1 Kings 12:22-33 ▼

22 And the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

23 “Speak to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying,

24 thus says YHWH: ‘You⁺ shall not go up nor fight against your⁺ brothers the sons of Israel. And let return every man to his house, for from Me this thing is.’” And they listened to the word of YHWH and turned back to depart, according to the word of YHWH.

25 And Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and dwelt there. And he went out from there and built Penuel.

26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom may return to the house of David.

27 If this people goes up to offer sacrifices in the house of YHWH at Jerusalem, the heart of this people will turn back to their lord, unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and go back to Rehoboam king of Judah.”

28 The king and took counsel and made two calves of gold, and he said to them, “It is too much for you⁺ to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.”

29 And he set up one in Bethel, and one he put in Dan.

30 And this thing became a sin, for the people went before the face of one of the calves as far as Dan to worship.

31 And He made shrines on the high places, and he made priests from the ends of the people, who were not of the sons of Levi.

32 And Jeroboam ordained a feast of the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast that was in Judah, and he offered sacrifices on the altar. Thus he did at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made, and he caused to stand in Bethel the priests of the high places that he had made.

33 And he made offerings on the altar that he had made at Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month that he had devised in his own heart, and he ordained a feast for the sons of Israel and offered sacrifices on the altar and burned incense.