restored him again,ºª² and became² as [it was] before.º

The prophet, refusing the king's entertainment, departeth from Beth-el.

7 And the kingº saidºª unto² the manº of God,º Comeºª homeº with² me, and refreshºª thyself, and I will giveºª thee a reward.º 8 And the manº of Godº saidºª unto² the king,º If² thou wilt giveºª me² halfº thine house,º I will not² go inºª with² thee, neither² will I eatºª breadº nor² drinkºª waterº in this² place:º 9 For² so² was it chargedºª me by the wordº of the LORD,º saying,ºª Eatºª no² bread,º nor² drinkºª water,º nor² turn againºª by the same wayº that² thou camest.ºª 10 So he went¹ª² anotherº way,º and returnedºª not² by the wayº that² he cameºª to² Bethel.º

An old prophet, seducing him, bringeth him back.

11 ¶ Now there dweltºª an¹ oldº² prophetº in Bethel;º and his sonsº cameºª and toldºª him² all² the worksº that² the manº of Godº had doneºª that dayº in Bethel:º² the wordsº which² he had spokenºª unto² the king,º them they toldºª also to their father.º 12 And their fatherº saidºª unto² them, What²² wayº wentºª he? For his sonsº had seenºª² what¹² wayº the manº of Godº went,ºª which² cameºª from Judah.º² 13 And he saidºª unto² his sons,º Saddleºª me the ass.º So they saddledºª him the ass:º and he rodeºª thereon,² 14 And went¹ª² afterº the manº of God,º and foundºª him sittingºª under² an oak:º and he saidºª unto² him, [Art] thou² the manº of Godº that² camestºª from² Judah?º And he said,ºª I² [am]. 15 Then he saidºª unto² him, Come¹ª² homeº with² me, and eatºª bread.º 16 And he said,ºª I mayºª not² returnºª with² thee, nor go inºª with² thee: neither² will I eatºª breadº nor² drinkºª waterº with² thee in this² place:º 17 For² it was saidº to² me by the wordº of the LORD,º Thou shalt eatºª no² breadº nor² drinkºª waterº there,² nor² turn againºª to go¹ª² by the wayº that² thou camest.ºª 18 He saidºª unto him, I² [am] a prophetº also² as thou [art]; and an angelº spakeºª unto² me by the wordº of the LORD,º saying,ºª Bring him backºª with² thee into² thine house,º that he may eatºª breadº and drinkºª water.º [But] he liedºª unto him. 19 So he went backºª with² him, and did eatºª breadº in his house,º and drankºª water.º

He is reproved by God,

20 ¶ And it came to pass,² as they² satºª at² the table,º that the wordº of the LORDº came² unto² the prophetº that² brought him back:ºª 21 And he criedºª unto² the manº of Godº that² cameºª from² Judah,º saying,ºª Thus² saithºª the LORD,º Forasmuch²² as¹ thou hast disobeyedºª the mouthº of the LORD,º and hast not² keptºª² the commandmentº which² the LORDº thy Godº commandedºª thee, 22 But camest back,ºª and hast eatenºª breadº and drunkºª waterº in the place,º of the which² [the LORD] did sayºª to² thee, Eatºª no² bread,º and drinkºª no² water;º thy carcaseº shall not² comeºª unto² the sepulchreº of thy fathers.º

23 ¶ And it came to pass,² afterº he had eatenºª bread,º and afterº he had drunk,ºª that he saddledºª for him the ass,º [to wit], for the prophetº whom² he had brought back.ºª

slain by a lion,

24 And when he was gone,¹ª² a lionº metºª him by the way,º and slewºª him: and his carcaseº was² castºª in the way,º and the assº stoodºª byº it, the lionº also stoodºª by² the carcase.º 25 And, behold,² men¹² passed by,ºª and sawºª² the carcaseº castºª in the way,º and the lionº standingºª byº the carcase:º and they cameºª and toldºª [it] in the cityº where² the oldº prophetº dwelt.ºª

buried by the old prophet,

26 And when the prophetº that² brought him backºª from² the wayº heardºª [thereof], he said,ºª It² [is] the manº of God,º who² was disobedientºª unto² the wordº of the LORD:º therefore the LORDº hath deliveredºª him unto the lion,º which hath tornºª him, and slainºª him, according to the wordº of the LORD,º which² he spakeºª unto him. 27 And he spakeºª to² his sons,º saying,ºª Saddleºª me² the ass.º And they saddledºª [him]. 28 And he went¹ª² and foundºª² his carcaseº castºª in the way,º and the assº and the lionº standingºª byº the carcase:º the lionº had not² eatenºª² the carcase,º nor² tornºª² the ass.º 29 And the prophetº took upºª² the carcaseº of the manº of God,º and laid¹ª² it upon² the ass,º and brought it back:ºª and the oldº prophetº cameºª to² the city,º to mournºª and to buryºª him. 30 And he laid¹ª²² his carcaseº in his own grave;º and they mournedºª over² him, [saying], Alas,º my brother!º

who confirmeth his prophecy.

31 And it came to pass,² afterº he had buriedºª him, that he spakeºª to² his sons,º saying,ºª When I am dead,ºª then buryºª me in the sepulchreº wherein² the manº of Godº [is] buried;ºª lay¹ª²² my bonesº besideº his bones:º 32 For² the sayingº which² he criedºª by the wordº of the LORDº against² the altarº in Bethel,º and against² all² the housesº of the high placesº which² [are] in the citiesº of Samaria,º shall surely come to pass.º

Jeroboam's obstinacy.

33 ¶ Afterº this² thingº Jeroboamº returnedºª not² from his evil¹ way,º²² but madeºª againºª of the lowestº² of the peopleº priestsº of the high places:º whosoever would,º he consecratedººª² him, and he became² [one] of the priestsº of the high places.º 34 And this² thingº became² sinº unto the houseº of Jeroboam,º even to cut [it] off,ºª and to destroyºª [it] from off²² the faceº of the earth.º