²⁶He said to himself, “The kingdom will probably return to David’s dynasty now. ²⁷King Rehoboam of Judah, the former master of these people, will regain popularity if they go to sacrifice in the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem. Then they will kill me and return to King Rehoboam of Judah.”

²⁸After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said, “You’ve been worshiping in Jerusalem long enough. Israel, here are your gods who brought you out of Egypt.” ²⁹He put one in Bethel and the other in Dan. ³⁰Worshiping them became ⸤Israel’s⸥ sin. The people went as far as Dan to worship the one calf. ³¹Jeroboam built worship sites on hilltops. He appointed men who were not descended from Levi to be priests.

³²Jeroboam appointed a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, just like the festival in Judah. He went to the altar in Bethel to sacrifice to the calves he had made. He appointed priests from the illegal worship sites ⸤to serve⸥ in Bethel. ³³He went to his altar in Bethel to burn an offering on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, ⸤the festival⸥ he had invented for the Israelites.

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