1 Kings 12:25-32
New International Version
Golden Calves at Bethel and Dan
25 Then Jeroboam fortified Shechem(A) in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. From there he went out and built up Peniel.[a](B)
26 Jeroboam thought to himself, “The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David. 27 If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem,(C) they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam.”
28 After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves.(D) He said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”(E) 29 One he set up in Bethel,(F) and the other in Dan.(G) 30 And this thing became a sin;(H) the people came to worship the one at Bethel and went as far as Dan to worship the other.[b]
31 Jeroboam built shrines(I) on high places and appointed priests(J) from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites. 32 He instituted a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth(K) month, like the festival held in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. This he did in Bethel,(L) sacrificing to the calves he had made. And at Bethel he also installed priests at the high places he had made.
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 12:25 Hebrew Penuel, a variant of Peniel
- 1 Kings 12:30 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text people went to the one as far as Dan
1 Kings 12:25-32
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
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) 26 Then Jeroboam said to himself, “Now the kingdom may well revert to the house of David. 27 If this people continues to go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, the heart of this people will turn again to their master, King Rehoboam of Judah; they will kill me and return to King Rehoboam of Judah.”(B) 28 So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold. He said to the people,[a] “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.”(C) 29 He set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.(D) 30 And this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one at Bethel and before the other as far as Dan.[b](E) 31 He also made houses[c] on high places and appointed priests from among all the people who were not Levites.(F) 32 Jeroboam appointed a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month like the festival that was in Judah, and he offered sacrifices on the altar; so he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made. And he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places that he had made.(G)
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