1 At the Lord's command a prophet from Judah went to Bethel and arrived there as Jeroboam stood at the altar to offer the sacrifice. 2 Following the Lord's command, the prophet denounced the altar: “O altar, altar, this is what the Lord says: A child, whose name will be Josiah, will be born to the family of David. He will slaughter on you the priests serving at the pagan altars who offer sacrifices on you, and he will burn human bones on you.” 3 And the prophet went on to say, “This altar will fall apart, and the ashes on it will be scattered. Then you will know that the Lord has spoken through me.”
4 When King Jeroboam heard this, he pointed at him and ordered, “Seize that man!” At once the king's arm became paralyzed so that he couldn't pull it back. 5 The altar suddenly fell apart and the ashes spilled to the ground, as the prophet had predicted in the name of the Lord. 6 King Jeroboam said to the prophet, “Please pray for me to the Lord your God, and ask him to heal my arm!”
The prophet prayed to the Lord, and the king's arm was healed. 7 Then the king said to the prophet, “Come home with me and have something to eat. I will reward you for what you have done.”
8 The prophet answered, “Even if you gave me half of your wealth, I would not go with you or eat or drink anything with you. 9 The Lord has commanded me not to eat or drink a thing, and not to return home the same way I came.” 10 So he did not go back the same way he had come, but by another road.
The Old Prophet of Bethel
11 At that time there was an old prophet living in Bethel. His sons came and told him what the prophet from Judah had done in Bethel that day and what he had said to King Jeroboam. 12 “Which way did he go when he left?” the old prophet asked them. They showed him the road 13 and he told them to saddle his donkey for him. They did so, and he rode off 14 down the road after the prophet from Judah and found him sitting under an oak tree. “Are you the prophet from Judah?” he asked.
“I am,” the man answered.
15 “Come home and have a meal with me,” he said.
16 But the prophet from Judah answered, “I can't go home with you or accept your hospitality. And I won't eat or drink anything with you here, 17 because the Lord has commanded me not to eat or drink a thing, and not to return home the same way I came.”
18 Then the old prophet from Bethel said to him, “I, too, am a prophet just like you, and at the Lord's command an angel told me to take you home with me and offer you my hospitality.” But the old prophet was lying.
19 So the prophet from Judah went home with the old prophet and had a meal with him. 20 As they were sitting at the table, the word of the Lord came to the old prophet, 21 and he cried out to the prophet from Judah, “The Lord says that you disobeyed him and did not do what he commanded. 22 Instead, you returned and ate a meal in a place he had ordered you not to eat in. Because of this you will be killed, and your body will not be buried in your family grave.”
23 After they had finished eating, the old prophet saddled the donkey for the prophet from Judah, 24 who rode off. On the way a lion met him and killed him. His body lay on the road, and the donkey and the lion stood beside it. 25 Some men passed by and saw the body on the road, with the lion standing near by. They went on into Bethel and reported what they had seen.
26 When the old prophet heard about it, he said, “That is the prophet who disobeyed the Lord's command! And so the Lord sent the lion to attack and kill him, just as the Lord said he would.” 27 Then he said to his sons, “Saddle my donkey for me.” They did so, 28 and he rode off and found the prophet's body lying on the road, with the donkey and the lion still standing by it. The lion had not eaten the body or attacked the donkey. 29 The old prophet picked up the body, put it on the donkey, and brought it back to Bethel to mourn over it and bury it. 30 He buried it in his own family grave, and he and his sons mourned over it, saying, “Oh my brother, my brother!” 31 After the burial the prophet said to his sons, “When I die, bury me in this grave and lay my body next to his. 32 The words that he spoke at the Lord's command against the altar in Bethel and against all the places of worship in the towns of Samaria will surely come true.”
Jeroboam's Fatal Sin
33 King Jeroboam of Israel still did not turn from his evil ways but continued to choose priests from ordinary families to serve at the altars he had built. He ordained as priest anyone who wanted to be one. 34 This sin on his part brought about the ruin and total destruction of his dynasty.
1 فجاءَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ يَهوذا بِأمرِ الرّبِّ إلى بَيتَ إيلَ، ويَرُبعامُ واقفٌ على المذبَحِ يَحرُقُ البَخورَ. 2 فتَوَجَّهَ إلى المذبَحِ وقالَ: «يا مذبَحُ، يا مذبَحُ، هذا ما قالَ الرّبُّ: سَيُولَدُ لِبَيتِ داوُدَ ابنٌ يُسمَّى يُوشيَّا، وهوَ سيذبَحُ علَيكَ كهَنةَ الأصنامِ الّذينَ يَحرقونَ علَيكَ البَخورَ، وسَيُحرِقُ علَيكَ عِظامَ بشَرٍ». 3 وأعطى رَجُلُ اللهِ عَنْ ذلِكَ اليومِ علامةً، قالَ: «هذِهِ العلامةُ الّتي تكَلَّمَ عَنها الرّبُّ: «سيَنشَقُّ هذا المذبَحُ ويتَبَدَّدُ الرَّمادُ الّذي علَيهِ، علامةً على ما كلَّمَني بهِ الرّبُّ». 4 فلمَّا سَمِعَ المَلِكُ كلامَ رَجُلِ اللهِ مَدَّ يدَهُ مِنْ على المذبَحِ وقالَ: «أمسِكوهُ». فيَبِسَت يدُهُ الّتي مَدَّها ولم يَقدِرْ أنْ يَرُدَّها إليهِ. 5 وانْشَقَّ المذبَحُ وتبَدَّدَ الرَّمادُ عَنِ المذبَحِ بِـحسَبِ العلامةِ الّتي أعطاها رَجُلُ اللهِ بِأمرِ الرّبِّ. 6 فقالَ المَلِكُ لِرَجُلِ اللهِ: «تضَّرَعْ إلى الرّبِّ إلهِكَ وصَلِّ لأجلي حتّى ترتَدَّ يَدي إليَّ». فتَضَرَّعَ رَجُلُ اللهِ إلى الرّبِّ فارتَدَّت يَدُ المَلِكِ إليهِ وعادَت كما كانَت مِنْ قَبلُ. 7 ثُمَّ قالَ المَلِكُ لِرَجُلِ اللهِ: «تعالَ معي إلى البَيتِ وتناوَلْ طَعاما، وأنا أمنَحُكَ عَطيَّةً». 8 فقالَ لَه رَجُلُ اللهِ: «لو أعطَيتَني نِصفَ بَيتِكَ لما دخَلْتُ معَكَ ولا أكلْتُ خُبزا ولا شَرِبْتُ ماءً في هذا المَوضعِ، 9 لأنَّ الرّبَّ أوصاني: لا تأكُلْ خُبزا ولا تَشرَبْ ماءً ولا تَرجِـعْ في الطَّريقِ الّتي جِئْتَ مِنها». 10 ثُمَّ مضَى ولم يَرجِـعْ في الطَّريقِ الّتي جاءَ مِنها إلى بَيتَ إيلَ.
نبـي بـيت إيل
11 وكانَ في بَيتَ إيلَ شَيخٌ نَبـيٌّ، فجاءَ إليهِ بَنوهُ وأخبَروهُ بِكُلِّ ما عَمِلَهُ رَجُلُ اللهِ ذلِكَ اليومَ في بَيتَ إيلَ، وقَصُّوا على أبـيهِم ما تكَلَّمَ بهِ إلى المَلِكِ. 12 فقالَ لهُم أبوهُم: «مِنْ أيِّ طريقٍ ذهَبَ؟» فأرَوهُ الطَّريقَ. 13 فقالَ لهُم: «جَهِّزوا الحمارَ». فجَهَّزوهُ لَه فركِبَ علَيهِ 14 وتَبِـعَ رَجُلَ اللهِ فوَجَدَهُ جالسا تَحتَ البُطْمَةِ. فسألَه: «أأنتَ رَجُلُ اللهِ الّذي جاءَ مِنْ يَهوذا؟» فأجابَهُ: «أنا هوَ». 15 فقالَ لَه: «تَعال معي إلى البَيتِ وكُلْ خُبزا». 16 فأجابَهُ: «لا أقدِرُ أنْ أرجِـعَ معَكَ وفي هذا المكانِ لا آكُلُ خُبزا ولا أشرَبُ ماءً، 17 لأنَّ الرّبَّ أمرَني: لا تأكُلْ هُناكَ خُبزا ولا تشرَبْ ماءً ولا ترجِـعْ في الطَّريقِ الّتي ذهَبْتَ مِنها». 18 فقالَ لَه: «أنا أيضا نَبـيٌّ مِثْلُكَ، وبِأمرِ الرّبِّ قالَ لي ملاكٌ: رُدَّهُ معَكَ إلى بَيتِكَ فيأكُلَ خُبزا ويشربَ ماءً». وكانَ ذلِكَ كَذِبا. 19 فرَجَعَ رَجُلُ اللهِ معَهُ وأكلَ خُبزا في بَيتِهِ وشرِبَ ماءً.
20 وبَينَما هُما جالِسانِ إلى المائِدةِ جاءَت كلِمَةُ اللهِ إلى النَّبـيِ الّذي رَدَّ رَجُلَ اللهِ 21 فصاحَ بِرَجُلِ اللهِ: «هذا ما يقولُ الرّبُّ: لأنَّكَ خالَفتَ أمرَ الرّبِّ إلهِكَ ولم تعمَلْ بِالوصيَّةِ الّتي أوصاكَ بِها، 22 ورَجَعْتَ وأكلْتَ خُبزا وشرِبْتَ ماءً في هذا الموضِعِ الّذي قالَ لكَ: لا تَأكُلْ فيهِ خُبزا ولا تشرَبْ ماءً، فسَتَموتُ وفي قُبورِ آبائِكَ لا تُدفَنُ جُثَّتُكَ». 23 فلمَّا فَرغَ مِنْ أكلِهِ وشُربِهِ جَهَّزَ النَّبـيُّ لَه الحمارَ 24 ومَضى. فلَقيَهُ أسدٌ في طريقِهِ فقَتَلَهُ، وبَقيَت جُثَّتُهُ مُلقاةً في الطَّريقِ، والحمارُ والأسدُ إلى جانِبِها. 25 فمَرَّ قومٌ فرَأَوا الجُثَّةَ مَطروحَةً في الطَّريقِ، والأسدُ بِـجانِبِها فجاؤوا وأخبَروا أهلَ المدينةِ الّتي يُقيمُ بها النَّبـيُّ الشَّيخُ.
26 فلمَّا سَمِعَ النَّبـيُّ الشَّيخُ قالَ: «هوَ رَجُلُ اللهِ الّذي خالفَ أمرَ الربِّ فأسلَمَهُ إلى الأسَدِ، فهاجَمَهُ وقَتَلَهُ كما أنذَرَهُ الرّبُّ». 27 ثُمَّ قالَ لِبَنيهِ: «جَهِّزوا ليَ الحمارَ». فجَهَّزوهُ 28 فمَضى فوَجَدَ جُثَّةَ رَجُلِ اللهِ مُلقاةً على الطَّريقِ، والحِمارُ والأسدُ بِـجانِبِها. وما افتَرَسَ الأسدُ الجُثَّةَ ولا الحمارَ. 29 فأخَذَ النَّبـيُّ الجُثَّةَ ووضَعَها على الحمارِ، ورجَعَ بِها إلى المدينةِ لِـيَندُبَ رَجُلَ اللهِ ويَدفِنَهُ. 30 ودفَنَ الجُثَّةَ في قبرِهِ الخاصِّ وندَبَهُ هوَ وبَنوهُ قائِلينَ: «آهِ يا أخي». 31 وبَعدَ أنْ دفَنَهُ قالَ لِبَنيهِ: «إذا مُتُّ فادْفِنوني في القبرِ ذاتِهِ وبِـجانِبِ عِظامِهِ ضَعوا عِظامي. 32 فكلامُهُ سيَتِمُّ، هذا الكلامُ الّذي هاجَمَ بهِ بِأمرِ الرّبِّ المذبَحَ الّذي في بَيتَ إيلَ، وجميعَ بُيوتِ العِبادةِ الّتي على رُؤُوسِ التِّلالِ في مُدُنِ السَّامرةِ».
خطيئة يربعام
33 ولم يَرتَدَّ يَرُبعامُ عَنْ طريقِهِ الفاسِدِ، فعادَ وأقامَ كهَنَةً مِنْ عامَّةِ الشَّعبِ لِبُيوتِ العِبادةِ. فمَنْ شاءَ كانَ يُكَرَّسُ ويَصيرُ كاهنا 34 وكانَ ذلِكَ خطيئةً أدَّتْ إلى خرابِ بَيتِ يَرُبعامَ وإبادَتِهِ عَنْ وجهِ الأرضِ.