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)