Judgment on Jeroboam

13 A man of God^(A) came from Judah to Bethel by a revelation from the Lord while Jeroboam was standing beside the altar to burn incense.^{(B) 2} The man of God cried out against the altar by a revelation from the Lord: “Altar, altar, this is what the Lord says, ‘A son will be born to the house of David, named Josiah, and he will sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who are burning incense on you. Human bones will be burned on you.’”^{(C) 3} He gave a sign^(D) that day. He said, “This is the sign that the Lord has spoken: ‘The altar will now be ripped apart, and the ashes that are on it will be poured out.’”^(E)

⁴ When 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, “Arrest him!” But the hand he stretched out against him withered, and he could not pull it back to himself. ⁵ The altar was ripped apart, and the ashes poured from the altar, according to the sign that the man of God had given by the word of the Lord.

⁶ Then the king responded to the man of God, “Plead for the favor of the Lord your God and pray for me^(F) so that my hand may be restored to me.” So the man of God pleaded for the favor of the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored to him and became as it had been at first.

⁷ Then the king declared to the man of God, “Come home with me, refresh yourself, and I’ll give you a reward.”^(G)

⁸ But the man of God replied, “If you were to give me half your house,^(H) I still wouldn’t go with you, and I wouldn’t eat bread or drink water in this place, ⁹ for this is what I was commanded by the word of the Lord:^(I) ‘You must not eat bread or drink water or go back the way you came.’” ¹⁰ So he went another way; he did not go back by the way he had come to Bethel.

Church Discipline

⁹ I wrote to you in a letter not to associate^(A) with sexually immoral people.^{(B) 10} I did not mean the immoral people of this world or the greedy^(C) and swindlers^(D) or idolaters; otherwise you would have to leave the world.^{(E) 11} But now I am writing^[a] you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer^[b](F) who is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or verbally abusive, a drunkard^(G) or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person. ¹² For what business is it of mine to judge^(H) outsiders? Don’t you judge those who are inside? ¹³ But God judges outsiders. Put away the evil person from among yourselves.^(I)[c]

¹⁰ While He was reclining at the table in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came as guests to eat^[a] with Jesus and His disciples.^{(A) 11} When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”^(B)

¹² But when He heard this, He said, “Those who are well don’t need a doctor, but the sick do.^{(C) 13} Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice.^(D)[b] For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”^[c]