Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A Song of Praise to God Coming in Judgment^(A)

²⁰ Now it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come back, they sent for him and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all ^(A)Israel. There was none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah ^(B)only.

²¹ And when ^(C)Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah with the tribe of ^(D)Benjamin, one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. ²² But ^(E)the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, ²³ “Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying, ²⁴ ‘Thus says the Lord: “You shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel. Let every man return to his house, ^(F)for this thing is from Me.” ’ ” Therefore they obeyed the word of the Lord, and turned back, according to the word of the Lord.

Jeroboam’s Gold Calves

²⁵ Then Jeroboam ^(G)built^[a] Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and dwelt there. Also he went out from there and built ^(H)Penuel. ²⁶ And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom may return to the house of David: ²⁷ If these people ^(I)go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn back to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and go back to Rehoboam king of Judah.”

²⁸ Therefore the king asked advice, ^(J)made two calves of gold, and said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. ^(K)Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!” ²⁹ And he set up one in ^(L)Bethel, and the other he put in ^(M)Dan. ³⁰ Now this thing became ^(N)a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan. ³¹ He made ^[b]shrines on the high places, ^(O)and made priests from every class of people, who were not of the sons of Levi.

³² Jeroboam ^[c]ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like ^(P)the feast that was in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made. ^(Q)And at Bethel he installed the priests of the high places which he had made. ³³ So he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had ^(R)devised in his own heart. And he ^[d]ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and offered sacrifices on the altar and ^(S)burned incense.

¹¹ Knowing, therefore, ^(A)the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.

Be Reconciled to God

¹² For ^(B)we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity ^(C)to boast on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart. ¹³ For ^(D)if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you. ¹⁴ For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that ^(E)if One died for all, then all died; ¹⁵ and He died for all, ^(F)that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

^16 (G)Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, ^(H)yet now we know Him thus no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone ^(I)is in Christ, he is ^(J)a new creation; ^(K)old things have passed away; behold, all things have become ^(L)new.