1 Kings 13 A Prophet Prophesying Against the Altar

 1 Kings 13

A Prophet Prophesying Against the Altar

1 Now behold, a man of God came from Judah with the word of the Lord to Bethel, and Jeroboam was standing by the altar to burn incense.

2 And he cried out against the altar with the word of the Lord, and said, “Altar, altar! thus says the Lord: Behold, a son will be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and he will sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men’s bones will be burned on you.”

3 And he gave a sign that same day, saying, “This is the sign of which the Lord spoke: Behold, the altar will be split open, and the ashes that are on it will be poured out.”

4 And it came to pass, when the king heard the word of the man of God who had cried out against the altar in Bethel, that Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, and said, “Take hold of him.” But his hand, which he stretched out against him, dried up, and he could not bring it back to himself.

5 And the altar was split, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had appointed by the word of the LORD.

6 Then the king answered and said to the man of God, Pray to the LORD your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me. Then the man of God prayed to the LORD, and the king's hand was restored, and became as before.

7 And the king said to the man of God, Come with me to the house, and refresh yourself, and I will give you a present.

8 But the man of God said to the king, Even if you would give me half your house, I would not go with me, nor would I eat bread nor drink water in this place.

9 For so the LORD commanded me by his word, saying, You shall neither eat bread nor drink water, nor return by the way that you came.

10 And he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel.