First Reading1 Kings 12:26-32; 13:33-34
From the First Book of Kings
26Jeroboam said in his heart,“Now the kingdom will return to David’s house.27If this people goes up to offer sacrifices in the Lord’s house at Jerusalem,then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord,even to Rehoboam king of Judah;and they will kill me,and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.”28So the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold;and he said to them,“It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem.Look and behold your gods,Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”29He set the one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.30This thing became a sin,for the people wenteven as far as Dan to worship before the one there.31He made houses of high places,and made priests from among all the people,who were not of the sons of Levi.32Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month,on the fifteenth day of the month,like the feast that is in Judah,and he went up to the altar.He did so in Bethel,sacrificing to the calves that he had made,and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places that he had made.
some verses are not read33After this thing, Jeroboam didn’t turn from his evil way,but again made priests of the high places from among all the people.Whoever wanted to,he consecrated him,that there might be priests of the high places.34This thing became sin to the house of Jeroboam,even to cut it offand to destroy it from off the surface of the earth.