1 Kings 12:25-30

25Jeroboam made Shechem into a strong city. He lived there, in the hill country of Ephraim. He also went to make Penuel a strong city.

26Jeroboam thought, ‘I do not want the people of my kingdom to accept David's descendants as king again.

27The people that I rule will go to the Lord's temple in Jerusalem to offer sacrifices there. Then they may decide to serve Rehoboam, king of Judah, who was their master before. They might kill me and then go back to serve King Rehoboam.’

28So King Jeroboam talked to his advisors. He used gold to make images of two young cows. He said to the people, ‘It is too difficult for you to go to Jerusalem to worship the Lord, as you have done before. So I have made these gold cows for you instead. Look at them, Israelite people! These are your gods that rescued you and brought you out from Egypt.’

29Jeroboam put one gold cow in Bethel. He put the other gold cow in Dan.

30But that caused the Israelite people to do a very bad thing. They went to Bethel and to Dan to worship the gold cows.