A Man of God From Judah
1A man of God went from Judah to Bethel. He had received a message from the Lord. He arrived in Bethel just as Jeroboam was standing by the altar to offer a sacrifice. 2The man cried out. He shouted a message from the Lord against the altar. He said, “Altar! Altar! The Lord says, ‘A son named Josiah will be born into the royal family of David. Altar, listen to me! Josiah will sacrifice the priests of the high places on you. They will be the children of the priests who are offering sacrifices here. So human bones will be burned on you.’ ” 3That same day the man of God spoke about a miraculous sign. He said, “Here is the sign the Lord has announced. This altar will be broken to pieces. The ashes on it will be spilled out.”
4The man of God announced that message against the altar at Bethel. When King Jeroboam heard it, he reached out his hand from the altar. He said, “Grab him!” But as he reached out his hand toward the man, it dried up. He couldn’t even pull it back. 5Also, the altar broke into pieces. Its ashes spilled out. That happened in keeping with the miraculous sign the man of God had announced. He had received a message from the Lord.
6King Jeroboam spoke to the man of God. He said, “Pray to the Lord your God for me. Pray that my hand will be as good as new again.” So the man of God prayed to the Lord for the king. And the king’s hand became as good as new. It was just as healthy as it had been before.
7The king said to the man of God, “Come home with me for a meal. I’ll give you a gift.”
8But the man of God replied to the king. He said, “What if you were to give me half of what you own? Even then I wouldn’t go with you. I wouldn’t eat bread or drink water here. 9The Lord gave me a command. He said, ‘Do not eat bread or drink water there. Do not return the same way you came.’ ” 10So he took another road. He didn’t go back on the same road he had taken when he came to Bethel.
11An old prophet was living in Bethel. His sons came and spoke to him. They told him everything the man of God had done there that day. They also told their father what the man had said to the king. 12Their father asked them, “Which way did he go?” His sons showed him the road the man of God from Judah had taken. 13So he said to his sons, “Put a saddle on the donkey for me.” When they had done it, he got on the donkey. 14He traveled on the same road the man of God had taken. He found the man sitting under an oak tree. He asked him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?”
“I am,” he replied.
15So the prophet said to him, “Come home with me. I’ll give you something to eat.”
16The man of God said, “I can’t go back to Bethel with you. I can’t eat bread or drink water with you there. 17I’ve received a message from the Lord. He told me, ‘Do not eat bread or drink water there. Do not return the same way you came.’ ”
18The old prophet answered, “I’m also a prophet, just like you. An angel gave me a message from the Lord. The message said, ‘Bring the man of God back with you to your house. Then he can eat bread and drink water with you.’ ” But the old prophet was telling him a lie. 19The man of God returned with him. He ate and drank in his house.
20They were sitting at the table. The Lord gave a message to the old prophet who had brought the man of God back. 21He cried out to the man who had come from Judah. He told him, “The Lord says, ‘You have not done what I told you to do. You have not obeyed the command I gave you. I am the Lord your God. 22You came back here and ate bread and drank water. You did it in the place where I told you not to. So your body will not be buried in your family tomb.’ ”
23The man of God finished eating and drinking. Then the old prophet who had brought him back put a saddle on the man’s donkey for him. 24And the man went on his way. A lion attacked him on the road and killed him. His body was left lying on the road. The donkey and the lion were standing beside it. 25Some people passed by. They saw the body lying on the road. They saw the lion standing beside the body. Then they went and reported it in the city where the old prophet lived.
26The prophet who had brought the man back from his journey heard about what had happened. He said, “It’s the man of God. He didn’t do what the Lord told him to do. So the Lord has given him over to the lion. The lion has attacked him and killed him. Everything has happened just as the Lord’s message had warned him it would.”
27The old prophet said to his sons, “Put a saddle on the donkey for me.” So they did. 28Then he went out. He found the body of the man of God lying on the road. The donkey and the lion were standing beside it. The lion hadn’t eaten the body. It hadn’t attacked the donkey either. 29So the prophet picked up the man’s body. He put it on the donkey. He brought it back to his own city. He wanted to mourn for him and bury him. 30Then he placed the body in his own tomb. People mourned for him. They said, “Oh, no, my friend! My dear friend!”
31After the old prophet had buried the man of God, he spoke to his sons. He said, “When I die, bury me in the grave where the man of God is buried. Put my bones next to his bones. 32I want you to do that because he announced a message from the Lord. He spoke against the altar in Bethel. He also spoke against all the temples that are on the high places. They are in the towns of Samaria. What the man of God said will certainly come true.”
33Even after all of that happened, Jeroboam still didn’t change his evil ways. Once more he appointed priests for the high places. He made priests out of all kinds of people. In fact, he let anyone become a priest who wanted to. He set them apart to serve at the high places. 34All of that was the great sin the royal family of Jeroboam committed. It led to their fall from power. Because of it, they were destroyed from the face of the earth.
Isinumpa ng Propeta ang Altar sa Betel
1Ngayon, inutusan ng Panginoon ang isang lingkod niyang taga-Juda na pumunta sa Betel. Pagdating niya roon, nakatayo si Jeroboam sa tabi ng altar para maghandog. 2Inutusan ng Panginoon ang lingkod niya na isumpa ang altar na iyon. Sinabi niya, “Ito ang sinasabi ng Panginoon tungkol sa altar na ito: May isisilang na isang sanggol sa pamilya ni David na ang pangalan ay Josia. Papatayin niya at ihahandog sa altar na ito ang mga pari na naglilingkod sa mga sambahan sa matataas na lugar13:2 sambahan sa matataas na lugar: Tingnan sa Talaan ng mga Salita sa likod. at naghahandog sa altar na ito. Masusunog ang kanilang mga buto sa altar na ito.” 3Sa mismong araw na ito, nagbigay ang lingkod ng Dios ng palatandaan na mangyayari ang kanyang sinabi. Sinabi niya, “Ito ang palatandaan na sinabi ng Panginoon: Matitibag ang altar na ito at ang alikabok nito ay kakalat.”
4Nang marinig ito ni Haring Jeroboam, itinuro niya ang lingkod ng Dios at sinabi, “Hulihin ninyo siya!” Pero bigla na lang nanigas ang kamay ng hari, kaya hindi na niya maibaba ang kanyang kamay. 5Pagkatapos, natibag ang altar at ang alikabok nito ay kumalat, ayon sa palatandaang sinabi ng lingkod ng Dios na ipinahayag sa kanya ng Panginoon.
6Pagkatapos, sinabi ng hari sa lingkod ng Dios, “Ipanalangin mo ako sa Panginoon na iyong Dios na pagalingin niya ang kamay ko.” Kaya nanalangin ang lingkod ng Dios sa Panginoon at gumaling ang kamay ng hari. 7Muling sinabi ng hari sa lingkod ng Dios, “Halika sa bahay at kumain, at bibigyan kita ng regalo.” 8Pero sumagot ang lingkod ng Dios, “Kahit ibigay pa po ninyo sa akin ang kalahati ng ari-arian ninyo, hindi ako sasama sa inyo o kakain ni iinom man sa lugar na ito. 9Sapagkat inutusan po ako ng Panginoon na huwag akong kumain ni uminom habang nandito ako, at sa pag-uwi koʼy hindi ako dapat dumaan sa dinaanan ko papunta rito.” 10Kaya ibang daan ang dinaanan niya nang umuwi siya.
11Nang panahong iyon, may isang matandang propeta na nakatira sa Betel. Pinuntahan siya ng kanyang mga anak na lalaki13:11 mga anak na lalaki: Itoʼy ayon sa ibang lumang teksto; sa Hebreo, anak na lalaki. at ibinalita ang lahat ng ginawa ng lingkod ng Dios noong araw na iyon sa Betel. Ibinalita rin nila sa kanya kung ano ang sinabi ng lingkod ng Dios sa hari. 12Nagtanong ang kanilang ama, “Saan siya dumaan pauwi?” At sinabi nila kung saan siya dumaan. 13Pagkatapos, sinabi ng kanilang ama sa kanila, “Ihanda ninyo ang asno para sa akin.” Kaya inihanda nila ang asno; sumakay siya 14at hinabol ang lingkod ng Dios. Inabutan niyang nakaupo ito sa ilalim ng punong terebinto. Tinanong niya ito, “Ikaw ba ang lingkod ng Dios na galing sa Juda?” Sumagot siya, “Opo.” 15Sinabi niya, “Halika sa bahay at kumain.” 16Sumagot ang lingkod ng Dios, “Hindi po ako maaaring bumalik at sumama sa inyo, at hindi rin ako maaaring kumain o uminom kasama ninyo sa lugar na ito. 17Sapagkat inutusan ako ng Panginoon na huwag akong kumain ni uminom habang nandito ako at sa pag-uwi koʼy hindi ako dapat dumaan sa dinaanan ko papunta rito.” 18Sinabi ng matandang propeta, “Propeta rin ako na katulad mo. At inutusan ng Panginoon ang isang anghel para sabihin sa akin na dalhin kita sa bahay ko para makakain at makainom ka.” (Pero nagsisinungaling ang matanda.) 19Kaya sumama sa kanyang bahay ang lingkod ng Dios, kumain at uminom siya roon.
20Habang nakaupo sila sa mesa, may sinabi ang Panginoon sa matandang propeta. 21Kaya sinabi ng matandang propeta sa lingkod ng Dios na galing sa Juda, “Ito ang sinasabi ng Panginoon: ‘Nilabag mo ang utos ng Panginoon na iyong Dios; hindi mo sinunod ang iniutos niya sa iyo. 22Iniutos niya sa iyo na huwag kang kakain at iinom sa lugar na ito, pero bumalik ka rito at kumain at uminom. Dahil sa ginawa mo, ang bangkay mo ay hindi ililibing sa libingan ng mga ninuno mo.’ ”
23Nang matapos kumain at uminom ang lingkod ng Dios, inihanda ng matandang propeta ang asno para sa pag-uwi nito. 24At habang papauwi na siya, sinalubong siya ng isang leon at pinatay. Ang bangkay nitoʼy nakahandusay sa daan, at sa tabi nitoʼy nakatayo ang leon at asno. 25Nakita ng mga taong dumaraan doon ang bangkay at ang leon sa tabi nito, at ibinalita nila ito sa lungsod kung saan nakatira ang matandang propeta.
26Nang marinig ito ng matandang propeta, sinabi niya, “Siya ang lingkod ng Dios na lumabag sa salita ng Panginoon. Pinabayaan siya ng Panginoon sa leon na sumunggab at pumatay sa kanya, ayon sa sinabi ng Panginoon sa kanya.”
27Sinabi agad ng matandang propeta sa mga anak niyang lalaki, “Ihanda ninyo ang asno para sa akin.” At inihanda nila ito. 28Umalis siya, at nakita niya ang bangkay na nakahandusay sa daan, at ang leon at asno na nakatayo sa tabi nito. Hindi kinain ng leon ang bangkay o nilapa man ang asno. 29Kinuha ng matandang propeta ang bangkay ng lingkod ng Dios at isinakay sa asno, at dinala sa kanilang lungsod para ipagluksa ang bangkay at ilibing ito. 30Inilibing niya ito sa libingan na ipinagawa niya para sa kanyang sarili. Lubha silang nalungkot sa pagkamatay ng lingkod ng Dios.
31Matapos siyang mailibing, sinabi ng matandang propeta sa mga anak niyang lalaki, “Kapag namatay ako, ilibing ninyo ako sa pinaglibingan ng lingkod ng Dios, at pagtabihin ninyo kami. 32Dahil ang mga salita na sinabi ng Panginoon sa kanya tungkol sa altar sa Betel at sa mga sambahan sa matataas na lugar sa Samaria ay siguradong matutupad.”
33Kahit nangyari ang mga ito, hindi pa rin nagbago si Jeroboam sa kanyang pag-uugali. Pumili pa rin siya ng mga taong maglilingkod bilang mga pari sa mga sambahan sa matataas na lugar. Ang sinumang gustong maglingkod bilang pari ay inordinahan niya. 34Ang ginawang ito ni Jeroboam ay naging dahilan ng pagkakasala ng sambahayan niya at naghatid sa kanila ng pagkatalo at kapahamakan.
