1 Kings 12:25–33

Jeroboam’s Idolatry

²⁵Jeroboam built Shechem ^min the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. From there he went out and built Penuel. ⁿ²⁶Jeroboam said to himself, “The way things are going now, the kingdom might return to the house of David. ^o27If these people regularly go to offer sacrifices in the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem, ^pthe heart of these people will return to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will murder me and go back to the king of Judah.” ²⁸So the king sought advice.

Then he made two golden calves, and he said to the people, “Going to Jerusalem is too difficult for you. Israel, here is your God ^qwho brought you out of the land of Egypt.” ^r29He set up one in Bethel, ^sand put the other in Dan. ^t30This led to sin; ^uthe people walked in procession before one of the calves all the way to Dan. ^vw

³¹Jeroboam also built shrines on the high places ^xand set up priests from every class of people who were not Levites. ^y32Jeroboam made a festival in the eighth month on the fifteenth day of the month, like the festival in Judah. ^zHe offered sacrifices on the altar; he made this offering in Bethel to sacrifice to the calves he had set up. He also stationed the priests in Bethel for the high places he had set up. ^a33He offered sacrifices on ^bthe altar he had set up in Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month. He chose this month on his own. ^cHe made a festival for the Israelites, offered sacrifices on the altar, and burned incense. ^d