The kingdom

The Man of God from Judah and King Jeroboam

A man of God from Judah came to Bethel and prophesied that a son named Josiah would be born in the house of David, who would sacrifice the priests of the high places on the altar. King Jeroboam reached out his hand to seize him, but his hand withered, and the altar split as a sign. After the man of God prayed for the king and his hand was healed, he refused to eat or drink in Bethel and returned home by another route.

1 Kings 13,1-10

1Now a man of God came from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD, while Jeroboam was standing at the altar to burn incense.
וְהִנֵּ֣ה ׀ אִ֣ישׁ אֱלֹהִ֗ים בָּ֧א מִיהוּדָ֛ה בִּדְבַ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־בֵּֽית־אֵ֑ל וְיָרָבְעָ֛ם עֹמֵ֥ד עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ לְהַקְטִֽיר׃ ‬
2He cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD: "Altar, altar, this is what the LORD says: A son will be born to the house of David; Josiah will be his name. He will sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and human bones will be burned on you."
וַיִּקְרָ֤א עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ בִּדְבַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ מִזְבֵּ֣חַ מִזְבֵּ֔חַ כֹּ֖ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֑ה הִנֵּֽה־בֵ֞ן נוֹלָ֤ד לְבֵית־דָּוִד֙ יֹאשִׁיָּ֣הוּ שְׁמ֔וֹ וְזָבַ֣ח עָלֶ֗יךָ אֶת־כֹּהֲנֵ֤י הַבָּמוֹת֙ הַמַּקְטִרִ֣ים עָלֶ֔יךָ וְעַצְמ֥וֹת אָדָ֖ם יִשְׂרְפ֥וּ עָלֶֽיךָ׃ ‬
3That same day he gave a sign: "This is the sign that the LORD has spoken: the altar will be split apart, and the ashes on it will spill out."
וְנָתַן֩ בַּיּ֨וֹם הַה֤וּא מוֹפֵת֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר זֶ֣ה הַמּוֹפֵ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֖ר דִּבֶּ֣ר יְהוָ֑ה הִנֵּ֤ה הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ נִקְרָ֔ע וְנִשְׁפַּ֖ךְ הַדֶּ֥שֶׁן אֲשֶׁר־עָלָֽיו׃ ‬
4When the king heard the word that the man of God had cried out against the altar at Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar and said, "Seize him!" But the hand he had stretched out against him withered, and he could not draw it back.
וַיְהִי֩ כִשְׁמֹ֨עַ הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ אֶת־דְּבַ֣ר אִישׁ־הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר קָרָ֤א עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ בְּבֵֽית־אֵ֔ל וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח יָרָבְעָ֧ם אֶת־יָד֛וֹ מֵעַ֥ל הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ לֵאמֹ֣ר ׀ תִּפְשֻׂ֑הוּ וַתִּיבַ֤שׁ יָדוֹ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר שָׁלַ֣ח עָלָ֔יו וְלֹ֥א יָכֹ֖ל לַהֲשִׁיבָ֥הּ אֵלָֽיו׃ ‬
5The altar also split apart, and the ashes spilled out from it, according to the sign the man of God had given by the word of the LORD.
וְהַמִּזְבֵּ֣חַ נִקְרָ֔ע וַיִּשָּׁפֵ֥ךְ הַדֶּ֖שֶׁן מִן־הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ כַּמּוֹפֵ֗ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֛ן אִ֥ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים בִּדְבַ֥ר יְהוָֽה׃ ‬
6Then the king said to the man of God, "Please plead with the LORD your God and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me." So the man of God pleaded with the LORD, and the king's hand was restored to him and became as it was before.
וַיַּ֨עַן הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ׀ אֶל־אִ֣ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים חַל־נָ֞א אֶת־פְּנֵ֨י יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ וְהִתְפַּלֵּ֣ל בַּעֲדִ֔י וְתָשֹׁ֥ב יָדִ֖י אֵלָ֑י וַיְחַ֤ל אִישׁ־הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־פְּנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וַתָּ֤שָׁב יַד־הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ אֵלָ֔יו וַתְּהִ֖י כְּבָרִֽאשֹׁנָֽה׃ ‬
7The king said to the man of God, "Come home with me and have something to eat, and I will give you a gift."
וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ אֶל־אִ֣ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים בֹּאָה־אִתִּ֥י הַבַּ֖יְתָה וּֽסְעָ֑דָה וְאֶתְּנָ֥ה לְךָ֖ מַתָּֽת׃ ‬
8But the man of God said to the king, "Even if you gave me half your house, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water in this place.
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אִישׁ־הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אִם־תִּתֶּן־לִי֙ אֶת־חֲצִ֣י בֵיתֶ֔ךָ לֹ֥א אָבֹ֖א עִמָּ֑ךְ וְלֹֽא־אֹ֤כַל לֶ֙חֶם֙ וְלֹ֣א אֶשְׁתֶּה־מַּ֔יִם בַּמָּק֖וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃ ‬
9For this is what I was commanded by the word of the LORD: 'You shall not eat bread or drink water, and you shall not return by the way you came.'"
כִּֽי־כֵ֣ן ׀ צִוָּ֣ה אֹתִ֗י בִּדְבַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לֹא־תֹ֥אכַל לֶ֖חֶם וְלֹ֣א תִשְׁתֶּה־מָּ֑יִם וְלֹ֣א תָשׁ֔וּב בַּדֶּ֖רֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָלָֽכְתָּ׃ ‬
10So he went another way and did not return by the road on which he had come to Bethel.
וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ אַחֵ֑ר וְלֹֽא־שָׁ֣ב בַּדֶּ֔רֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֛ר בָּ֥א בָ֖הּ אֶל־בֵּֽית־אֵֽל׃ פ ‬