Jeroboam Warned, Stricken

1 Now behold, there came aa man of God from Judah to Bethel by the word of the Lord, while Jeroboam was standing by the altar bto burn incense.

2 aHe 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, bJosiah by name; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.’ ”

3 Then he gave a 1sign the same day, saying, “aThis is the 1sign which the Lord has spoken, ‘Behold, the altar shall be split apart and the 2ashes which are on it shall be poured out.’ ”

4 Now when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar in Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, “Seize him.” But 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 split apart and the 1ashes were poured out from the altar, according to the 2sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord.

6 The king said to the man of God, “Please 1aentreat the Lord your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.” So bthe man of God 2entreated the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored to him, and it became as it was before.

7 Then the king said to the man of God, “Come home with me and refresh yourself, and aI will give you a reward.”

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

9 “For so 1it was commanded me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘You shall eat no bread, nor drink water, nor return by the way which you came.’ ”

10 So he went another way and did not return by the way which he came to Bethel.