1Kings 13

 

וְהִנֵּה אִישׁ אֱלֹהִים בָּא מִיהוּדָה בִּדְבַר יְהוָה אֶל־בֵּית־אֵל וְיָרָבְעָם עֹמֵד עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ לְהַקְטִיר׃   13:1

1Kin. 13:1   And behold, a man of God came from Judah with the word of the Lord to Beth-el as Jeroboam was standing at the altar to offer,

וַיִּקְרָא עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ בִּדְבַר יְהוָה וַיֹּאמֶר מִזְבֵּחַ מִזְבֵּחַ כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה הִנֵּה־בֵן נוֹלָד לְבֵית־דָּוִד יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ   13:2 שְׁמוֹ וְזָבַח עָלֶיךָ אֶת־כֹּהֲנֵי הַבָּמוֹת הַמַּקְטִרִים עָלֶיךָ וְעַצְמוֹת אָדָם יִשְׂרְפוּ עָלֶיךָ׃

1Kin. 13:2   and he cried at the altar with the word of the Lord, and he said, “Altar, altar, thus says the Lord:  “Behold, a son has been born to the house of David, Josiah his name, and he shall sacrifice upon you the priests of the high places who are offering on you, and they will burn the bones of men on you.”                                                                            [Return to 2Kin. 23:17]

וְנָתַן בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא מוֹפֵת לֵאמֹר זֶה הַמּוֹפֵת אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהוָה הִנֵּה הַמִּזְבֵּחַ נִקְרָע וְנִשְׁפַּךְ הַדֶּשֶׁן   13:3 אֲשֶׁר־עָלָיו׃

1Kin. 13:3   And he gave a sign on that day saying, “This is the sign that the Lord has promised:  Behold, the altar is being rent and the ash that is on it will be poured out.”

וַיְהִי כִשְׁמֹעַ הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת־דְּבַר אִישׁ־הָאֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר קָרָא עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ בְּבֵית־אֵל וַיִּשְׁלַח יָרָבְעָםֹ   13:4

 אֶת־יָדו מֵעַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ לֵאמֹר תִּפְשֻׂהוּ וַתִּיבַשׁ יָדוֹ אֲשֶׁר שָׁלַח עָלָיו וְלֹא יָכֹל לַהֲשִׁיבָהּ אֵלָיו׃

1Kin. 13:4   And it was, when the king heard the word of the man of God that he had cried at the altar in Beth-el, that Jeroboam put forth his hand from the altar saying, “Grab him!”  But his hand that he had put forth against him dried up so he was not able to bring it back to him.

וְהַמִּזְבֵּחַ נִקְרָע וַיִּשָּׁפֵךְ הַדֶּשֶׁן מִן־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ כַּמּוֹפֵת אֲשֶׁר נָתַן אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים בִּדְבַר יְהוָה׃   13:5

1Kin. 13:5   And the altar was rent and the ash poured forth from the altar like the sign that the man of God had given in the word of the Lord.

וַיַּעַן הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים חַל־נָא אֶת־פְּנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְהִתְפַּלֵּל בַּעֲדִי וְתָשֹׁב יָדִי אֵלָי   13:6 וַיְחַל אִישׁ־הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת־פְּנֵי יְהוָה וַתָּשָׁב יַד־הַמֶּלֶךְ אֵלָיו וַתְּהִי כְּבָרִאשֹׁנָה׃

1Kin. 13:6   And the king answered, and he said to the man of God, “Entreat now the favor of the Lord, your God, and pray for my sake that my hand may be restored to me.”  So the man of God entreated the favor of the Lord and the hand of the king was restored to him and it was as before.

וַיְדַבֵּר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל־אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים בֹּאָה־אִתִּי הַבַּיְתָה וּסְעָדָה וְאֶתְּנָה לְךָ מַתָּת׃   13:7

1Kin. 13:7   And the king said to the man of God, “Come home with me and be refreshed, and I will give a gift to you.”

וַיֹּאמֶר אִישׁ־הָאֱלֹהִים אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ אִם־תִּתֶּן־לִי אֶת־חֲצִי בֵיתֶךָ לֹא אָבֹא עִמָּךְ וְלֹא־אֹכַל לֶחֶם וְלֹא   13:8 אֶשְׁתֶּה־מַּיִם בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה׃

1Kin. 13:8   And the man of God said to the king, “If you would give half your house to me I would not go with you and I would not eat bread and I would not drink water in this place.”

כִּי־כֵן צִוָּה אֹתִי בִּדְבַר יְהוָה לֵאמֹר לֹא־תֹאכַל לֶחֶם וְלֹא תִשְׁתֶּה־מָּיִם וְלֹא תָשׁוּב בַּדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר   13:9

 הָלָכְתָּ׃

1Kin. 13:9   “For so was it commanded me by the word of the Lord saying, ‘You shall not eat bread and you shall not drink water, and you shall not return by the way that you came.’”

וַיֵּלֶךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ אַחֵר וְלֹא־שָׁב בַּדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר בָּא בָהּ אֶל־בֵּית־אֵל׃   13:10

1Kin. 13:10   So he went by another way and he did not return by the way on which he had come to Beth-el.

וְנָבִיא אֶחָד זָקֵן יֹשֵׁב בְּבֵית־אֵל וַיָּבוֹא בְנוֹ וַיְסַפֶּר־לוֹ אֶת־כָּל־הַמַּעֲשֶׂה אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה אִישׁ־הָאֱלֹהִים   13:11 הַיּוֹם בְּבֵית־אֵל אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיְסַפְּרוּם לַאֲבִיהֶם׃

1Kin. 13:11   Now a certain old prophet lived in Beth-el, and his son came and related to him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Beth-el, the words that he had spoken to the king.  Thus they related them to their father.

The last two Hebrew words of this verse, translated as Thus they related them to their father, seem to be an attempt by the scribe to form a bridge from the one son of this verse to the sons of later verses.  See vss. 13:12 and 13 below, for example.

וַיְדַבֵּר אֲלֵהֶם אֲבִיהֶם אֵי־זֶה הַדֶּרֶךְ הָלָךְ וַיִּרְאוּ בָנָיו אֶת־הַדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר הָלַךְ אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר־בָּא   13:12 מִיהוּדָה׃

1Kin. 13:12   And their father said to them, “Where is this, the way he went?”  And his sons had seen the way that the man of God who had come from Judah had gone.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־בָּנָיו חִבְשׁוּ־לִי הַחֲמוֹר וַיַּחְבְּשׁוּ־לוֹ הַחֲמוֹר וַיִּרְכַּב עָלָיו׃   13:13

1Kin. 13:13   And he said to his sons, “Saddle the ass for me.”  So they saddled the ass for him and he rode on it.

וַיֵּלֶךְ אַחֲרֵי אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים וַיִּמְצָאֵהוּ יֹשֵׁב תַּחַת הָאֵלָה וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו הַאַתָּה אִישׁ־הָאֱלֹהִים   13:14 אֲשֶׁר־בָּאתָ מִיהוּדָה וַיֹּאמֶר אָנִי׃

1Kin. 13:14   And he went after the man of God and he found him sitting beneath a terebinth, and he said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?”  And he said, “It is I.”

וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו לֵךְ אִתִּי הַבָּיְתָה וֶאֱכֹל לָחֶם׃   13:15

1Kin. 13:15   Then he said to him, “Come home with me and eat bread.”

וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא אוּכַל לָשׁוּב אִתָּךְ וְלָבוֹא אִתָּךְ וְלֹא־אֹכַל לֶחֶם וְלֹא־אֶשְׁתֶּה אִתְּךָ מַיִם בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה׃   13:16

1Kin. 13:16   And he said, “I am not able to return with you or to enter with you, and I will not eat bread and I will not drink water with you in this place.”

כִּי־דָבָר אֵלַי בִּדְבַר יְהוָה לֹא־תֹאכַל לֶחֶם וְלֹא־תִשְׁתֶּה שָׁם מָיִם לֹא־תָשׁוּב לָלֶכֶת בַּדֶּרֶךְ   13:17

 אֲשֶׁר־הָלַכְת בָּהּ׃

1Kin. 13:17   “For it was the word to me in the word of the Lord:  ‘You shall not eat bread and you shall not drink water there.  You shall not return going by the way by which you came.’”

וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ גַּם־אֲנִי נָבִיא כָּמוֹךָ וּמַלְאָךְ דִּבֶּר אֵלַי בִּדְבַר יְהוָה לֵאמֹר הֲשִׁבֵהוּ אִתְּךָ אֶל־בֵּיתֶךָ וְיֹאכַל  13:18 לֶחֶם וְיֵשְׁתְּ מָיִם כִּחֵשׁ לוֹ׃

1Kin. 13:18   And he said to him, “I am also a prophet like you, 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 lied to him.

וַיָּשָׁב אִתּוֹ וַיֹּאכַל לֶחֶם בְּבֵיתוֹ וַיֵּשְׁתְּ מָיִם׃  13:19

1Kin. 13:19   But he returned with him and ate bread in his house and drank water.

וַיְהִי הֵם יֹשְׁבִים אֶל־הַשֻּׁלְחָן פ וַיְהִי דְּבַר־יְהוָה אֶל־הַנָּבִיא אֲשֶׁר הֱשִׁיבוֹ׃  13:20

1Kin. 13:20   And it was, they were sitting at the table and the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back.

וַיִּקְרָא אֶל־אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר־בָּא מִיהוּדָה לֵאמֹר כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה יַעַן כִּי מָרִיתָ פִּי יְהוָה וְלֹא  13:21 שָׁמַרְתָּ אֶת־הַמִּצְוָה אֲשֶׁר צִוְּךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיך׃ָ

1Kin. 13:21   And he cried to the man of God who had come from Judah saying, “Thus says the Lord:  ‘For the reason that you have disobeyed the mouth of the Lord and not kept the commandment that the Lord, your God, had commanded you,

וַתָּשָׁב וַתֹּאכַל לֶחֶם וַתֵּשְׁתְּ מַיִם בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֵלֶיךָ אַל־תֹּאכַל לֶחֶם וְאַל־תֵּשְׁתְּ מָיִם  13:22

לֹא־תָבֹוא נִבְלָתְךָ אֶל־קֶבֶר אֲבֹתֶיךָ׃

1Kin. 13:22   and you came back and ate bread and drank water in the place of which He said to you, ‘Do not eat bread and do not drink water.’ your carcass shall not be brought to the grave of your fathers.”

וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי אָכְלוֹ לֶחֶם וְאַחֲרֵי שְׁתוֹתוֹ וַיַּחֲבָשׁ־לוֹ הַחֲמוֹר לַנָּבִיא אֲשֶׁר הֱשִׁיבוֹ׃  13:23

1Kin. 13:23   And it was after his eating of bread and after his drinking that he saddled the ass for him, for the prophet whom he had brought back.

וַיֵּלֶךְ וַיִּמְצָאֵהוּ אַרְיֵה בַּדֶּרֶךְ וַיְמִיתֵהוּ וַתְּהִי נִבְלָתוֹ מֻשְׁלֶכֶת בַּדֶּרֶךְ וְהַחֲמוֹר עֹמֵד אֶצְלָהּ וְהָאַרְיֵה  13:24 עֹמֵד אֵצֶל הַנְּבֵלָה׃

1Kin. 13:24   When he had gone, then a lion found him on the way, and it slew him.  And his carcass was cast down on the way, and the ass was standing beside it, and the lion was standing near the carcass.

וְהִנֵּה אֲנָשִׁים עֹבְרִים וַיִּרְאוּ אֶת־הַנְּבֵלָה מֻשְׁלֶכֶת בַּדֶּרֶךְ וְאֶת־הָאַרְיֵה עֹמֵד אֵצֶל הַנְּבֵלָה וַיָּבֹאוּ  13:25 וַיְדַבְּרוּ בָעִיר אֲשֶׁר הַנָּבִיא הַזָּקֵן יֹשֵׁב בָּהּ׃

1Kin. 13:25   And behold, men were passing by and they saw the carcass cast down by the way and the lion standing near the carcass, and they came and they told in the city in which the old prophet lived.

וַיִּשְׁמַע הַנָּבִיא אֲשֶׁר הֱשִׁיבוֹ מִן־הַדֶּרֶךְ וַיֹּאמֶר אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים הוּא אֲשֶׁר מָרָה אֶת־פִּי יְהוָה וַיִּתְּנֵהוּ  13:26 יְהוָה לָאַרְיֵה וַיִּשְׁבְּרֵהוּ וַיְמִתֵהוּ כִּדְבַר יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר־לוֹ׃

1Kin. 13:26   When the prophet who had brought him back from the way heard, then he said, “It is the man of God who disobeyed the mouth of the Lord, so the Lord has delivered him to a lion and it has torn him and slain him according to the word of the Lord that He had spoken to him.”

וַיְדַבֵּר אֶל־בָּנָיו לֵאמֹר חִבְשׁוּ־לִי אֶת־הַחֲמוֹר וַיַּחֲבֹשׁוּ׃  13:27

1Kin. 13:27   And he spoke to his sons saying, “Saddle the ass for me.”  And they saddled.

וַיֵּלֶךְ וַיִּמְצָא אֶת־נִבְלָתוֹ מֻשְׁלֶכֶת בַּדֶּרֶךְ וַחֲמוֹר וְהָאַרְיֵה עֹמְדִים אֵצֶל הַנְּבֵלָה לֹא־אָכַל הָאַרְיֵה  13:28 אֶת־הַנְּבֵלָה וְלֹא שָׁבַר אֶת־הַחֲמוֹר׃

1Kin. 13:28   And he went and found his carcass cast down by the way, and the ass and the lion standing near the carcass.  The lion had not eaten the carcass and he had not torn the ass.

וַיִּשָּׂא הַנָּבִיא אֶת־נִבְלַת אִישׁ־הָאֱלֹהִים וַיַּנִּחֵהוּ אֶל־הַחֲמוֹר וַיְשִׁיבֵהוּ וַיָּבֹא אֶל־עִיר הַנָּבִיא הַזָּקֵן  13:29 לִסְפֹּד וּלְקָבְרוֹ׃

1Kin. 13:29   Then the prophet lifted the carcass of the man of God and laid it on the ass and brought it back.  So he came to the city of the old prophet to mourn and to bury him.

וַיַּנַּח אֶת־נִבְלָתוֹ בְּקִבְרוֹ וַיִּסְפְּדוּ עָלָיו הוֹי אָחִי׃  13:30

1Kin. 13:30   And he laid his carcass in his own grave, and they mourned for him:  “Alas, my brother!”

וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי קָבְרוֹ אֹתוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־בָּנָיו לֵאמֹר בְּמוֹתִי וּקְבַרְתֶּם אֹתִי בַּקֶּבֶר אֲשֶׁר אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים  13:31 קָבוּר בּוֹ אֵצֶל עַצְמֹתָיו הַנִּיחוּ אֶת־עַצְמֹתָי׃

1Kin. 13:31   And it was after his burying him that he spoke to his sons saying, “On my death, then bury me in the grave in which the man of God is buried. Lay my bones beside his bones.”

כִּי הָיֹה יִהְיֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר קָרָא בִּדְבַר יְהוָה עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ אֲשֶׁר בְּבֵית־אֵל וְעַל כָּל־בָּתֵּי הַבָּמוֹת אֲשֶׁר  13:32 בְּעָרֵי שֹׁמְרוֹן׃

1Kin. 13:32   “For the thing that he cried by the word of the Lord against the altar in Beth-el and against all the houses of the high places that are in the cities of Samaria will surely come.”

אַחַר הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה לֹא־שָׁב יָרָבְעָם מִדַּרְכּוֹ הָרָעָה וַיָּשָׁב וַיַּעַשׂ מִקְצוֹת הָעָם כֹּהֲנֵי בָמוֹת הֶחָפֵץ יְמַלֵּא  13:33 אֶת־יָדוֹ וִיהִי כֹּהֲנֵי בָמוֹת׃

1Kin. 13:33   After this event Jeroboam did not return from his evil way, and he went back and made priests of the high places from the most ordinary of the people.  Whoever would, he would empower him, and he became of the priests of the high places.

וַיְהִי בַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה לְחַטַּאת בֵּית יָרָבְעָם וּלְהַכְחִיד וּלְהַשְׁמִיד מֵעַל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה׃  13:34

1Kin. 13:34   And with this thing, it was a sin of the house of Jeroboam, so it was going to be cut off and destroyed from the face of the earth.

This story is indeed strange and mysterious.  Strange also that the characters in it are not named (except for Jeroboam).

 

[Return to 1&2Kings Chapters]    [Prev.:  1Kin.  12]    [Next:  1Kin. 14]