18. Then King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, who was in charge of the forced labour, to go to the Israelites, but they stoned him to death. At this, Rehoboam hurriedly got into his chariot and escaped to Jerusalem.
19. Ever since that time the people of the northern kingdom of Israel have been in rebellion against the dynasty of David.
20. When the people of Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned from Egypt, they invited him to a meeting of the people and made him king of Israel. Only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to David's descendants.
21. When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he called together 180,000 of the best soldiers from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. He intended to go to war and restore his control over the northern tribes of Israel.
22. But God told the prophet Shemaiah
23. to give this message to Rehoboam and to all the people of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin:
24. “Do not attack your own brothers, the people of Israel. Go home, all of you. What has happened is my will.” They all obeyed the Lord's command and went back home.
25. King Jeroboam of Israel fortified the town of Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there for a while. Then he left and fortified the town of Penuel.
26-27. He said to himself, “As things are now, if my people go to Jerusalem and offer sacrifices to the Lord in the Temple there, they will transfer their allegiance to King Rehoboam of Judah and will kill me.”
28. After thinking it over, he made two bull calves of gold and said to his people, “You have been going long enough to Jerusalem to worship. People of Israel, here are your gods who brought you out of Egypt!”
29. He placed one of the gold bull calves in Bethel and the other in Dan.
30. And so the people sinned, going to worship in Bethel and in Dan.