31 And he made houses of worship on the high places and appointed priests from the people in general, those who were not Levites.+ 32 Jer·o·boʹam also established a festival in the eighth month, on the 15th day of the month, like the festival in Judah.+ On the altar that he made at Bethʹel,+ he sacrificed to the calves he had made, and at Bethʹel he assigned priests for the high places that he had made.

33 Even after this happened, Jer·o·boʹam did not turn back from his bad way, but he kept appointing priests for the high places from the people in general.+ He would install as priests* anyone who so desired, saying: “Let him become one of the priests for the high places.”+