1 Kings 13

King James Version

Full text for 1 Kings Chapter 13

1¶ And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.

2And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee.

3And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This [is] the sign which the LORD hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that [are] upon it shall be poured out.

4And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him.

5The altar also was rent, 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.

6And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of the LORD thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the LORD, and the king's hand was restored him again, and became as [it was] before.

7And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward.

8And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place:

9For so was it charged me by the word of the LORD, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest.

10So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel.

11¶ Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father.

12And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah.

13And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon,

14And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, [Art] thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I [am].

15Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread.

16And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place:

17For it was said to me by the word of the LORD, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest.

18He said unto him, I [am] a prophet also as thou [art]; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. [But] he lied unto him.

19So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.

20And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came unto the prophet that brought him back:

21And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee,

22But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which [the LORD] did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.

23¶ And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, [to wit], for the prophet whom he had brought back.

24And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase.

25And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcase cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcase: and they came and told [it] in the city where the old prophet dwelt.

26And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard [thereof], he said, It [is] the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the LORD: therefore the LORD hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake unto him.

27And he spake to his sons, saying, Saddle me the ass. And they saddled [him].

28And he went and found his carcase cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the carcase: the lion had not eaten the carcase, nor torn the ass.

29And the prophet took up the carcase of the man of God, and laid it upon the ass, and brought it back: and the old prophet came to the city, to mourn and to bury him.

30And he laid his carcase in his own grave; and they mourned over him, [saying], Alas, my brother!

31And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spake to his sons, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the sepulchre wherein the man of God [is] buried; lay my bones beside his bones:

32For the saying which he cried by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places which [are] in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass.

33After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became [one] of the priests of the high places.

34And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut [it] off, and to destroy [it] from off the face of the earth.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

A man of God from Judah prophesies against Jeroboam's altar in Bethel, foretelling its destruction by Josiah. When Jeroboam attempts to seize him, his hand withers, but is later restored through the man of God's prayer. Despite a divine command not to eat or drink in Bethel, the man of God is deceived by an old prophet and disobeys, leading to his death by a lion as divine judgment. Jeroboam, however, persists in his idolatrous practices.

Medium Summary

A man of God from Judah, sent by the LORD, confronts King Jeroboam at Bethel, prophesying against his idolatrous altar and foretelling its defilement by King Josiah. As a sign, the altar is rent, and Jeroboam's hand withers when he attempts to seize the prophet, only to be restored through the prophet's intercession. The man of God refuses Jeroboam's hospitality, citing a strict divine command not to eat, drink, or return by the same way. However, an old prophet from Bethel deceives him with a false angelic message, causing him to disobey. For this transgression, the man of God is slain by a lion, though his body and ass are supernaturally preserved from further harm. The old prophet buries him, acknowledging the divine judgment, yet Jeroboam remains unrepentant in his sin.

Long Summary

A man of God from Judah, acting on the word of the LORD, arrives in Bethel to confront King Jeroboam, who is burning incense at his idolatrous altar. The prophet cries out against the altar, foretelling its future defilement by a king named Josiah, who will burn the priests of the high places upon it. A sign is given: the altar is immediately rent, and its ashes poured out. When Jeroboam attempts to seize the man of God, his hand withers, but is miraculously restored after the prophet intercedes with the LORD. The man of God then refuses Jeroboam's offer of hospitality and reward, explaining that the LORD commanded him not to eat, drink, or return by the same way he came. He departs by an alternative route, upholding the divine instruction. However, an old prophet residing in Bethel hears of these events and pursues the man of God. He deceives the man of God by falsely claiming an angel had given him a contradictory command, permitting him to eat and drink. The man of God, believing the lie, returns with the old prophet and partakes of food and water. While they are at the table, the word of the LORD comes to the old prophet, condemning the man of God for his disobedience to the direct command. The divine judgment is pronounced: his body will not be buried in his fathers' sepulchre. Subsequently, as the man of God travels, a lion encounters and kills him, yet remarkably, the lion does not devour the body nor harm the ass. The old prophet, upon hearing of the incident, recognizes it as the LORD's judgment for disobedience. He retrieves the body and buries it in his own tomb, instructing his sons to bury him alongside the man of God, acknowledging the truth of the prophecy against Bethel. Despite these powerful divine interventions and judgments, King Jeroboam stubbornly persists in his evil ways, continuing to appoint priests for the high places, thereby ensuring the ultimate destruction of his dynasty.

Core Concepts

  • Divine Prophecy and SignA man of God delivers a specific prophecy against Jeroboam's altar in Bethel, foretelling its destruction by King Josiah, immediately accompanied by the sign of the altar being rent.
  • Judgment and RestorationKing Jeroboam's hand withers as a divine judgment for his attempt to seize the man of God, but it is restored through the man of God's prayer, demonstrating God's power to both punish and heal.
  • Strict Obedience RequiredThe man of God is given a direct and strict command by the LORD not to eat, drink, or return by the same way in Bethel, emphasizing the necessity of precise adherence to divine instructions.
  • Deception and DisobedienceAn old prophet deceives the man of God with a false message, leading him to disobey the LORD's explicit command, highlighting the dangers of false prophecy and the consequences of yielding to it.
  • Consequences of DisobedienceThe man of God faces severe divine judgment, being killed by a lion, because he disobeyed the LORD's clear instructions, underscoring the gravity of failing to keep God's word.
  • Unrepentant IdolatryDespite witnessing powerful signs and judgments, King Jeroboam remains unrepentant, continuing his idolatrous practices and solidifying the sin that will lead to the downfall of his house.