THE PROPHET SLAIN BY A LION.

Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons cameand told him all the works that the man of God had done that dayin Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them theytold also to their father. And their father said unto them, Whatway went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of God went,which came, from Judah. And he said unto his sons, Saddle me theass. So they saddled him the, ass: and he rode thereon, and wentafter the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and hesaid unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah?And he said, I am. Then he said unto him, Come home with me, andeat bread. And he, said, I may not return with thee, nor go inwith thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee inthis place: for it was said to me by the word of the Lord, Thoushalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go bythe way that thou camest. He said unto him, I am a prophet alsoas thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord,saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he mayeat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him. So he went backwith him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.

And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the wordof the Lord came unto the prophet that brought him back: and hecried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thussaith the Lord, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of theLord, and hast not kept the commandment which the Lord thy Godcommanded thee, but camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunkwater in the place, of the which the Lord did say to thee, Eat nobread, and drink no water; thy carcass shall not come unto thesepulchre of thy fathers.

And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after hehad drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for theprophet whom he had brought back.

And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him:and his carcass was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, thelion also stood by the carcass.

And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcass cast in theway, and the lion standing by the carcass: and they came and toldit in the city where the old prophet dwelt. And when the prophetthat brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is;the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the Lord:therefore the Lord hath delivered him unto the lion, which hathtorn him, and slain him, according to the word of the Lord, whichhe spake unto him. And he spake to his sons, saying, Saddle methe ass. And they saddled him.

And he went and found his carcass cast in the way, and the assand the lion standing by the carcass: the lion had not eaten thecarcass, nor torn the ass.—2 Kings xiii, II-28.