1 Kings 12:31-33

12:31 He built temples ¹  on the high places and appointed as priests people who were not Levites. 12:32 Jeroboam inaugurated a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, ²  like the festival celebrated in Judah. ³  On the altar in Bethel he offered sacrifices to the calves he had made. ⁴  In Bethel he also appointed priests for the high places he had made.

A Prophet from Judah Visits Bethel

12:33 On the fifteenth day of the eighth month (a date he had arbitrarily chosen) ⁵  Jeroboam ⁶  offered sacrifices on the altar he had made in Bethel. ⁷  He inaugurated a festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to offer sacrifices.

[12:31]  ¹ tn The Hebrew text has the singular, but the plural is preferable here (see 1 Kgs 13:32). The Old Greek translation and the Vulgate have the plural.

[12:32]  ² sn The eighth month would correspond to October-November in modern reckoning.

[12:32]  ³ sn The festival he celebrated in Judah probably refers to the Feast of Tabernacles (i.e., Booths or Temporary Shelters), held in the seventh month (September-October). See also 1 Kgs 8:2.

[12:32]  ⁴ tn Heb “and he offered up [sacrifices] on the altar; he did this in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves which he had made.”

[12:33]  ⁵ tn Heb “which he had chosen by himself.”

[12:33]  ⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jeroboam) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:33]  ⁷ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.