1 Kings 12:26-32
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
26 Jeroboam thought to himself: “Now the kingdom will return to the house of David. 27 If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, the hearts of this people will return to their master, Rehoboam, king of Judah, and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam, king of Judah.” 28 (A)The king took counsel, made two calves of gold, and said to the people: “You have been going up to Jerusalem long enough. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” 29 (B)And he put one in Bethel, the other in Dan.[a] 30 This led to sin, because the people frequented these calves in Bethel and in Dan. 31 He also built temples on the high places and made priests from among the common people who were not Levites.
Divine Disapproval.[b] 32 Jeroboam established a feast in the eighth month on the fifteenth day of the month like the pilgrimage feast in Judah, and he went up to the altar. He did this in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made. He stationed in Bethel the priests of the high places he had built.
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- 12:29 Bethel…Dan: at the southern and northern boundaries of the separate kingdom of Israel, where sanctuaries had existed in the past (Gn 12:8; 13:3–4; 28:10–22; 35:1–15; Jgs 18:1–31).
- 12:32–13:10 This unit of the Jeroboam story corresponds to 12:21–25. Before Jeroboam’s cultic innovations, a man of God from Judah proclaimed the Lord’s approval of the political separation of the kingdoms. After Jeroboam’s cultic innovations, a man of God from Judah proclaims the Lord’s disapproval of Israel’s religious separatism. The unit begins with a long, detailed introduction about the dedication festival Jeroboam holds at Bethel (12:32–33); then follows the scene of the ceremony disrupted by the oracle of the man of God (13:1–10).
1 Kings 12:26-32
New King James Version
26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom may return to the house of David: 27 If these people (A)go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn back to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and go back to Rehoboam king of Judah.”
28 Therefore the king asked advice, (B)made two calves of gold, and said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. (C)Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!” 29 And he set up one in (D)Bethel, and the other he put in (E)Dan. 30 Now this thing became (F)a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan. 31 He made [a]shrines on the high places, (G)and made priests from every class of people, who were not of the sons of Levi.
32 Jeroboam [b]ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like (H)the feast that was in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made. (I)And at Bethel he installed the priests of the high places which he had made.
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- 1 Kings 12:31 Lit. a house; cf. 1 Kin. 13:32, lit. houses
- 1 Kings 12:32 instituted
1 Kings 12:26-32
English Standard Version
26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will turn back to the house of David. 27 If this people (A)go up to offer sacrifices in the temple of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord, to Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.” 28 So the king took counsel and (B)made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. (C)Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” 29 And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. 30 Then (D)this thing became a sin, for the people went as far as Dan to be before one.[a] 31 He also made (E)temples on high places and (F)appointed priests from among all the people, who were not of the Levites. 32 And Jeroboam appointed a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month like (G)the feast that was in Judah, and he offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he made. And he placed in Bethel (H)the priests of the high places that he had made.
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- 1 Kings 12:30 Septuagint went to the one at Bethel and to the other as far as Dan
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