Part 207 (2/2)

13:19. And brought him back with him: so he ate bread, and drank water in his house.

13:20. And as they sat at table, the word of the Lord came to the prophet that brought him back:

13:21. And he cried out to the man of G.o.d who came out of Juda, saying: Thus saith the Lord: Because thou hast not been obedient to the Lord, and hast not kept the commandment which the Lord thy G.o.d commanded thee,

13:22. And hast returned, and eaten bread, and drunk water in the place wherein he commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat bread, nor drink water, thy dead body shall not be brought into the sepulchre of thy fathers.

13:23. And when he had eaten and drunk, he saddled his a.s.s for the prophet, whom he had brought back.

13:24. And when he was gone, a lion found him in the way, and killed him, and his body was cast in the way: and the a.s.s stood by him, and the lion stood by the dead body.

Killed him... Thus the Lord often punishes his servants here, that he may spare them hereafter. For the generality of divines are of opinion, that the sin of this prophet, considered with all its circ.u.mstances, was not mortal.

13:25. And behold, men pa.s.sing by, saw the dead body cast in the way, and the lion standing by the body. And they came and told it in the city, wherein that old prophet dwelt.

13:26. And when that prophet, who had brought him back out of the way, heard of it, he said: It is the man of G.o.d, that was disobedient to the mouth of the Lord, and the Lord hath delivered him to the lion, and he hath torn him, and killed him, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke to him.

13:27. And he said to his sons: Saddle me an a.s.s. And when they had saddled it,

13:28. And he was gone, he found the dead body cast in the way, and the a.s.s and the lion standing by the carca.s.s: the lion had not eaten of the dead body, nor hurt the a.s.s.

13:29. And the prophet took up the body of the man of G.o.d, and laid it upon the a.s.s, and going back brought it into the city of the old prophet, to mourn for him.

13:30. And he laid his dead body in his own sepulchre: and they mourned over him, saying: Alas! alas, my brother.

13:31. And when they had mourned over him, he said to his sons: When I am dead, bury me in the sepulchre wherein the man of G.o.d is buried: lay my bones beside his bones.

13:32. For a.s.suredly the word shall come to pa.s.s which he hath foretold in the word of the Lord, against the altar that is in Bethel: and against all the temples of the high places, that are in the cities of Samaria.

13:33. After these words, Jeroboam came not back from his wicked way: but on the contrary, he made of the meanest of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he filled his hand, and he was made a priest of the high places.

13:34. And for this cause did the house of Jeroboam sin, and was cut off, and destroyed from the face of the earth.

3 Kings Chapter 14

Ahias prophesieth the destruction of the family of Jeroboam. He dieth, and is succeeded by his son Nadab. The king of Egypt taketh and pillageth Jerusalem. Roboam dieth and his son Abiam succeedeth.

14:1. At that time Abia, the son of Jeroboam, fell sick.

14:2. And Jeroboam said to his wife: Arise, and change thy dress, that thou be not known to be the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Silo, where Ahias, the prophet is, who told me that I should reign over this people.

14:3. Take also with thee ten loaves, and cracknels, and a pot of honey, and go to him: for he will tell thee what will become of this child.

14:4. Jeroboam's wife did as he told her: and rising up, went to Silo, and came to the house of Ahias; but he could not see, for his eyes were dim by reason of his age.

14:5. And the Lord said to Ahias: Behold the wife of Jeroboam cometh in, to consult thee concerning her son, that is sick: thus and thus shalt thou speak to her. So when she was coming in, and made as if she were another woman,

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