21. When Rehoboam arrived at Jerusalem, he assembled the whole house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin—one hundred eighty thousand select warriors—to fight against the house of Israel and restore the kingdom for Rehoboam, Solomon’s son.
22. But God’s word came to Shemaiah the man of God,
23. "Tell Judah’s King Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, and all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and the rest of the people,
24. ‘This is what the Lord says: Don’t make war against your relatives the Israelites. Go home, every one of you, because this is my plan.’" When they heard the Lord’s words, they went back home, just as the Lord had said.
25. Jeroboam fortified Shechem at Mount Ephraim and lived there. From there he also fortified Penuel.
26. Jeroboam thought to himself, The kingdom is in danger of reverting to the house of David.
27. If these people continue to sacrifice at the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem, they will again become loyal to their master Rehoboam, Judah’s king, and they will kill me so they can return to Judah’s King Rehoboam.
28. So the king asked for advice and then made two gold calves. He said to the people, "It’s too far for you to go all the way up to Jerusalem. Look, Israel! Here are your gods who brought you out from the land of Egypt."
29. He put one calf in Bethel, and the other he placed in Dan.
30. This act was sinful. The people went to worship before the one calf at Bethel and before the other one as far as Dan.
31. Jeroboam made shrines on the high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, but none were Levites.