After thinking it over, he made two bull-calves of gold and said to his people, "You have been going long enough to Jerusalem to worship. People of Israel, here are your gods who brought you out of Egypt!"

And so the people sinned, going to worship in Bethel and in Dan.

Jeroboam also instituted a religious festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the festival in Judah. On the altar in Bethel he offered sacrifices to the gold bull-calves he had made, and he placed there in Bethel the priests serving at the places of worship he had built.

"Even though you people of Israel are unfaithful to me, may Judah not be guilty of the same thing. Don't worship at Gilgal or Bethaven, or make promises there in the name of the living LORD.

The people who live in the city of Samaria will be afraid and will mourn the loss of the gold bull at Bethaven. They and the priests who serve the idol will weep over it. They will wail when it is stripped of its golden splendor.

That is what will happen to you, people of Bethel, because of the terrible evil that you have done. As soon as the battle begins, the king of Israel will die."

"On the day when I punish the people of Israel for their sins, I will destroy the altars of Bethel. The corners of every altar will be broken off and will fall to the ground.

The Sovereign LORD says, "People of Israel, go to the holy place in Bethel and sin, if you must! Go to Gilgal and sin with all your might! Go ahead and bring animals to be sacrificed morning after morning, and bring your tithes every third day.

Do not go to Beersheba to worship. Do not try to find me at Bethel---Bethel will come to nothing. Do not go to Gilgal---her people are doomed to exile."

Don't prophesy here at Bethel any more. This is the king's place of worship, the national temple."

Children despise me and laugh when they see me.

But men younger than I am make fun of me now! Their fathers have always been so worthless that I wouldn't let them help my dogs guard sheep.

A worthless bunch of nameless nobodies! They were driven out of the land.

They treat me with disgust; they think they are too good for me, and even come and spit in my face.

This mob attacks me head-on; they send me running; they prepare their final assault.

They pour through the holes in my defenses and come crashing down on top of me;

Now I am about to die; there is no relief for my suffering.

God seizes me by my collar and twists my clothes out of shape.

I call to you, O God, but you never answer; and when I pray, you pay no attention.

You let the wind blow me away; you toss me about in a raging storm.

Why do you attack a ruined man, one who can do nothing but beg for pity?

I hoped for happiness and light, but trouble and darkness came instead.

I go about in gloom, without any sunshine; I stand up in public and plead for help.

My skin has turned dark; I am burning with fever.

Even children show what they are by what they do; you can tell if they are honest and good.

Teach children how they should live, and they will remember it all their life.

Children just naturally do silly, careless things, but a good spanking will teach them how to behave.

Don't let anything worry you or cause you pain. You aren't going to be young very long.

You are doomed, you sinful nation, you corrupt and evil people! Your sins drag you down! You have rejected the LORD, the holy God of Israel, and have turned your backs on him.

Everyone will take advantage of everyone else. Young people will not respect their elders, and worthless people will not respect their superiors.

The children gather firewood, the men build fires, and the women mix dough to bake cakes for the goddess they call the Queen of Heaven. They also pour out offerings of wine to other gods, in order to hurt me.

One day Ishmael, whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham, was playing with Sarah's son Isaac.

But they made fun of God's messengers, ignoring his words and laughing at his prophets, until at last the LORD's anger against his people was so great that there was no escape.

But men younger than I am make fun of me now! Their fathers have always been so worthless that I wouldn't let them help my dogs guard sheep.

A worthless bunch of nameless nobodies! They were driven out of the land.

Now they come and laugh at me; I am nothing but a joke to them.

But when I was in trouble, they were all glad and gathered around to make fun of me; strangers beat me and kept striking me.

Come here to be judged, you sinners! You are no better than sorcerers, adulterers, and prostitutes.

Who are you making fun of ? Who are you liars jeering at?

At that time the son who was born in the usual way persecuted the one who was born because of God's Spirit; and it is the same now.

Some were mocked and whipped, and others were put in chains and taken off to prison.

They kept talking as they walked on; then suddenly a chariot of fire pulled by horses of fire came between them, and Elijah was taken up to heaven by a whirlwind.

Then they made a crown out of thorny branches and placed it on his head, and put a stick in his right hand; then they knelt before him and made fun of him. "Long live the King of the Jews!" they said.

When they had finished making fun of him, they took the robe off and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

"You were going to tear down the Temple and build it back up in three days! Save yourself if you are God's Son! Come on down from the cross!"

"He saved others, but he cannot save himself ! Isn't he the king of Israel? If he will come down off the cross now, we will believe in him!