1 Kings 12:25-32
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Jeroboam’s Idolatry
25 Jeroboam built Shechem(A) in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. From there he went out and built Penuel.(B) 26 Jeroboam said to himself, “The way things are going now, the kingdom might return to the house of David.(C) 27 If these people regularly go to offer sacrifices in the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem,(D) the 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.” 28 So 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[a] who brought you out of the land of Egypt.”(E) 29 He set up one in Bethel,(F) and put the other in Dan.(G) 30 This led to sin;(H) the people walked in procession before one of the calves all the way to Dan.[b](I)
31 Jeroboam also built shrines on the high places(J) and set up priests from every class of people who were not Levites.(K) 32 Jeroboam made a festival in the eighth month on the fifteenth day of the month, like the festival in Judah.(L) He 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.(M)
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Kings 12:28 Or here are your gods
- 1 Kings 12:30 Some LXX mss read calves to Bethel and the other to Dan
1 Kings 12:25-32
New Living Translation
Jeroboam Makes Gold Calves
25 Jeroboam then built up the city of Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and it became his capital. Later he went and built up the town of Peniel.[a]
26 Jeroboam thought to himself, “Unless I am careful, the kingdom will return to the dynasty of David. 27 When these people go to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at the Temple of the Lord, they will again give their allegiance to King Rehoboam of Judah. They will kill me and make him their king instead.”
28 So on the advice of his counselors, the king made two gold calves. He said to the people,[b] “It is too much trouble for you to worship in Jerusalem. Look, Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of Egypt!”
29 He placed these calf idols in Bethel and in Dan—at either end of his kingdom. 30 But this became a great sin, for the people worshiped the idols, traveling as far north as Dan to worship the one there.
31 Jeroboam also erected buildings at the pagan shrines and ordained priests from the common people—those who were not from the priestly tribe of Levi. 32 And Jeroboam instituted a religious festival in Bethel, held on the fifteenth day of the eighth month,[c] in imitation of the annual Festival of Shelters in Judah. There at Bethel he himself offered sacrifices to the calves he had made, and he appointed priests for the pagan shrines he had made.
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
