17. But the people of Israel living in the cities of Judah were ruled over by Rehoboam.
18. Then King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, who was in charge of the forced labor, and all Israel stoned him to death. As a result, King Rehoboam quickly mounted his chariot and fled to Jerusalem.
19. So Israel rebelled against the house of David, and it remains so even to this day.
20. When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him before the congregation and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah followed the house of David.
21. When Rehoboam arrived at Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah along with the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel and to bring the kingdom back to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.
22. But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying:
23. Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin and to the remnant of the people, saying,
24. “Thus says the Lord: You shall not go up, nor fight against your brothers the children of Israel. Every man is to return to his house, for this thing is from Me.” They listened therefore to the word of the Lord and turned to depart, according to the word of the Lord.
25. Then Jeroboam built Shechem in Mount Ephraim and lived there and went out from there and built Peniel.
26. Jeroboam said in his heart, “The kingdom will return to the house of David.
27. If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.”
28. At that point, the king got some advice and made two golden calves and said to the people, “It is too difficult for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.”
29. He set one in Bethel, and he put the other in Dan.
30. This was a sin, for the people went to worship before the one, even all the way in Dan.