1 Kings 13
English Standard Version
A Man of God Confronts Jeroboam
13 And behold, (A)a man of God came out of Judah by the word of the Lord to Bethel. Jeroboam was standing by the altar (B)to make offerings. 2 (C)And the man cried against the altar by the word of the Lord and said, “O altar, altar, thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, (D)Josiah by name, and he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who make offerings on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.’” 3 And he gave (E)a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign that the Lord has spoken: ‘Behold, the altar shall be torn down, and the ashes that are on it shall be poured out.’” 4 And when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar at Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, “Seize him.” And his hand, which he stretched out against him, dried up, so that he could not draw it back to himself. 5 The altar also was torn down, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign that the man of God had given by the word of the Lord. 6 And the king said to the man of God, (F)“Entreat now the favor of the Lord your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.” And the man of God entreated the Lord, and the king's hand was restored to him and became as it was before. 7 And the king said to the man of God, “Come home with me, and refresh yourself, and (G)I will give you a reward.” 8 And the man of God said to the king, (H)“If you give me half your house, (I)I will not go in with you. And I will not eat bread or drink water in this place, 9 for so was it commanded me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘You shall neither eat bread nor drink water nor return by the way that you came.’” 10 So he went another way and did not return by the way that he came to Bethel.
The Prophet's Disobedience
11 Now (J)an old prophet lived in Bethel. And his sons[a] came and told him all that the man of God had done that day in Bethel. They also told to their father the words that he had spoken to the king. 12 And their father said to them, “Which way did he go?” And his sons showed him the way that the man of God who came from Judah had gone. 13 And he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled the donkey for him and he mounted it. 14 And he went after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak. And he said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” And he said, “I am.” 15 Then he said to him, “Come home with me and eat bread.” 16 And he said, (K)“I may not return with you, or go in with you, neither will I eat bread nor drink water with you in this place, 17 for it was said to me (L)by the word of the Lord, ‘You shall neither eat bread nor drink water there, nor return by the way that you came.’” 18 And he said to him, “I also am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘Bring him back with you into your house that he may eat bread and drink water.’” But he lied to him. 19 So he went back with him and ate bread in his house and drank water.
20 And as they sat at the table, the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back. 21 And he cried to the man of God who came from Judah, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have disobeyed the word of the Lord and have not kept the command that the Lord your God commanded you, 22 but have come back and have eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which he said to you, “Eat no bread and drink no water,” your body shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.’” 23 And after he had eaten bread and drunk, he saddled the donkey for the prophet whom he had brought back. 24 And as he went away (M)a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his body was thrown in the road, and the donkey stood beside it; the lion also stood beside the body. 25 And behold, men passed by and saw the body thrown in the road and the lion standing by the body. And they came and told it in the city where (N)the old prophet lived.
26 And when the prophet who had brought him back from the way heard of it, he said, “It is the man of God who disobeyed the word of the Lord; therefore the Lord has given him to the lion, which has torn him and killed him, according to the word that the Lord spoke to him.” 27 And he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” And they saddled it. 28 And he went and found his body thrown in the road, and the donkey and the lion standing beside the body. The lion had not eaten the body or torn the donkey. 29 And the prophet took up the body of the man of God and laid it on the donkey and brought it back to the city[b] to mourn and to bury him. 30 And he laid the body in his own grave. And they mourned over him, saying, (O)“Alas, my brother!” 31 And after he had buried him, he said to his sons, “When I die, bury me in the grave in which the man of God is buried; (P)lay my bones beside his bones. 32 (Q)For the saying that he called out by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel and against (R)all the houses of the high places that are in the cities of (S)Samaria shall surely come to pass.”
33 After this thing Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way, but made priests for the high places again from among all the people. Any who would, he ordained to be priests of the high places. 34 (T)And this thing became sin to the house of Jeroboam, (U)so as to cut it off and to destroy it from the face of the earth.
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 13:11 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew son
- 1 Kings 13:29 Septuagint; Hebrew he came to the city of the old prophet
1 Reyes 13
Reina-Valera Antigua
13 Y HE aquí que un varón de Dios por palabra de Jehová vino de Judá á Beth-el; y estando Jeroboam al altar para quemar perfumes,
2 El clamó contra el altar por palabra de Jehová, y dijo: Altar, altar, así ha dicho Jehová: He aquí que á la casa de David nacerá un hijo, llamado Josías, el cual sacrificará sobre ti á los sacerdotes de los altos que queman sobre ti perfumes; y sobre ti quemarán huesos de hombres.
3 Y aquel mismo día dió una señal, diciendo: Esta es la señal de que Jehová ha hablado: he aquí que el altar se quebrará, y la ceniza que sobre él está se derramará.
4 Y como el rey Jeroboam oyó la palabra del varón de Dios, que había clamado contra el altar de Beth-el, extendiendo su mano desde el altar, dijo: Prendedle! Mas la mano que había extendido contra él, se le secó, que no la pudo tornar á sí.
5 Y el altar se rompió, y derramóse la ceniza del altar, conforme á la señal que el varón de Dios había dado por palabra de Jehová.
6 Entonces respondiendo el rey, dijo al varón de Dios: Te pido que ruegues á la faz de Jehová tu Dios, y ora por mí, que mi mano me sea restituída. Y el varón de Dios oró á la faz de Jehová, y la mano del rey se le recuperó y tornóse como antes.
7 Y el rey dijo al varón de Dios: Ven conmigo á casa, y comerás, y yo te daré un presente.
8 Mas el varón de Dios dijo al rey: Si me dieses la mitad de tu casa, no iría contigo, ni comería pan ni bebería agua en este lugar;
9 Porque así me está mandado por palabra de Jehová, diciendo: No comas pan, ni bebas agua, ni vuelvas por el camino que fueres.
10 Fuése pues por otro camino, y no volvió por el camino por donde había venido á Beth-el.
11 Moraba á la sazón en Beth-el un viejo profeta, al cual vino su hijo, y contóle todo lo que el varón de Dios había hecho aquel día en Beth-el: contáronle también á su padre las palabras que había hablado al rey.
12 Y su padre les dijo: ¿Por qué camino fué? Y sus hijos le mostraron el camino por donde se había tornado el varón de Dios, que había venido de Judá.
13 Y él dijo á sus hijos: Enalbardadme el asno. Y ellos le enalbardaron el asno, y subió en él.
14 Y yendo tras el varón de Dios, hallóle que estaba sentado debajo de un alcornoque: y díjole: ¿Eres tú el varón de Dios que viniste de Judá? Y él dijo: Yo soy.
15 Díjole entonces: Ven conmigo á casa, y come del pan.
16 Mas él respondió: No podré volver contigo, ni iré contigo; ni tampoco comeré pan ni beberé agua contigo en este lugar;
17 Porque por palabra de Dios me ha sido dicho: No comas pan ni bebas agua allí, ni vuelvas por el camino que fueres.
18 Y el otro le dijo: Yo también soy profeta como tú, y un ángel me ha hablado por palabra de Jehová, diciendo: Vuélvele contigo á tu casa, para que coma pan y beba agua. Empero mintióle.
19 Entonces volvió con él, y comió del pan en su casa, y bebió del agua.
20 Y aconteció que, estando ellos á la mesa, fué palabra de Jehová al profeta que le había hecho volver;
21 Y clamó al varón de Dios que había venido de Judá, diciendo: Así dijo Jehová: Por cuanto has sido rebelde al dicho de Jehová, y no guardaste el mandamiento que Jehová tu Dios te había prescrito,
22 Sino que volviste, y comiste del pan y bebiste del agua en el lugar donde Jehová te había dicho no comieses pan ni bebieses agua, no entrará tu cuerpo en el sepulcro de tus padres.
23 Y como hubo comido del pan y bebido, el profeta que le había hecho volver le enalbardó un asno;
24 Y yéndose, topóle un león en el camino, y matóle; y su cuerpo estaba echado en el camino, y el asno estaba junto á él, y el león también estaba junto al cuerpo.
25 Y he aquí unos que pasaban, y vieron el cuerpo que estaba echado en el camino, y el león que estaba junto al cuerpo: y vinieron, y dijéronlo en la ciudad donde el viejo profeta habitaba.
26 Y oyéndolo el profeta que le había vuelto del camino, dijo: El varón de Dios es, que fué rebelde al dicho de Jehová: por tanto Jehová le ha entregado al león, que le ha quebrantado y muerto, conforme á la palabra de Jehová que él le dijo.
27 Y habló á sus hijos, y díjoles: Enalbardadme un asno. Y ellos se lo enalbardaron.
28 Y él fué, y halló su cuerpo tendido en el camino, y el asno y el león estaban junto al cuerpo: el león no había comido el cuerpo, ni dañado al asno.
29 Y tomando el profeta el cuerpo del varón de Dios, púsolo sobre el asno, y llevóselo. Y el profeta viejo vino á la ciudad, para endecharle y enterrarle.
30 Y puso su cuerpo en su sepulcro; y endecháronle, diciendo: Ay, hermano mío!
31 Y después que le hubieron enterrado, habló á sus hijos, diciendo: Cuando yo muriere, enterradme en el sepulcro en que está sepultado el varón de Dios; poned mis huesos junto á los suyos.
32 Porque sin duda vendrá lo que él dijo á voces por palabra de Jehová contra el altar que está en Beth-el, y contra todas las casas de los altos que están en las ciudades de Samaria.
33 Después de esto no se tornó Jeroboam de su mal camino: antes volvió á hacer sacerdotes de los altos de la clase del pueblo, y quien quería se consagraba, y era de los sacerdotes de los altos.
34 Y esto fué causa de pecado á la casa de Jeroboam; por lo cual fué cortada y raída de sobre la haz de la tierra.
1 Kings 13
New King James Version
The Message of the Man of God
13 And behold, (A)a man of God went from Judah to Bethel [a]by the word of the Lord, (B)and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. 2 Then he cried out against the altar [b]by the word of the Lord, and said, “O altar, altar! Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, a child, (C)Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men’s bones shall be (D)burned on you.’ ” 3 And he gave (E)a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign which the Lord has spoken: Surely the altar shall split apart, and the ashes on it shall be poured out.”
4 So it came to pass when King Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, who cried out against the altar in Bethel, that he stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, “Arrest him!” Then his hand, which he stretched out toward him, withered, so that he could not pull it back to himself. 5 The altar also was split apart, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord. 6 Then the king answered and said to the man of God, “Please (F)entreat the favor of the Lord your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.”
So the man of God entreated the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored to him, and became as before. 7 Then the king said to the man of God, “Come home with me and refresh yourself, and (G)I will give you a reward.”
8 But the man of God said to the king, (H)“If you were to give me half your house, I would not go in with you; nor would I eat bread nor drink water in this place. 9 For so it was commanded me by the word of the Lord, saying, (I)‘You shall not eat bread, nor drink water, nor return by the same way you came.’ ” 10 So he went another way and did not return by the way he came to Bethel.
Death of the Man of God
11 Now an (J)old prophet dwelt in Bethel, and his [c]sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel; they also told their father the words which he had spoken to the king. 12 And their father said to them, “Which way did he go?” For his sons [d]had seen which way the man of God went who came from Judah. 13 Then he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled the donkey for him; and he rode on it, 14 and went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak. Then he said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?”
And he said, “I am.”
15 Then he said to him, “Come home with me and eat bread.”
16 And he said, (K)“I cannot return with you nor go in with you; neither can I eat bread nor drink water with you in this place. 17 For [e]I have been told (L)by the word of the Lord, ‘You shall not eat bread nor drink water there, nor return by going the way you came.’ ”
18 He said to him, “I too am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.’ ” (He was lying to him.)
19 So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house, and drank water.
20 Now it happened, as they sat at the table, that the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back; 21 and he cried out to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Because you have disobeyed the word of the Lord, and have not kept the commandment which the Lord your God commanded you, 22 but you came back, ate bread, and drank water in the (M)place of which the Lord said to you, “Eat no bread and drink no water,” your corpse shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.’ ”
23 So it was, after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled the donkey for him, the prophet whom he had brought back. 24 When he was gone, (N)a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his corpse was thrown on the road, and the donkey stood by it. The lion also stood by the corpse. 25 And there, men passed by and saw the corpse thrown on the road, and the lion standing by the corpse. Then they went and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt.
26 Now when the prophet who had brought him back from the way heard it, he said, “It is the man of God who was disobedient to the word of the Lord. Therefore the Lord has delivered him to the lion, which has torn him and killed him, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke to him.” 27 And he spoke to his sons, saying, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled it. 28 Then he went and found his corpse thrown on the road, and the donkey and the lion standing by the corpse. The lion had not eaten the corpse nor torn the donkey. 29 And the prophet took up the corpse of the man of God, laid it on the donkey, and brought it back. So the old prophet came to the city to mourn, and to bury him. 30 Then he laid the corpse in his own tomb; and they mourned over him, saying, (O)“Alas, my brother!” 31 So it was, after he had buried him, that he spoke to his sons, saying, “When I am dead, then bury me in the tomb where the man of God is buried; (P)lay my bones beside his bones. 32 (Q)For the [f]saying which he cried out by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel, and against all the [g]shrines on the high places which are in the cities of (R)Samaria, will surely come to pass.”
33 (S)After this event Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way, but again he made priests from every class of people for the high places; whoever wished, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places. 34 (T)And this thing was the sin of the house of Jeroboam, so as (U)to exterminate and destroy it from the face of the earth.
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 13:1 at the Lord’s command
- 1 Kings 13:2 at the Lord’s command
- 1 Kings 13:11 Lit. son
- 1 Kings 13:12 LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. showed him
- 1 Kings 13:17 Lit. a command came to me by
- 1 Kings 13:32 Lit. word
- 1 Kings 13:32 Lit. houses
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
