⁷ and worthless men gathered about him, vile men, who proved too strong for Rehoboam, the son of Solomon; ^[a](A)he was young and timid and could not exert his strength before them.

⁸ “So now you ^[b]intend to exert your strength before the kingdom of Yahweh by the hand of the sons of David, ^[c]being a great multitude and having with you ^(B)the golden calves which Jeroboam made for gods for you. ^9 (C)Have you not driven out the priests of Yahweh, the sons of Aaron and the Levites, and made for yourselves priests like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes ^(D)to ordain himself with a bull from the herd and seven rams, even he may become a priest of what are ^(E)no gods.