Jeroboam’s Golden Calves

²⁵ Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and resided there; he went out from there and built Penuel.^(A)

¹⁷ He also broke down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.^(A)

⁸ From there he went up to Penuel and made the same request of them, and the people of Penuel answered him as the people of Succoth had answered.^(A)

⁴⁵ Abimelech fought against the city all that day; he took the city and killed the people who were in it, and he razed the city and sowed it with salt.^(A)

⁴⁶ When all the lords of the Tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered the stronghold of the temple of El-berith.^{(B) 47} Abimelech was told that all the lords of the Tower of Shechem were gathered together. ⁴⁸ So Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the troops who were with him. Abimelech took an ax in his hand, cut down a bundle of brushwood, and took it up and laid it on his shoulder. Then he said to the troops with him, “What you have seen me do, do quickly, as I have done.”^{(C) 49} So every one of the troops cut down a bundle and following Abimelech put it against the stronghold, and they set the stronghold on fire over them, so that all the people of the Tower of Shechem also died, about a thousand men and women.

³⁰ So Jacob called the place Peniel,^[a] saying, “For I have seen God face to face, yet my life is preserved.”^{(A) 31} The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.

⁵ Rehoboam resided in Jerusalem, and he built cities for defense in Judah. ⁶ He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, ⁷ Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, ⁸ Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, ⁹ Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, ¹⁰ Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, fortified cities that are in Judah and in Benjamin. ¹¹ He made the fortresses strong and put commanders in them and stores of food, oil, and wine. ¹² He also put large shields and spears in all the cities and made them very strong. So he held Judah and Benjamin.

Samaria the New Capital

²⁴ He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver; he fortified the hill and called the city that he built Samaria, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill.^(A)

¹⁷ King Baasha of Israel went up against Judah and built Ramah to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to King Asa of Judah.^(A)

The Northern Tribes Secede

12 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.^(A)

¹⁷ so Solomon rebuilt Gezer), Lower Beth-horon,^{(A) 18} Baalath, Tadmor in the wilderness, within the land,