¹³ The priests and Levites who lived throughout Israel supported him, no matter where they resided.^{[a] 14} The Levites even left their pasturelands and their property behind and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons prohibited them from serving as the Lord’s priests. ¹⁵ Jeroboam^[b] appointed his own priests to serve at the worship centers^[c] and to lead in the worship of the goat idols and calf idols he had made.^{[d] 16} Those among all the Israelite tribes who were determined to worship the Lord God of Israel followed them to Jerusalem^[e] to sacrifice to the Lord God of their ancestors.^{[f] 17} They supported^[g] the kingdom of Judah and were loyal to^[h] Rehoboam son of Solomon for three years; they followed the edicts of^[i] David and Solomon for three years.