4
So it came to pass when King Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, who cried out against the altar in Bethel, that he stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, "Arrest him!" Then his hand, which he stretched out toward him, withered, so that he could not pull it back to himself.
5
The altar also was split apart, 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.
6
Then the king answered and said to the man of God, "Please entreat the favor of the Lord your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me." So the man of God entreated the Lord, and the king's hand was restored to him, and became as before.
7
Then the king said to the man of God, "Come home with me and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward."
8
But the man of God said to the king, "If you were to give me half your house, I would not go in with you; nor would I eat bread nor drink water in this place.
9
For so it was commanded me by the word of the Lord, saying, 'You shall not eat bread, nor drink water, nor return by the same way you came.' "
10
So he went another way and did not return by the way he came to Bethel.
11
Now an old prophet dwelt in Bethel, and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel; they also told their father the words which he had spoken to the king.
12
And their father said to them, "Which way did he go?" For his sons had seen which way the man of God went who came from Judah.
13
Then he said to his sons, "Saddle the donkey for me." So they saddled the donkey for him; and he rode on it,
14
and went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak. Then he said to him, "Are you the man of God who came from Judah?" And he said, "I am."