1 And behold, a man of God{Elohim, Divine Messenger} came from Judah by the word of the LORD{YHWH, Covenant Speaker} to Bethel, where Jeroboam was standing on the altar to burn incense.
2 And he cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD {YHWH, Divine Proclaimer}, and said, “Altar, altar, thus says the LORD: A son will be born to the house of David—Josiah by name—and on you he will sacrifice the priests {kohanei: temple ministers} of the high places who burn incense on you, and human bones will be burned on you.”
3 And he gave a sign on that day, saying, “This is the sign which the LORD {YHWH, Sign-Giver} has spoken: Behold, the altar will be torn apart, and the ashes {deshen: sacrificial residue} on it will be poured out.”
4 And it happened, when the king heard the word of the man of God {Elohim, Divine Spokesman} that he had cried out against the altar at Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand {yado: instrument of authority} from upon the altar, saying, “Seize him!” But his hand, which he stretched out against him, dried up so that he was not able to bring it back to himself.
5 And the altar was split apart, and its ashes poured out from the altar according to the sign {mophet: miraculous wonder} that the man of God had given by the word of the LORD {YHWH, Faithful Confirmer}.
6 And the king answered and said to the man of God, “Please seek the face of the LORD your God {YHWH Eloheikha, Covenant Healer} and pray for me, that my hand may return to me.” So the man of God sought the face of the LORD and the king’s hand was restored to him and became as it was before {kevarishonah: original condition}.
7 And the king spoke to the man of God{Elohim, Divine Representative}, “Come with me to the house and have a meal{seʻādah: shared provision}, and I will give you a gift.”
8 But the man of God {Elohim, Divine Delegate} said to the king, “Even if you were to give me half your house, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread {lechem: daily provision} or drink water in this place.”
9 For thus it was commanded to me by the word of the LORD {YHWH, Authoritative Sender}, saying: “You shall not eat bread {lechem: journey food}, and you shall not drink water, and you shall not return by the way which you went.”
10 And he went on another way {derekh: designated route}, and he did not return by the way which he had come to Bethel {beit-el: house of God}.
11 Now there was a certain old prophet sitting in Bethel, and his sons came and recounted to him all that the man of God {ish-ha-elohim: God’s spokesperson} had done that day in Bethel, including the words that he had spoken to the king. Then they reported it all to their father {av: family head}.
12 And their father spoke to them, “Which is the way he went?” And his sons showed the way that the man of God {Elohim, Divine Envoy} who came from Judah {Yehudah: southern kingdom region} went.
13 And he said to his sons, “Saddle {chivshu: harness for riding} the donkey {chamor: beast of burden} for me.” So they saddled it for him, and he rode on it.
14 And he went after the man of God {Elohim, Divine Messenger} and found him sitting under the oak tree {elah: notable landmark}. He said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” And he said, “I am.”
15 And he said to him, “Go {lekh: strong command} with me to the house {baytah: designated dwelling} and eat bread.”
16 And he said, “I am not able to return {lashuv: returning} with you or to come with you, and I will not eat bread or drink water with you in this place {maqom: designated location}.”
17 For a word has come to me by the word of the LORD {YHWH, Divine Authority}, saying, “You shall not eat bread {lechem: staple food}, and you shall not drink water there, nor shall you return to go by the way that you went.”
18 And he said to him, “I also am a prophet like you, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD {YHWH, Messenger Authority}, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat bread {lechem: provision of life} and drink water.’” But he lied to him.
19 So he returned {vayashav: resumed his journey} with him, and he ate bread in his house {bêythô: private dwelling}, and he drank water.
20 And it happened, as they were sitting at the table, that the word of the LORD {YHWH, Divine Messenger} came to the prophet who had brought {heshibo: caused his return} him back.
21 And he called to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, “Thus says the LORD {YHWH, Divine Spokesperson}: Because you have rebelled against the mouth of the LORD and have not kept the command which the LORD your God {YHWH Elohekha, Covenant Authority} commanded you.”
22 But you returned and ate bread and drank water in the place{bamaqom: forbidden setting} where He {YHWH, Command-Giver} spoke to you, “Do not eat bread, and do not drink water.” Your corpse will not come to the grave of your fathers.
23 And it happened, after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled the donkey {chamor: beast of burden} for the prophet {navi: spokesperson for God} whom he had brought back.
24 And he went on his way, and a lion met him on the road and killed him, and his corpse {nivlāṯō: remains of a dead body} was cast {mušleḵeṯ: thrown} on the road; the donkey stood beside it, and the lion stood beside the corpse.
25 And behold, men were passing by and saw the carcass {nevelah: unclean carcass} thrown on the road, and the lion standing beside it. And they went and reported it in the city where the old {zaken: elderly man} prophet lived.
26 When the prophet who had brought him back from the way heard it, he said, “It is the man of God {haelohim: divinely commissioned} who rebelled against the mouth of the LORD {YHWH, Righteous Judge}. So the LORD gave him over to the lion, and the lion mauled him and killed him, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke to him.”
27 And he said to his sons {banav: male heirs}, “Saddle the donkey {hamor: beast of burden} for me,” and they saddled it.
28 And he went and found his corpse thrown {mushlekhet: discarded remains} on the road, with the donkey and the lion standing {omdim: vigilant posture} beside the corpse. The lion had not eaten the corpse, nor had he mauled the donkey.
29 And the prophet lifted the body of the man of God {Elohim, Divine Messenger} and placed it upon the donkey. Then he brought him back and came to the city of the old prophet to mourn {lispod: express deep grief} and to bury him.
30 And he laid his corpse in his own tomb, and they mourned over him, saying, “Alas {hoy: expression of grief}, my brother {achi: close kinship}!”
31 And it happened after he had buried him that he said to his sons, “When I die, you shall bury me in the grave in which the man of God {ha-elohim: Divine Messenger} is buried; lay my bones beside his bones {atsmotav: physical remains}.”
32 For the word {davar: decree} that he proclaimed by the word of the LORD {YHWH, Faithful Fulfiller} against the altar in Bethel and against all the houses of the high places in the cities of Samaria will surely come to pass.
33 After this event Jeroboam {yarov’am: Northern King} did not turn back from his evil way, but again made priests from the lowest ranks of the people for the high places {bamot: local altars}; whoever desired it he filled his hand and became a priest of the high places.
34 And it came to be in this matter {davar: Key Event} that the house of Jeroboam sinned and was cut off and destroyed from upon the face of the earth {adamah: Physical Land}.