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28 After the king had consulted with his advisers,[a] he made two golden calves. Then he said to the people,[b] “It is too much trouble for you to go up to Jerusalem. Look, Israel, here are your gods who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” 29 He put one in Bethel and the other in Dan. 30 This caused Israel to sin;[c] the people went to Bethel and Dan to worship the calves.[d]

31 He built temples[e] on the high places and appointed as priests common people who were not Levites. 32 Jeroboam inaugurated a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month,[f] like the festival celebrated in Judah.[g] On the altar in Bethel he offered sacrifices to the calves he had made.[h] In Bethel he also appointed priests for the high places he had made.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 12:28 tn The words “with his advisers” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  2. 1 Kings 12:28 tn Heb “to them.”
  3. 1 Kings 12:30 tn Heb “and this thing became a sin.”
  4. 1 Kings 12:30 tc The MT reads “and the people went before the one to Dan.” It is likely that some words have been accidentally omitted and that the text originally said, “and the people went before the one at Bethel and before the one at Dan.”
  5. 1 Kings 12:31 tn The Hebrew text has the singular, but the plural is preferable here (see 1 Kgs 13:32). The Old Greek translation and the Vulgate have the plural.
  6. 1 Kings 12:32 sn The eighth month would correspond to October-November in modern reckoning.
  7. 1 Kings 12:32 sn The festival celebrated in Judah probably refers to the Feast of Tabernacles (i.e., Booths or Temporary Shelters), held in the seventh month (September-October). See also 1 Kgs 8:2.
  8. 1 Kings 12:32 tn Heb “and he offered up [sacrifices] on the altar; he did this in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves which he had made.”

28 After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves.(A) He said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”(B) 29 One he set up in Bethel,(C) and the other in Dan.(D) 30 And this thing became a sin;(E) the people came to worship the one at Bethel and went as far as Dan to worship the other.[a]

31 Jeroboam built shrines(F) on high places and appointed priests(G) from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites. 32 He instituted a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth(H) month, like the festival held in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. This he did in Bethel,(I) sacrificing to the calves he had made. And at Bethel he also installed priests at the high places he had made.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 12:30 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text people went to the one as far as Dan