4. Now when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar in Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, "Seize him." But his hand which he stretched out against him dried up, so that he could not draw it back to himself.
5. The altar also was split apart and the ashes were poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord.
6. The king said to the man of God, "Please entreat 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 it became as it was 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 with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water in this place.
9. For so it was commanded me by the word of the Lord, saying, 'You shall eat no bread, nor drink water, nor return by the way which you came.'"
10. So he went another way and did not return by the way which he came to Bethel.
11. Now an old prophet was living in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the deeds which the man of God had done that day in Bethel; the words which he had spoken to the king, these also they related to their father.
12. Their father said to them, "Which way did he go?" Now his sons had seen the way which the man of God who came from Judah had gone.
13. Then he said to his sons, "Saddle the donkey for me." So they saddled the donkey for him and he rode away on it.
14. So he went after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak; and he said to him, "Are you the man of God who came from Judah?" And he said, "I am."
15. Then he said to him, "Come home with me and eat bread."
16. He said, "I cannot return with you, nor go with you, nor will I eat bread or drink water with you in this place.
17. For a command came to me by the word of the Lord, 'You shall eat no bread, nor drink water there; do not return by going the way which you came.'"
18. He said to him, "I also am 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.'" But he lied to him.
19. So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house and drank water.
20. Now it came about, as they were sitting down at the table, that the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back;