1 Kings 12:20-30

20 And when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. There was none that followed the house of David but 1the tribe of Judah only.
21 2When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, 180,000 chosen warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.
22 But the word of God came to 3Shemaiah the man of God:
23 "Say to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the 4rest of the people,
24 'Thus says the LORD, You shall not go up or fight against your relatives the people of Israel. Every man return to his home, 5for this thing is from me.'" So they listened to the word of the LORD and went home again, according to the word of the LORD.

Jeroboam's Golden Calves

25 Then Jeroboam 6built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. And he went out from there and 7built Penuel.
26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, "Now the kingdom will turn back to the house of David.
27 If this people 8go 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 9made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, "You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. 10Behold 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 11this thing became a sin, for the people went as far as Dan to be before one.[a]

Cross References 11

  • 1. 1 Kings 11:13, 32, 36
  • 2. For ver. 21-24, see 2 Chronicles 11:1-4
  • 3. 2 Chr. 12:5, 7, 15
  • 4. [ver. 17]
  • 5. ver. 15
  • 6. [Judges 9:45]
  • 7. [Judges 8:17]
  • 8. Deuteronomy 12:5, 6
  • 9. 2 Kings 10:29; 2 Kings 17:16; 2 Chronicles 11:15; 2 Chronicles 13:8; Hosea 8:5, 6; Hosea 10:5; Hosea 13:2; [1 Kings 14:9]
  • 10. [Exodus 32:4, 8]
  • 11. 1 Kings 13:34; 2 Kings 17:21

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Septuagint went to the one at Bethel and to the other as far as Dan
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.