Lectionary Calendar
Monday, September 8th, 2025
the Week of Proper 18 / Ordinary 23
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Read the Bible

New Living Translation

1 Kings 13:9

For the Lord gave me this command: ‘You must not eat or drink anything while you are there, and do not return to Judah by the same way you came.'"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Afflictions and Adversities;   Decision;   Fellowship;   Jeroboam;   Judgments;   Reproof;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Alliance and Society with the Enemies of God;   Diet of the Jews, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Iddo;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Jeroboam;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Bethel;   Jeroboam;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Jadon;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Bethel ;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Jeroboam;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Israel;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Old Prophet, the;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
for this is what I was commanded by the word of the Lord: ‘You must not eat food or drink water or go back the way you came.’”
Hebrew Names Version
for so was it charged me by the word of the LORD, saying, You shall eat no bread, nor drink water, neither return by the way that you came.
King James Version
For so was it charged me by the word of the Lord , saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest.
English Standard Version
for so was it commanded me by the word of the Lord , saying, ‘You shall neither eat bread nor drink water nor return by the way that you came.'"
New Century Version
The Lord commanded me not to eat or drink anything nor to return on the same road by which I came."
New English Translation
For the Lord gave me strict orders, ‘Do not eat or drink there and do not go home the way you came.'"
Amplified Bible
"For I was commanded by the word of the LORD, 'You shall not eat bread or drink water, nor shall you return by the way you came.'"
New American Standard Bible
"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 way that you came.'"
Geneva Bible (1587)
For so was it charged mee by the worde of the Lorde, saying, Eate no bread nor drinke water, nor turne againe by the same way that thou camest.
Legacy Standard Bible
For so it was commanded me by the word of Yahweh, saying, ‘You shall eat no bread, nor drink water, nor return by the way which you came.'"
Contemporary English Version
The Lord said I can't eat or drink anything and that I can't go home the same way I came."
Complete Jewish Bible
For this is the order I received through the word of Adonai : ‘Don't eat food or drink water, and don't return by the road you took when you came.'"
Darby Translation
for so was it charged me by the word of Jehovah, saying, Thou shalt eat no bread, nor drink water, nor return by the way that thou shalt go.
Easy-to-Read Version
The Lord commanded me not to eat or drink anything here. He also commanded me not to go back the same way I came."
George Lamsa Translation
For so it was charged me by the word of the LORD, saying, Eat no bread, and drink no water, nor return again by the way that you came.
Good News Translation
The Lord has commanded me not to eat or drink a thing, and not to return home the same way I came."
Lexham English Bible
for the word of Yahweh has commanded me, saying, ‘You shall not eat bread nor drink water, and you shall not return on the way that you came.'"
Literal Translation
For so He commanded me by the Word of Jehovah, saying, You shall not eat bread nor drink water, nor turn back in the way that you have come.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For thus am I commaunded, and thus is it sayde vnto me by the worde of the LORDE: Thou shalt eate no bred, and drynke no water, nether returne the waye that thou wentest.
American Standard Version
for so was it charged me by the word of Jehovah, saying, Thou shalt eat no bread, nor drink water, neither return by the way that thou camest.
Bible in Basic English
For so I was ordered by the word of the Lord, who said, You are not to take food or a drink of water, and you are not to go back the way you came.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For so was it charged me through the word of the Lord, saying: Eate no bread nor drinke water, nor turne agayne by the same way that thou camest.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
For it so was charged me by the word of the LORD, saying: Thou shalt eat no bread, nor drink water, neither return by the way that thou camest.'
King James Version (1611)
For so was it charged mee by the word of the Lord, saying, Eate no bread, nor drinke water, nor turne again by the same way that thou camest.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Eat no bread, and drink no water, and return not by the way by which thou camest.
English Revised Version
for so was it charged me by the word of the LORD, saying, Thou shalt eat no bread, nor drink water, neither return by the way that thou camest.
Berean Standard Bible
For this is what I was commanded by the word of the LORD: 'You must not eat bread or drink water or return by the way you came.'"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
`for so it is comaundid to me bi the word of the Lord, comaundinge, Thou schalt not ete breed, nether thou schalt drynke water, nether thou schalt turne ayen bi the weie bi which thou camest.
Young's Literal Translation
for so He commanded me by the word of Jehovah, saying, Thou dost not eat bread nor drink water, nor turn back in the way that thou hast come.'
Update Bible Version
for so was it charged me by the word of Yahweh, saying, You shall eat no bread, nor drink water, neither return by the way that you came.
Webster's Bible Translation
For so was it charged me by the word of the LORD, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest.
World English Bible
for so was it charged me by the word of Yahweh, saying, You shall eat no bread, nor drink water, neither return by the way that you came.
New King James Version
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."'
New Life Bible
For the word of the Lord said to me, ‘You must not eat bread or drink water or return by the way you came.'"
New Revised Standard
For thus I was commanded by the word of the Lord : You shall not eat food, or drink water, or return by the way that you came."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
for, so, he charged me, by the word of Yahweh, saying, Thou shalt not eat bread, nor shalt thou drink water, - neither shalt thou come back by the way thou wentest.
Douay-Rheims Bible
For so it was enjoined me by the word of the Lord commanding me: Thou shalt not eat bread, nor drink water, nor return by the same way that thou camest.
Revised Standard Version
for so was it commanded me by the word of the LORD, saying, 'You shall neither eat bread, nor drink water, nor return by the way that you came.'"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"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.'"

Contextual Overview

1 At the Lord 's command, a man of God from Judah went to Bethel, arriving there just as Jeroboam was approaching the altar to burn incense. 2 Then at the Lord 's command, he shouted, "O altar, altar! This is what the Lord says: A child named Josiah will be born into the dynasty of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests from the pagan shrines who come here to burn incense, and human bones will be burned on you." 3 That same day the man of God gave a sign to prove his message. He said, "The Lord has promised to give this sign: This altar will split apart, and its ashes will be poured out on the ground." 4 When King Jeroboam heard the man of God speaking against the altar at Bethel, he pointed at him and shouted, "Seize that man!" But instantly the king's hand became paralyzed in that position, and he couldn't pull it back. 5 At the same time a wide crack appeared in the altar, and the ashes poured out, just as the man of God had predicted in his message from the Lord . 6 The king cried out to the man of God, "Please ask the Lord your God to restore my hand again!" So the man of God prayed to the Lord , and the king's hand was restored and he could move it again. 7 Then the king said to the man of God, "Come to the palace with me and have something to eat, and I will give you a gift." 8 But the man of God said to the king, "Even if you gave me half of everything you own, I would not go with you. I would not eat or drink anything in this place. 9 For the Lord gave me this command: ‘You must not eat or drink anything while you are there, and do not return to Judah by the same way you came.'" 10 So he left Bethel and went home another way.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

For: 1 Kings 13:1, 1 Kings 13:21, 1 Kings 13:22, 1 Samuel 15:22, Job 23:12, John 13:17, John 15:9, John 15:10, John 15:14

Eat no bread: Numbers 16:26, Deuteronomy 13:13-18, Psalms 141:4, Romans 16:17, 1 Corinthians 5:11, Ephesians 5:11, 2 John 1:10, 2 John 1:11, Revelation 18:4

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 9:9 - I neither 1 Kings 13:16 - General 1 Kings 13:19 - General 1 Kings 13:26 - which he spake 1 Kings 18:4 - bread and water 1 Thessalonians 4:15 - by the

Cross-References

Genesis 13:8
Finally Abram said to Lot, "Let's not allow this conflict to come between us or our herdsmen. After all, we are close relatives!
Genesis 13:12
So Abram settled in the land of Canaan, and Lot moved his tents to a place near Sodom and settled among the cities of the plain.
Genesis 13:13
But the people of this area were extremely wicked and constantly sinned against the Lord .
Genesis 13:18
So Abram moved his camp to Hebron and settled near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. There he built another altar to the Lord .
Genesis 20:15
Then Abimelech said, "Look over my land and choose any place where you would like to live."
Genesis 34:10
And you may live among us; the land is open to you! Settle here and trade with us. And feel free to buy property in the area."
Psalms 120:7
I search for peace; but when I speak of peace, they want war!
Romans 12:18
Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.
1 Corinthians 6:7
Even to have such lawsuits with one another is a defeat for you. Why not just accept the injustice and leave it at that? Why not let yourselves be cheated?
Hebrews 12:14
Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For so it was charged me by the word of the Lord,.... The command of the Lord, by which he came to Bethel, and cried against the altar there, 1 Kings 13:1

saying, eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest: signifying that no communion was to be had with idolaters, nor any example to be set and followed; but the way to them, and to their idolatry, was to be shunned and avoided.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Eat no bread, nor drink water - The reason of the command is evident. The man of God was not to accept the hospitality of any dweller at Bethel, in order to show in a marked way, which men generally could appreciate, God’s abhorrence of the system which Jeroboam had “devised of his own heart.”

Nor turn again by the same way that thou camest - This command seems to have been given simply to test the obedience of the prophet by laying him under a positive as well as a moral obligation.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 13:9. For so it was charged me - Eat no bread, c. — That is, Have no kind of communication with those idolaters. He was charged also not to return by the way that he came probably lest the account of what was done should have reached the ears of any of the people through whom he had passed, and he suffer inconveniences on the account, either by persecution from the idolaters, or from curious people delaying him, in order to cause him to give an account of the transactions which took place at Beth-el. This is a reason why he should not return by the same way; but what the reason of this part of the charge was, if not the above, is not easy to see.


 
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