1 Kings 12:25-32

Golden Calves at Bethel and Dan 25Then Jeroboam fortified Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. From there he went out and built up Peniel. Hebrew Penuel, a variant of Peniel 26Jeroboam thought to himself, “The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David.

27If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam.” 28After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. 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.” 29One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan.

30And this thing became a sin; the people came to worship the one at Bethel and went as far as Dan to worship the other. Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text people went to the one as far as Dan 31Jeroboam built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites. 32He instituted a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the festival held in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. This he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made. And at Bethel he also installed priests at the high places he had made.