1 Kings 12:25-32

English Standard Version

Jeroboam's Golden Calves

²⁵ Then Jeroboam ^(A)built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. And he went out from there and ^(B)built Penuel. ²⁶ And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will turn back to the house of David. ²⁷ If this people ^(C)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 ^(D)made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. ^(E)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 ^(F)this thing became a sin, for the people went as far as Dan to be before one.^{[a] 31} He also made ^(G)temples on high places and ^(H)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 ^(I)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 ^(J)the priests of the high places that he had made.